Professional Development for Psychology Practitioners
Join the growing community of accredited practitioners using the 5Cs framework to help optimise the ways we can serve the development of athletes, coaches, parents and systems.
The 5Cs for Practitioners
As a practitioner working in youth sport, no doubt you will be familiar with the psychological concepts and theories underpinning the 5Cs framework. Indeed, we developed the 5Cs framework to help athletes, coaches, parents, and practitioners create an accessible, shared understanding of some of the most important concepts in sport psychology.
The overarching purpose of a 5Cs programme is to encourage athletes, coaches, and parents to understand and embrace the psychosocial demands that a sport may place upon them; to appreciate the behaviours and qualities that can help them manage and thrive in the sport environment; and challenge athletes to grow and transfer these behaviours and qualities into their important non-sporting life domains
Whether your work involves directly interacting with young athletes or other key stakeholders, adopting the framework as part of your practice can ensure that those significantly involved in the youth development system are on the same page when it comes to psychological support:
Commitment
Commitment represents the 'motivation-related' C in the framework. Practitioner work focuses on helping athletes, coaches and parents understand and value the demonstration of effort, learning and improvement-oriented behaviours over comparisons with other athletes.
Communication
Communication represents the 'interpersonal' and social-related C in the framework. Practitioner work involves helping athletes, coaches and parents understand the skills and strategies that influence the formation and maintenance of positive and healthy relationships in sport
Concentration
Concentration represents the 'attention-related' C in the framework. Practitioner work involves helping athletes, coaches and parents understand the attentional demands of the sport and creating strategies for focusing on what is relevant to the task in the midst of internal and external distractions that can impact performance.
Control
Control represents the 'emotion-related' C in the framework. Practitioner work involves helping athletes, coaches and parents understand the range of emotions that sport can activate, and introducing practical strategies for accepting and managing emotions before, during and after performances.
Confidence
Confidence represents the 'belief-related' C in the framework and how practitioners help athletes engage in actions towards meeting performance-expectations. Practitioner work involves helping athletes, coaches and parents understand the concept of 'confident behaviour' and the strategies that athletes can use to strengthen their self-belief.
Meet our accredited practitioners
Join a growing community of professionals who have completed the 5Cs accreditation programme and are making a difference in youth sport.
Dr. Sarah Mitchell
Sport Psychologist
London
Specialises in youth athlete development and performance anxiety, working across football and athletics academies.
James Thornton
Performance Consultant
Manchester
Works with elite junior athletes across team and individual sports, integrating the 5Cs into long-term athlete development programmes.
Dr. Priya Nair
Sport & Exercise Psychologist
Birmingham
Focuses on coach education and parent engagement, using the 5Cs to build psychologically safe sporting environments.
Let's get your journey started!
Improve your integration of psychology into your coaching practice. Learn more about how you can foster the 5Cs in your athletes.