Athlete Development

Athlete Development

Making strides

Every morning, AUT Millennium's Sports Hall is buzzing with noise. Music acts as a backdrop to the array of obstacles and equipment laid out,...

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Welcome to the Athlete Development Blog - the home for parents and coaches wanting to help their kids be the best they can be. SUBSCRIBE...

What is stress inoculation training?

On May 14, 1796, Edward Jenner took a small amount of fluid from a milkmaid's hand lesion and scratched it into the skin of...

Think about thinking

When the ball goes in, we focus on what the athlete did to make it so. How fast she ran to make the break, how...

Preparing for school and club sport

Now that school and club sports teams trainings and games are gearing up again, what can your young athletes do to better prepare for...

It means more when there’s a ‘why’

Too often do we get caught up in the content. We believe that simply knowing more ‘stuff’ is what's important. Or that just by putting more information in front of our...

6 Active Listening Techniques for a Coach or Parent

I’ve been lucky enough to interview many of New Zealand’s best athletes, both on the Athlete Development Show, and in the halls of AUT...

Ash Barty – a quitter and a winner

At 15, she was the best junior player in the world. Two years later, she was a three-time doubles slam finalist. Then she quit tennis. Now, five...

Developing young people through sport

Young athletes are being pushed to their limits more than ever. For many, the pressure to succeed begins at an ever-increasingly young age and...

Why goal setting CAN be pointless

Goal-setting is a popular practice. It’s used by coaches, teachers and physical education students to come up with things that they want to achieve...

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Debunking a common myth: Youth weight training

There are these common generational myths that have been passed down to us and it would be fair to say that we really don’t...

AD Alumni: Anna Steven

We're shining the spotlight on some of Athlete Development's alumni who are doing great things in their chosen sport. Meet sprinter Anna Steven, who...

Preparing for school and club sport

Now that school and club sports teams trainings and games are gearing up again, what can your young athletes do to better prepare for...

Pat Chat: Sleep enhancement for youth athletes

In the second of our three-part series,  AD Academy Programme Manager and Lead Coach Patrick Davenport focuses on the importance of sleep for the...

How can you build psychological safety?

When it comes to pursuing excellence, moving from where we are now to a place that is more effective, how we behave is what...