As stakeholders in sport, it is our responsibility to ensure that the right values are transmitted  from grassroots levels up. This implies cultivating a mastery-oriented climate where the focus  is on athletes improving their own abilities rather than on comparisons with peers. Within this  environment, enjoyment and self-improvement are valued rather than winning. After all,  success will come when athletes are enjoying themselves and are highly motivated to  improve. Aligned with the idea that sport is an opportunity for self-development, the next  implication suggests the need to intentionally promote and build qualities that can benefit  athletes in contexts outside of sport. Transferable life skills such as the ability to manage  stress, handle pressure, concentrate on tasks or communicate effectively are all the more  important in today’s world where it’s important we nurture conscientious individuals capable  of making the world a better place. Without the intentional promotion of these qualities,  there’s no guarantee that athletes will develop them – after all not all elite athletes are able to  keep a cool head or are effective communicators. Sport Psychology can play an important  role in changing the culture of sport across all levels, with different frameworks available for  developing transferable life skills and qualities in a structured, evidence-based way (e.g. the  5C model; Harwood, 2008). Embedding such frameworks at schools or in coaching programs  can help individuals foster these qualities. Simply put, sport can make us better people, who  in turn can make the world a better place. It all starts with remembering why we fell in love  with sport in the first place.  

By: Hiren Khemlani – Performance Psychologist and Director of Peak of Mind