Natascha Wesch Consulting

03/01/2026

Dear Athlete, Coaches & Parents,

If you haven't already heard, I am hosting an exciting workshop (free!) on Saturday March 7 @ 6-7 pm @ Western University (room 3250 3 M Centre)

BODY IMAGE, CONFIDENCE & SELF-COMPASSION IN SPORT
with author and researcher, Vanessa Coulbeck

This workshop is open to athletes of all ages and sport backgrounds, as well as to parents and coaches.
It will be a hands-on workshop with activities and discussions focused on Body Image & Confidence through the lens of Self-Compassion.

TO REGISTER: Click Here - Registration is required! After you register you will be provided with more information (e.g., exact location/room/building, parking, etc.).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: See attached poster - please share within your network and on your socials!

10/13/2022

I’m so proud and honoured to be part of this amazing group of individuals (coaches & mission staff) who will support the athletes along their journey to and throughout the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Germany in June 2023!

We are thrilled to congratulate the 48 Coaches and Mission Staff from across the country who have been named to the Special Olympics Team Canada Training Squad 2023. These individuals will represent Canada at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin from June 17-25, 2023, supporting qualify...

10/02/2022

Are you a hockey fan and/or sports history buff? Do you know one? Check out this book (early Christmas gift?!). It’s an amazing story and an important part of our collective Canadian sport culture.

1972 Summit Series: The Last Word

09/18/2022

I'm thrilled to be invited to speak at the Coaches Association of Ontario Summit Series conference on October 29 in Mississauga. Two of my favourite topics are imagery and self talk, and the power they have on athlete performance when utilized correctly. If you are a coach and want to grow your knowledge base, consider attending the conference where I'll be joined by other amazing speakers including Cito Gaston, Jennifer Fraser, Akim Aliu and Greg Pinks.

Ontario Coaches Summit Series by Coaches Association of Ontario on October 29, 2022. Corporate Event Centre at CHSI - 5110 Creekbank Rd, Mississauga, ON. Register now, and learn more!

08/26/2022

Keeping girls involved in sport - at all levels, not just competitive - is vital to their long-term physical, emotional, psychological health and wellbeing. When a girl chooses to play sports, what she will gain goes far beyond kicking a ball, learning a new stroke, or crossing a finish line. Through positive sport experiences, girls are more likely to reap the benefits of sport participation and grow into confident and motivated leaders.

Creating a positive social environment that intentionally fosters a sense of belonging is integral to the retention of girls in sport and physical activity. For many boys, good performance creates a stronger sense of social belonging. In contrast, for many girls, feeling a strong sense of social belonging will enhance their performance.

Check out the site below, which is a wonderful resource designed for parents and coaches who are ready to intentionally support equitable sport. She Belongs offers practical recommendations to create social connection and better engage girls in the Learn to Train and Train to Train stages of the Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity Framework (LTD). Everyone involved - sport and physical activity organizations, coaches, managers and leaders, as well as parents/guardians - plays an integral role in creating the environments where girls can participate and have fun.

This resource is designed for coaches who are ready to intentionally support equitable sport. She Belongs offers practical recommendations to create social connection and better engage girls in the Learn to Train and Train to Train stages of the Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity F...

08/25/2022

A huge congratulations to marathon swimmer Greg Maitinsky for completing the Lake Ontario crossing earlier this month - a true representation of grit, determination and mental toughness. It was an honour to play a (small) part in your preparation. KUDOS, GREG!

You can read the story in the Globe & Mail article below:

The Globe follows Greg Maitinsky in his attempt at a swimming feat dozens have tried, and many have failed

08/21/2022

Calling all athletes and coaches! Are you a believer in ice baths/ice vests post-workout for cooling and recovery? Read on …

I often post information, tools and/or strategies related to psychology and mental performance (for obvious reasons, given my educational background). What most people don’t know is that I also have a graduate degree in exercise physiology/biochemistry, so I love to learn about the physiology AND the psychology of sport performance.

All this to say that the information contained in this podcast (see link below) will challenge (likely) most of what you know and have been doing in terms of cooling techniques and strategies for peak performance, and with this information you can begin to enhance your performance and recovery well beyond what you are currently doing. Enjoy!

‎Show Huberman Lab, Ep Supercharge Exercise Performance & Recovery with Cooling - May 10, 2021

08/17/2022

"We do it this way because that's the way we've always done it".

You’ve heard that phrase before. Whether you’ve said it or heard it said, it’s clear that groupthink is present in every corner of our society. When we fail to consider fresh perspectives in favour of tradition during decision making, we limit ourselves and our abilities. Take it from Roger Bannister, the first man to run a 4-minute mile. He defied all predictions when he abandoned the conventional training regimens of the time and set a new world record (Taylor, 2018). In this blog, the characteristics of groupthink behaviour are described and an explanation is provided as to why it’s important for sport organizations to avoid groupthink. A great read for coaches and sport leaders.

You’ve heard that phrase before. Whether you’ve said it or heard it said, it’s clear that groupthink is present in every corner of our society. When we fail to consider fresh perspectives in favour of tradition during decision making, we limit ourselves and our abilities. In this blog, we desc...

07/27/2022

How do you create a safe and supportive environment where athletes will flourish, grow, and develop in a way that will give them the best chance of achieving success? It takes work, effort, and planning to put this together and it's important that those who are leading and creating the sport environment are trained in these areas and have the knowledge required to create the right culture. Being appointed as coach of a sport team needs to require more than prior playing experience - just because you've played the sport doesn't necessarily mean you're qualified to coach. Coaching is about more than Xs and Os - in fact, that's the easy part - coaching is about developing the whole person and creating a supportive environment and culture. Here's a great article about what works, what doesn't, and what athletes need to flourish. A great read for coaches, parents, and athletes.

Highlights In this article, researchers present their findings about Canadian high performance athletes’ perspectives on safe and unsafe sport environments, as well as recommendations for changes Athletes identified coach behaviour, teammate or fellow athlete behaviour, lack of resources and an in...