Inside Edge Sport Psychology

03/02/2026

5 Surprising Mental Skills Top Athletes Are Using to Win

For any serious athlete, the internal monologue is constant: Stay positive. Control your nerves. Don’t think about messing up. There’s relentless pressure to wrestle your mind into a perfect state for competition. Yet, as many of us have discovered, the harder you try to suppress a negative thought—like the fear of a missed shot—the more powerful and persistent it becomes. This struggle isn’t a sign of mental weakness; it’s the predictable outcome of fighting a battle you were never meant to win.

In a counter-intuitive but revolutionary shift, elite sport psychology is dismantling the long-held myth of forceful mental control. The new frontier isn’t about eliminating unwanted thoughts but fundamentally rewiring our relationship to them. This approach, grounded in the principles of mindfulness, teaches athletes to achieve peak performance not by battling their inner world, but by developing a non-judgmental awareness of it. It’s about acceptance, not suppression.

Want to read more? visit my latest blog...

The Myth of Mental Control For any serious athlete, the internal monologue is constant: Stay positive. Control your nerves. Don’t think about messing up. There’s relentless pressure to wrestle your mind into a perfect state for competition. Yet, as many of us have discovered, the harder you tr...

31/01/2026

Failure and adversity aren’t just possibilities in sports, business and life; they’re inevitable. Every single one of us, no matter our skill level, will experience setbacks, losses, or performances that just don’t go our way. The real measure of your growth as an athlete isn’t about avoiding these moments, but about how you interpret and respond to them.

Shifting Your Focus: From Outcome to Effort and Process
A critical part of building your resilience is learning to shift your focus from the final outcome to the effort and process of your performance.

Mistakes as Data, Not Deficiencies: Instead of seeing mistakes as personal failings or a direct measure of your worth, resilient athletes learn to view them as “valuable data for improvement and opportunities for personal growth.” This perspective fuels a growth mindset, where you embrace challenges and setbacks as powerful catalysts for learning and development.

Want to read more? visit my blog https://insideedgesport.co.uk/bouncing-back-from-defeat-part-2/

14/01/2026

Bouncing Back from Mistakes (Part 1)

Psychological resilience is your ability to withstand, adapt to, or “bounce back” from tough situations, stress, or challenges. Think of it as your inner strength that helps you recover and grow when things get difficult. For us athletes, who face setbacks and pressure all the time, resilience isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a crucial quality that can seriously boost your performance and teach you valuable life skills.

Imagine it as your capacity to handle bumps in the road and emerge tougher, both on and off the field. Resilience isn’t just about reacting; it involves being proactive, maintaining an optimistic outlook, and even helping to create a supportive environment around you.

Want to know more?

Read my blog https://insideedgesport.co.uk/mental-health-blog-bouncing-back-from-mistakes-part-1/

06/01/2026

The Mind-Body Connection: How Psychology Provides the Inside Edge in Sports Injury Rehabilitation

For decades, sports injury rehabilitation has rightly focused on the physical aspects of recovery. However, it is increasingly evident that addressing the psychological, social, and contextual factors is vital and inevitable for successful outcomes, especially for junior athletes.

An injury is more than just a physical problem; it threatens an athlete’s career and success and can deprive them of compensation, increasing life stress, and causing fear of re-injury, a sensation of loss, and negative emotions. To truly achieve optimal recovery and a safe return to competition, the athlete’s mind must heal alongside their body.

Want to read more? visit my blog... https://insideedgesport.co.uk/the-mind-body-connection-how-psychology-provides-the-inside-edge-in-sports-injury-rehabilitation/

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For decades, sports injury rehabilitation has rightly focused on the physical aspects of recovery. However, it is increasingly evident that addressing the psychological, social, and contextual factors is vital and inevitable for successful outcomes, especially for junior athletes. An injury is more....

30/12/2025

Watching the World Darts Championships, I thought I'd share my thoughts on a recent match I watched and overall thoughts on the mental challenges faced by these athletes competing at the highest level...

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brett-caulfield-9a44a5a0_as-this-years-world-darts-championship-approaches-activity-7411734056075431937-29Iq?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=android_app&rcm=ACoAABVuAUwBZC-PnOnxTpZceQO1NFEW8gkE20M&utm_campaign=whatsapp

10/08/2025

Being a sports parent can be incredibly rewarding, but also comes with its fair share of challenges.
● Time commitment: Parents often find themselves juggling busy schedules with their child's training, competitions, and travel, which can put a strain on their personal and family lives.

● Emotional rollercoaster: Parents often experience a wide range of emotions, such as pride, joy, disappointment, frustration, and anxiety, as they witness their child's sporting journey. They might experience anger due to perceived unjust behaviour from coaches, referees, and other parents. They may also feel worry and disappointment when their child is struggling.

● Pressure to perform: Parents might feel pressure for their child to succeed, which can lead to unrealistic expectations and create a stressful environment for both the child and themselves.

● Maintaining healthy relationships: Navigating relationships with coaches, other parents, and even their child can be tricky. It can be difficult to balance offering support without being over-involved or interfering with the coach's role.

