ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the positive psychology foundations of the My Future Today initiative which was first introduced in English professional football in 2015 to address the need to support holistic development of young professional players. In the high-pressure world of professional sport, challenging the status quo about player development and asking professional football clubs to extend their activities to support players beyond mandatory requirements have proven difficult (Hickey & Kelly, 2008). It has taken the first two authors of this chapter and other committed and critical thinkers working with the profession many years to persuade decision-makers of the need to radically rethink how to address issues associated with the exclusive investment deemed necessary in this context. The result of their endeavour to date has been the introduction of a carefully crafted and innovative one-day program called My Future Today which introduces players to the notion of developing their identity beyond their immediate football interests and to consider the many benefits of doing so. An overview of the workshop is provided, and selected positive psychology–based activities are reviewed in the areas of strengths, resilience, engagement in meaningful activities, social support and relationships. The chapter concludes by providing recommendations for future developments and for others wanting to implement similar initiatives.
