Competition has the power to inspire young people, helping them discover what they're capable of, build resilience and develop skills whilst providing experiences that last a lifetime.

But when competition becomes defined solely by results or rankings, those benefits can be overshadowed by immense pressure causing anxiety and fear of failure.

Across youth sport, there is growing recognition that we need to rethink how young people experience competition. While awareness of mental health is growing, many young athletes still lack practical strategies to manage the emotional demands of competition. They are navigating an overwhelming amount of information, thinking about future sporting and career pathways earlier than ever, and often feeling pressure to balance ambition with education and life beyond sport. 

Furthermore, the increasing pressure placed on young athletes can lead to burn out, or even cause them to drop out of the sport altogether. 

These challenges highlight the importance of creating environments where young people can reflect, process experiences and develop confidence, resilience and self-awareness alongside their sporting performance.

At the School Games National Finals this year, we're looking to reshape approaches to competition from all involved including athletes, coaches, parents and wider support networks. Our ambition for 2026 is to create a multi-sport event that enables high-quality competition and space for reflection, developing young people while building a more inclusive, talent system fit for today and the future.

Competition with purpose

Our vision recognises that every competitive experience shapes a young person's confidence, motivation and future relationship with sport. That's why SGNF 2026 has been designed to create psychologically safe competition environments, where young people feel supported to perform, learn and grow.

By focusing on and prioritising psychological safety it creates an environment where athletes feel able to embrace challenges without fear that one poor performance, one mistake or one bad result defines them.

Throughout the event, athletes will benefit from experiences designed to support their wellbeing and self-reflective learning, alongside performance through:

• structured post-competition reflection sessions
• mentor-led conversations
• opportunities to observe and learn from other sports
• athlete lounges and decompression spaces
• enrichment activities that encourage personal development beyond competition

These experiences recognise that high performance and wellbeing go hand-in-hand. Young people perform at their best when they feel supported and able to learn from mistakes.

Reflection is part of performance

Rather than moving immediately from one result to the next fixture, athletes will be given dedicated opportunities to process their experiences through guided conversations, mentoring and enrichment activities.

This approach helps young people:

• interpret performances constructively
• understand what they have learned, regardless of the result
• build resilience following disappointment
• celebrate progress as well as achievement

Everyone plays a part

Creating psychologically safe competition environments extends beyond athletes.

Coaches, team managers, volunteers, officials, parents and spectators all influence how young people experience sport.

That's why SGNF 2026 places significant emphasis on workforce development, equipping the adults around athletes with shared language, reflective tools and athlete-centred approaches that encourage learning and personal growth.

Parents and team staff will receive guidance before the event, giving consistent messages around managing performance outcomes and supporting young people's emotional wellbeing. At the same time, spectators are encouraged to play their role by creating a positive atmosphere throughout the events.

Redefining success

The School Games National Finals has always celebrated sporting excellence. In 2026, we're expanding what excellence looks like.

Success is still about striving to perform at your best, but it's also about developing resilience after disappointment, showing respect for fellow competitors, reflecting on performances and growing through every experience.

These qualities help young people become better athletes as well as more confident, adaptable and emotionally intelligent individuals; key for success in sport and life.

Looking beyond the Finals

By demonstrating how reflection, psychological safety and athlete-centred competition can be embedded into a major multi-sport competition, we hope to influence the wider school sport and talent development system.

If more competitions create environments where young people feel safe to challenge themselves, supported through setbacks and recognised for their development as well as their results, we can help more young people stay in sport and achieve their dreams.