That's where a Inside Edge Sport Psychology can help.
We provide support to athletes and those involved in the sporting world, including parents. They can provide you with the tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of being a sports parent.

Here are some ways we can support you:
● Set realistic expectations and goals: Work with us to understand your child's developmental stage and establish goals that are challenging yet achievable, fostering a love for the sport while minimising pressure.

● Nurture a positive and supportive environment: We can provide guidance on how to create a supportive environment that promotes your child's well-being, enjoyment, and athletic development.

Investing in the support we can provide could make a significant difference in your and your child's sporting journey. By equipping yourself with the right knowledge and skills, you can navigate the challenges more effectively and foster a positive experience for everyone involved.

28/03/2025

Being a sports parent can be incredibly rewarding, but also comes with its fair share of challenges.
● Time commitment: Parents often find themselves juggling busy schedules with their child's training, competitions, and travel, which can put a strain on their personal and family lives.

● Financial strain: The costs associated with youth sport, including equipment, coaching, and travel, can be significant, impacting families' financial decisions.

● Emotional rollercoaster: Parents often experience a wide range of emotions, such as pride, joy, disappointment, frustration, and anxiety, as they witness their child's sporting journey. They might experience anger due to perceived unjust behaviour from coaches, referees, and other parents. They may also feel worry and disappointment when their child is struggling.

● Pressure to perform: Parents might feel pressure for their child to succeed, which can lead to unrealistic expectations and create a stressful environment for both the child and themselves.

● Maintaining healthy relationships: Navigating relationships with coaches, other parents, and even their child can be tricky. It can be difficult to balance offering support without being over-involved or interfering with the coach's role.

That's where a Inside Edge Sport Psychology can help.
Sport psychologists are trained to support athletes and those involved in the sporting world, including parents. They can provide you with the tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of being a sports parent.

Here are some ways a sport psychologist can support you:
● Develop effective coping mechanisms: We can look at techniques to manage stress, anxiety, and other difficult emotions associated with your child's sport participation.

● Improve communication skills: Learn how to communicate effectively with your child, their coach, and other parents. This can involve setting appropriate boundaries, offering constructive feedback, and resolving conflicts in a healthy way.

● Set realistic expectations and goals: Work with us to understand your child's developmental stage and establish goals that are challenging yet achievable, fostering a love for the sport while minimising pressure.

● Nurture a positive and supportive environment: We can provide guidance on how to create a supportive environment that promotes your child's well-being, enjoyment, and athletic development.

● Strengthen your own well-being: Remember that your well-being is important too! A sport psychologist can equip you with strategies for self-care and managing the demands of being a sports parent.

Investing in the support of a sport psychologist can make a significant difference in your and your child's sporting journey. By equipping yourself with the right knowledge and skills, you can navigate the challenges more effectively and foster a positive experience for everyone involved.

24/02/2025

Athletes often face a variety of stressors including team performance, making errors, and coaches. Injuries can amplify these stressors, especially for young athletes who may be experiencing these pressures for the first time. During these times, Inside Edge Sport Psychology can provide support. For example:
●Mental skills training can teach athletes to use goal-setting, positive self-talk, imagery, and relaxation to help them cope with the challenges of injury and rehabilitation.

● Strategies such as Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) can help athletes accept difficult thoughts and feelings related to their injury and focus on workable behaviours that support their recovery and wellbeing.

● We can help athletes understand the psychological impact of injury and develop coping strategies to manage the emotional and mental challenges of rehabilitation.

By understanding the importance of mental skills training and ACT, we can help athletes develop the psychological flexibility they need to successfully navigate the injury and rehabilitation process.

Visit

Commit. Believe. Perform. Contact Us When performing, your mind is what makes everything else work. Inside Edge is a Sport Psychology consultancy that works with you to; Commit to your goals, believe in your potential, and perform more consistently. Your mindset impacts your performance! Inside Edge...

17/01/2025

Athletes often face a variety of stressors including team performance, making errors, and coaches. Injuries can amplify these stressors, especially for young athletes who may be experiencing these pressures for the first time. During these times, Inside Edge Sport Psychology can provide support. For example:
●Mental skills training can teach athletes to use goal-setting, positive self-talk, imagery, and relaxation to help them cope with the challenges of injury and rehabilitation.

● Strategies such as Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) can help athletes accept difficult thoughts and feelings related to their injury and focus on workable behaviours that support their recovery and wellbeing.

● We can help athletes understand the psychological impact of injury and develop coping strategies to manage the emotional and mental challenges of rehabilitation.

By understanding the importance of mental skills training and ACT, we can help athletes develop the psychological flexibility they need to successfully navigate the injury and rehabilitation process.

Visit insideedgesport.co.uk

Commit. Believe. Perform. Contact Us When performing, your mind is what makes everything else work. Inside Edge is a Sport Psychology consultancy that works with you to; Commit to your goals, believe in your potential, and perform more consistently. Your mindset impacts your performance! Inside Edge...