The CHAMPS Academy FAQs
To help decide if CHAMPS Academy Coaching is right for you and your child/teen, we’ve put together some typical questions parents ask us, which we’re sure you’ll find helpful too.
A: The typical ages of young people we coach is between 6 and 19 years old. However, if your child is younger or older than this, please do get in touch for a chat and guidance on the specifics of how we can potentially help them.
A: After the initial friendly introduction and a brief summary of how we help young people, we then offer a simple and fun technique to help relax your child/teen that’s an important example about how new things can at first feel different.
Because they’ve just learnt something fun, they’re more relaxed to answer a few questions and examples of how they feel in different situations (associated with School and home), which offers us a greater insight into they’re experiences.
Many parents are surprised at how much is revealed at this stage and is equally helpful for them. And if your child/teen is shy or not sure then we reassure them or provide additional examples to keep them relaxed and supported.
We offer a great analogy about the importance of breathing as well as a simple breathing exercise they can start using straightaway (which is excellent for initially managing worries and difficulty in getting to sleep which many children struggle with!).
Because of the relaxed conversation style of coaching young people really enjoy the trial session and are keen to continue the coaching as they can immediately feel the benefits of it.
As the trial ends, we request you (the parent/s) allow a few minutes to be available for us to have a private (without your child present) chat through the different coaching options to best help your child/teen and answer any questions you may have.
And afterwards we also send you a helpful email explaining about the recommended coaching package based on the trial session and the outcome you’re looking for, how the coaching works and other informative details so you can chat through with your partner/spouse, etc as we feel it’s important you make the right decision for your child/teens needs.
You can always be rest assured that we want the very best for your child/teen. I’ll guide, advise, and offer our best support and recommendations always. We never try any pushy sales techniques. The trial and any initial guidance is offered without obligation. Your child’s emotional well-being and happiness is of the utmost importance to us and want the best for them, even if it’s not CHAMPS Academy services at that time.
A: We offer a flexible approach to the coaching and always welcome parents to be very much part of the process and be in the sessions if appropriate. However, we find teens relax and share more when you’re not around, nothing personal of course!
Either way, throughout the coaching we keep in touch and regularly measure your child’s progress of specific outcomes and results, like triggers for better emotional management, improving self-talk and overall confidence.
You’ll start seeing a noticeable difference in certain areas, and other things may take a bit longer before improvements are seen because of the accumulative affect.
A: Yes, we only offer our 1:1 services interactively via online platforms. From years of experience offering both face-to-face and interactive coaching, we have found young people benefit faster from coaching via screen.
CHAMPS 1:1 Coaching offers interactive, proactive and practical ways for your child to overcome challenges, deal with the emotions and feel happier about things. What’s missing in a lot of information or other services for young people is the insight, the ‘how’ if you like. So, when they’re in a situation or going through a problem they have the tools and resources to help them through at that moment, not wait or get stuck and feel overwhelmed with emotion.
Our 1:1 coaching is with myself or one of my team of CHAMPS Academy Coaches via Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp or Zoom. A positive benefit of this is your child is most comfortable in your own home environment, used to screen-time and it feels a very relaxed, conversational style of coaching for them to learn the tools they need and chat through different situations for us to find practical solutions that stay with them a life-time.
A: Many teens feel like this initially, struggling with the basic interacting, conversation, and socialising. We expect this and are prepared for it. Although naturally there is some talking, we don’t bombard young people with endless questions and expect them to reveal lots of details and personal feelings.
CHAMPS Academy coaching is guidance, mentoring and advising as well as acknowledging the associated emotions around their circumstances or situation. We’re Coaches, not therapists and so do not go through endless talking or probing.
With the topics we cover, we’ll provide helpful examples to aid their understanding and then may ask for relevant examples they’ve experienced around this topic. This makes it more real and applicable to their experience so they can practice and implement into their everyday life and finally get workable solutions.
However, we treat all young people as individuals and will adapt and modify any of the coaching to ensure they get the most out of it, without feeling awkward of stuck for words. Many teens express how helpful the coaching is right from the start.
A: Yes, we can. We’ve helped thousands of young people with attention and disruptive disorders, finding the coaching very helpful for specific emotional triggers, anxiety causes and how to be more focused and relaxed.
The coaching can easily be adapted to be a number of shorter sessions throughout the week, to manage the initial attention issues and then extended over time as appropriate. For example: the 30-minute weekly coaching session can be split into 2 x 15 minutes or 3 x 10 minutes over the week depending on your child’s requirements.
