Evidence-Based Training Program for High Performance Student Athletes
"Equipping student athletes with skills to simultaneously perform optimally on the sport field and in the classroom, while flourishing in life"
"What do you want for your children? Wellbeing is what you most want... What do schools teach? Achievement, thinking skills, success... There is almost no overlap between these two lists. I am all for success at work, but this book asks you to imagine that schools could, without compromising either side, teach both the skills of wellbeing and the skills of achievement."- Professor Martin Seligman, "Father" of Positive Psychology
The "Choose to Flourish" workshop series aims to equip high performance student athletes with skills that enable them to simultaneously:
Research indicates there is a large set of common malleable factors that predict performance in both sporting and academic arenas, while having a major impact on performer wellbeing.
All of these evidence-based factors can be developed through purposeful practice:
Our comprehensive framework integrating performance and wellbeing factors
Based on Martin Seligman's wellbeing theory, enhanced with Vitality:
Happiness, joy, gratitude, and life satisfaction
Flow states and deep involvement in activities
Positive connections and social support
Purpose and sense of significance
Accomplishment and mastery
Physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy
Student athletes who complete the program develop:
Our blended learning model combines face-to-face workshops with comprehensive online individualized development tools. Each participant receives their own password-protected website with personalized content.
Understand deeply through workshops, reading materials, and videos
Self-evaluate current capabilities with evidence-based assessments
Develop skills through purposeful practice activities and exercises
Monitor progress and maintain development over time
Developing passion, perseverance, and belief in ability to improve
Mental imagery, realistic optimism, and positive perspectives
Self-efficacy, hope, and implementation strategies
Meaning, calling, and passion development
Flow states, deliberate practice, and emotion regulation
Mental toughness, bouncing back, and sustained performance
Planned enhancements to broaden reach and improve engagement:
Our goal is creating a framework adaptable for diverse audiences seeking to optimize performance and wellbeing.
The program is built on cutting-edge research from leading scientists in:
All assessments and activities are scientifically validated and referenced.
Initial implementation at Stellenbosch University showed promising results:
Note: The full curriculum requires 60+ hours of engagement - pilot covered essentials in 6 hours.
The "Choose to Flourish" program benefits athletes across all sporting disciplines:
The program's evidence-based approach applies universally across sporting contexts, adapting core principles to specific performance demands.