Helping Your Child Win the Inner Game on Match Day
Practical Sports Psychology Tools and Worksheets for Parents and Carers
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Narrated by:
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Natalie Chisholm
Does your child look great in practice but seem to disappear when the whistle blows? Helping Your Child Win the Inner Game on Match Day gives you a practical game plan to help them handle nerves, pressure and mistakes so their true ability shows up on match day.
Sport is more than winning - it's a training ground for life. This book introduces the five-level Inner Game Pyramid, a simple framework that shifts families from fixing results to strengthening the "inner game" of focus, self-belief and emotional regulation. With neuroaffirming strategies and language, it recognises that children think, feel and learn in different ways, including those who are neurodivergent.
Inside, you will find:
- Step-by-step guidance for supporting your child before, during and after matches;
- Practical scripts and phrases to reduce pressure and keep communication calm; worksheets and reflection exercises you can use at home, with a team or in school;
- Tools to help children manage nerves, perfectionism and fear of failure; and matchday routines and debrief ideas that turn wins and losses into learning rather than conflict.
- You'll also discover the TRES-P Tournament Response Evaluation Scale for Parents, along with a link to an interactive online tool to help you notice and manage your own responses on match day.
Dr Michelle Clubb is an Educational Psychologist and tennis coach with more than 25 years of experience helping children, families, schools and young athletes build confidence, regulation and a growth mindset.
Coauthor Andy Knibbs is a Sports Coach Educator with an MSc in Counselling Psychology and over 30 years of coaching experience. A longtime advocate of the Inner Game approach, he trained with Sir John Whitmore and studied Timothy Gallwey's work in depth.
Together, they blend evidence-based psychology, coach education, and the lived experience of youth sport to help you become the steady, supportive presence your child needs to win their inner game.
©2026 Dr Michelle Clubb and Andy Knibbs (P)2026 Dr Michelle Clubb and Andy Knibbs