A: Before the practical coaching begins I email over the Health/Emotion Evaluation form. This covers basic details, anything specific we need to know and a character score so we can track progress of specific outcomes and results. We find out exactly what’s needed to offer the most effective and appropriate solution.
Because the coaching is all about proactive solutions – additional regular practice/support at home is very essential, this is made especially easy because we email you simple coaching reminders with action steps shortly after the sessions. Using the CHAMPS A.I.R method (Action, Improve, Repeat) ensures retention of the skills to be applied where and when required.
Towards the end of the coaching package, a progress chat is arranged with you (parent), to privately discuss things and to evaluate progress so far. Typically, there are noticeable and positive differences in certain areas, and other things may take a bit longer before improvements are seen because of the accumulative affect.
And remember all CHAMPS Academy 1:1 coaching is backed by Our Promise To You>
A: The coaching duration is 30 minutes per 1:1 session as this is a proven and best time to learn the motivating/interactive tools and activities and chat through things whilst maintaining focus and attention. Sessions are usually once a week but can be adapted to suit depending on your child’s circumstances and needs.
When you choose CHAMPS Academy Coaching you are in the best hands, giving your child/teen the best strategies and skills available anywhere today.
‘Never accept second best from anyone’… is our motto.
A: YES! I offer you the chance for your Child/Teen to test-drive the coaching to make sure we are right fit for each other and to try it out with my FREE 15 minute coaching session.
A: CHAMPS Academy is an inclusive organisation, we help Kids and Young People from all Backgrounds and Cultures.
A: It’s natural for your child to feel the initial apprehensions of ‘meeting’ someone new and going through the process. For very shy children we recommend you are with them initially (or all the way through the coaching if needed), so they can relax and get the most out of the sessions.
Because of our interactive techniques, tools and coaching methods, your child will quickly gain more confidence to join in more of the coaching and feel more assured throughout our time together.
Something else we suggest for really shy children is when setting up the video call, to have the laptop/PC or device angled away from your child. This has been very effective for the beginning of trial sessions as children don’t feel ‘on show’ or self-conscious with a camera up close and tend to relax quicker.
As long as they can see and hear me to participate in the session. What we find is they naturally then appear on screen because they feel more comfortable and totally absorbed in what we go through in the session (or coaching).
A: The best way to explain to your child about the coaching is focused on the positive, practical help they’ll receive.
When booking the trial coaching session (without obligation to proceed to any coaching), we provide a helpful paragraph including an analogy to use that’s based on a relevant experience they’ve had recently. So they can understand and feel better about getting some support and practical help.
You’ll then have a simple and positive description on how CHAMPS Academy helps thousands of children to become more self-assured and confident in different situations and manage emotions better.
A: Yes, we do. All CHAMPS Academy coaching techniques and activities can be easily adapted to suit the needs of children with special needs including Physical (asthma, epilepsy, etc), Developmental (Autism also known as ASD, Asperger, dyslexia, processing conditions, etc) and Behavioural/ Emotional (ADD ADHD, etc).
Right from contacting CHAMPS Academy we’ll appropriately evaluate your child’s needs and requirements and advise accordingly on how we can help. Depending on your child’s condition there may be times we would recommend a referral to a physician or other professional service.
However, 99% of the time we’ve been able to offer workable solutions and effective coping mechanisms to have a positive impact on the child’s confidence, emotional control and well-being. Plus, offer parents that much needed reassurance, they’re getting the help they need.
Here’s a video>> I did a short time ago interviewing Amelia and her Mum. Amelia had received a late diagnosis of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and had extreme anxiety, zero confidence and struggled with social cues.
The videoed chat was done shortly after only 2 months of weekly coaching. Watch and experience the difference CHAMPS Academy coaching has for young people with special needs.
A: Coaching packages are typically 6 weekly sessions and provide the initial tools and activities your child/teen needs to overcome their specific challenges (i.e. managing emotions, social confidence, etc). The trial session helps us evaluate their needs.
For some young people this is enough to have got them over those challenges or problems so they are better equipped to stride forward with more confidence, certainty and clarity.
Other children/teens require further support in specific areas (always optional and not under any obligation to proceed further) and this will be advised and recommended in the progress chat we have and include various options to keep the positive momentum going.
A: For starters there is no long waiting time for your child/teen to get the help they need.
Other benefits include:
- We don’t do a tick box approach
- We connect/Bond with child/teen and make them feel comfortable and relaxed.
- We don’t make a child feel like they need “fixing”.
- Parents are included in the process for effective and long lasting results.
Have a specific question not included here?
Simply contact us for a friendly, no obligation chat or happy to answer on email if preferred first.