Sara Westbrook

I absolutely love creating content for social media and connecting with you!

I’m taking a one-week pause to rest and recharge, and I can’t wait to come back with fresh energy, new ideas, and even deeper connection. See you soon!

‘Bounce Forward.’ - Martin St. Louis

What a power perspective shift for resilience in athletes!

Why did I say that!

Ever had a conversation with someone and walked away analyzing what you said and we’re embarrassed about something you said… Same.😬🫠

and these moments practising self compassion and forgiveness is vital!

Reflect forgive yourself and redirect. You don’t want reflection to turn into obsession!

This weekend at spring hockey, multiple adults got kicked out of arenas for yelling at refs and other parents.

But what really stayed with me was this:

In two separate games, two different coaches from opposing teams got ejected.
One of them called a female ref the c-word.

And I couldn’t stop thinking about the message this sends to young athletes.

How are we expecting kids to learn emotional regulation when the adults leading them cannot regulate their own emotions?

Kids’ brains are not fully developed until around 25–28 years old.
The part of the brain responsible for impulse control, emotional regulation, and decision-making is still developing.

Adults don’t have that excuse.

Yet so many people still go:
Something happened - I felt angry - I reacted.

No pause.
No emotional tolerance.
No accountability.
Just emotional impulsivity disguised as passion.

Feeling frustrated is human.
Feeling disappointed is human.
Feeling angry is human.

But emotional maturity is learning how to tolerate those feelings without becoming disrespectful, reactive, or harmful with your words and actions.

Coaches are leaders.
Parents are leaders.
Adults around kids are leaders.

And if we want emotionally resilient athletes, we have to model emotional resilience first.

I understand many adults were never taught emotional intelligence growing up.
Many never had someone model healthy emotional regulation for them.

But when you choose to lead kids - coach them, mentor them, parent them - it becomes your responsibility to learn.

Because children will always absorb what we model louder than what we preach.

is a coach who models leadership!