Most Popular this Week
Coaches
What Is a Coaching Philosophy?
Value of sport
The Benefits of Community Sport
Coaches
Developing a Team Identity
Sport Leaders & Administrators
How to lead change as a sports leader? An introduction to Kotter’s 8-step change model
Featured
How do I support my child to maintain a love of sport, regardless of ability?
In this article is a response to the following question, submitted to the Balance is Better team: Help, my boy is not as talented as other players (including his siblings) and he now knows it. How do I help...
Balance is Better in Action
Q&A with Balance is Better Champion, Jack Wang
Tell us a bit about you and where you grew up. I’m currently a badminton player in the Badminton New Zealand Development Squad, and a student at the University of Auckland. I was born and grew up in...
Balance is Better in Action
Q&A with Balance is Better Champion, Stacey McKerchar
Tell us a bit about you and where you grew up. As a child I grew up on a farm in Mayfield, about 30km out of Ashburton. Having three older brothers, I always had to stand up for...
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Coaches
Are there too many practices a week?
In this series of Balance is Better articles, Sport NZ explores the myths surrounding youth sport and the shift in thinking needed to halt declining participation levels in kiwi teens. It is well known that when young people...
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Coaches
Are we expecting young people to all develop at the same rate?
In this series of Balance is Better articles, Sport NZ explores the myths surrounding youth sport and the shift in thinking needed to halt declining participation levels in kiwi teens. How many of the children and youth selected...
Coaches
Creating Positive Sports Environments
This article is shared by Player Development Project Player Development Project positive psychology expert, Lara Mossman discusses how to create positive sports environments for developing players. In this challenging article Lara discusses what role coaches can play in trying to...
Balance is Better in Action
“Don’t lose the joy” – White Fern, Suzie Bates
White Fern Suzie Bates grew up playing everything she could, chasing down her older brothers. She is now a Balance is Better Champion and after spending the past 18 years playing top level cricket, she can honestly say she still has fun. “Sometimes when...
Webinars
Webinar replay: Athlete, Parent & Coach
Building Better Relationships in Youth Sport In this webinar, our host, Dave Wright is joined by two world class youth sport experts – Dr. Craig Harrison and Reed Maltbie. Dave, Craig and Reed dive into a wide ranging...
Balance is Better in Action
Q&A with Balance is Better Champion, Shontayne Hape
Tell us a bit about you and where you grew up. How did you first get involved in sport? Te Atatu Roosters Under 6s (rugby league) was my first sports team. I loved the social skills involved with...
Balance is Better in Action
Q&A with Balance is Better Champion, Amy Nield
Tell us a bit about you and where you grew up. I grew up in the Hawkes Bay and moved to Auckland when I was 10. I have lived on the North Shore and now reside in East...
Coaches
Build a better connection with your athletes: What I wish my coach knew
This article is republished with permission from iCoachKids Have you ever been frustrated, disappointed, or puzzled by your athletes’ behaviour? Of course, happens all the time, right? We all experience those moments when we witness one of our...
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Coaches
How Do I Help Individuals in a Team Setting?
Working with individuals is a fundamental part of coaching. Even in team environments, it’s vital that we support every athlete individually to help them improve. So how can we help everyone in our group while maintaining a wider...
Editor's Picks
A collection of articles curated by the Balance is Better team.
Coaches
How to coach with a Balance is Better Philosophy?
How can coaches bring the Balance is Better philosophy to life? In this article, Andy Rogers, National Coaching Consultant at Sport NZ,...
Coaches
Creating an Environment for Youth to Flourish
In this article, Sport Development Consultant, Charissa Barham shares some valuable ideas on creating positive sporting environments and understanding our purpose as...
Coaches
Book Club with Dr. Ralph Pim
Following on previous Book Club features (see the recommendations from Andy Rogers and Tammy Mehrtens), we hear from Dr. Ralph Pim. Dr Ralph Pim...
Coaches
No Coach is an Island: Coaching in Competition
This article is republished with permission from iCoachKids In this article, Simon Toole discusses coaching feedback and intervention from the sideline. The...
Coaches
The CPR Method: How to Support Players When They Make a Mistake*
* Important clarification: we are not talking about poor skill execution, but more about poor game-decisions. In this article, Dr Sergio Lara-Bercial...
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Coaches
How to be a great secondary school sport coach?: Defining success, mistakes verses outcomes, and the importance of self-awareness
In this Q&A, we hear from Dan Stamp, mental skills coach and Unitec lecturer, about his observations of New Zealand secondary school coaches. Dan,...
Parents
What makes an expert sports parent?
In 2015, Chris Harwood and Camilla Knight, published an academic paper titled, Parenting in youth sport — a positioning paper on sport parents and parenting...
Parents
A parent guide to child growth and development in sport
In this guide we discuss the key considerations relating to children’s growth and development that may influence their sport experience. This guide...
Balance is Better in Action
Fun without pressure – Ex-New Zealand footballer Wendi Henderson talks youth sport
Former New Zealand footballer Wendi Henderson wants young people to enjoy their sports without any pressure, just as she did in her youth. ...