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“Off the Pitch with Active”

These episodes are to help parents accelerate their children’s development and confidence in their sport by applying the recommendations from professionals, coaches and specialised educators.

#014 Interview with Oliver Brecht, Dir Insight, Elite Performance Psychology, Bachelor of Psychology, Hons, Master of Professional PsychologyThis is the heading

53 minutes podcast with Oliver Brecht. I have learned so much in my research into adult behaviours and how it affect our children in sport and this episode is full of great advice.

I came across a video clip from Sunrise on Channel 7 about parent behaviour in youth sport in Australia. My next guest Oliver Brecht, completed his Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at the University of South Australia before returning to Sydney and completing his Masters of Professional Psychology at the University of Wollongong.

During this time Oliver gained experience through volunteering as a Lifeline Telephone Crisis Supporter, working as a Blackdog R.E.A.C.H facilitator and completing a placement with NSW Corrective Services.

Since joining IEPP Oliver worked extensively with the players and coaching staff at the Sydney Swans AFL and Sydney Roosters NRL clubs. He has also worked with the Red Backs South Australian Cricket Team. Oliver has provided personal coaching and team development initiatives to players and coaches within these teams, and regularly provides support to jockeys across NSW and the ACT.

Overview of our conversation

1:15 Introduction to Oliver’s work in Elite Sports. Oliver explains the role he and his company are playing with elite sporting clubs, companies, families, individual athletes and community.

8:05 Understanding what is behind frustration in parents and how this can negatively affect our children. Sport is about passion and the connection with our children when they play can at times be too much, so emotion takes over reasoning. Those are the times we regret what we say or do.

14:50 Oliver discuss some helpful tools we can use to be a better spectator when watching our children.

26:00 What about our children, what do they want to get out of their sport? How do we want them to develop as humans?

36:55 Children leave sport at very young ages, but they love video games, Oliver talk about some of the aspects we can learn from video games?

42:45 Interruptions and yelling instruction while the child is playing creates information overload. How and when do we deliver the messages? What can we tell our kids?