We've written before on the Surge blog about graduating from a level or a programme, the closure, the reconnecting with values, the rebuilding of purpose. This blog sits alongside that one but looks specifically at the harder end of the spectrum: full retirement from competitive sport, what the evidence says it actually does to mental health, and a newer framework researchers are proposing for how sport should prepare athletes for it. The Numbers Are Bigger Than Most People A

Most parents on the sideline are not trying to add pressure. They are trying to help: to encourage, to motivate, to show they care about how the game goes. But the evidence is clear that parental behaviour, even well-intentioned behaviour, shapes how much pressure a child feels. Parent behaviour also influences how children learn to relate to pressure, sometimes in ways that surprise parents who thought they were being supportive. This blog looks at what the research actually

Burnout has become one of the most widely used and least precisely understood terms in sport. Athletes describe themselves as burned out when they are tired, when they are fed up, when they have lost form, when they want a break, or when they are genuinely struggling with a clinical syndrome that requires real intervention. The word covers all of these, and that is part of the problem. If we are going to talk seriously about athlete burnout, we need a clearer understanding of

Earlier this month I had the privilege of attending the Women in Sport Congress — two days of presentations, panels, and conversations about the state of women in sport in Australia and beyond. It was great to connect with so many likeminded health professionals and people working in sporting spaces. I feel as if I was inducted into the world of rugby league, connecting with many of the allied health professionals working in that space! I left feeling inspired, challenged, an

From mental health & wellbeing to team dynamics & the psychology of coaching! Read about 10 topics related to sport and exercise psychology!