On today's episode we pick the brains of the brilliant Gordon MacLelland. Gordon is the CEO and founder of 'Working with Parents in Sport', and the parent to sporty kids of his own, making him the perfect guest to address a topic we've been keen to explore for a while.    In sport, it can be quick to overlook parents as we are so focused on supporting the athletes. There might also be a bit of anxiousness around working with parents, but the importance of parents in sport can't be overstated. Without them, sport simply can't happen.    The roles and responsibilities of the sporting parent are stressful; driving hours to training / matches, buying kit and paying fees, the car ride home, balancing priorities. If we want to have a positive influence on young athletes, then we need to support parents with the issues they face, which undoubtedly has a knock on effect.   We discuss the pros and cons of running social media accounts for child athletes, the car ride home, shifting culture to influence parent support, an athlete centred approach to supporting parents, how Gordon manages being a sporting parent himself + much more.   We hope our discussion with Gordon is useful for parents and provides them with information that helps them to support their child in sport. We also hope that it provides a different perspective for working with parents in sport for coaches and support staff.   Visit Gordon's website to learn more and access his services: https://www.parentsinsport.co.uk/author/wwpisadm01/   Follow WWPIS on Twitter: https://x.com/_WWPIS   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingwithparentsinsport?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@wwpis   Connect with Gordon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-maclelland-0bb4b0143/?originalSubdomain=uk   Talking Points   1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Gordon's experience in sport growing up (4:07) 3. Personal experiences influencing career path (6:36) 4. 'The Athletic Triangle' (15:28) 5. Common areas of parent support (28:32) 6. Parents running social media account for kids (43:48) 7. Success stories (53:44) 8. Being a sporting parent himself (59:58) 9. Closing thoughts (1:08:52)