ABSTRACT
As practising sport psychologists across numerous youth sporting organisations, including golf, rugby union, association football, and netball, in this chapter we provide some examples of the challenges we have faced that are born from the actual sporting organisation. These include: the management of different expectations within sporting cultures; (lack of) funding affecting frequency of contact; building multiple relationships; negative subcultures; governing body requirements (what’s desired vs. what’s needed); maintaining a work–life balance and self-preservation; and, having sufficient sporting knowledge. We then offer some of the basic strategies we have adopted to navigate through these challenges. The strategies include: ongoing reflection; peer support; the development and monitoring of agreed high-performance expectations; effective planning and engaging with neophyte practitioners-in-training; working with and through coaches; and guiding the development and preparation for an ideal performance mindset.
