ASCENT by The Knowing Self
The Human Side of Performance
Helping athletes, coaches and families build healthier sporting cultures and stronger relationships under pressure.
PURPOSE: The Human Side of Performance
Sport shapes identity, confidence and belonging, but many young athletes are carrying pressure silently:
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fear of failure
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identity tied to performance
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emotional shutdown or withdrawal
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breakdowns in communication
Strong teams aren’t built through fear, ego or perfection.
They’re built through trust, connection and understanding.
Behaviour always has a story underneath it.
When we understand the story, we change the response.
The best teams don’t avoid conflict.
They know how to repair after it.
The strongest teams don’t just train physical performance, they understand the human side too.
The Work We Do
Supporting the Human Side of Performance
Supporting athletes, coaches and families to build healthier sporting environments from the inside out.
Team Culture Sessions
Helping teams build trust, repair conflict and stay connected under pressure.
The Inner Side of Sport
Supporting young athletes to navigate pressure, identity and confidence beyond performance alone.
Coach and Parent Conversations
Helping adults understand how pressure, identity and communication shape young athletes.
Emerging Sports Leaders
Helping emerging leaders understand that culture is shaped by what we model, allow and reinforce.
What Makes ASCENT different?
We don’t coach athletes to push through emotion. We help them understand it.
We don’t build teams through fear or perfection. We build them through trust, repair and accountability.
We believe how people feel changes how they perform.
How We Work Together
Practical conversations and experiences that strengthen culture, connection and leadership in sport.
Team Sessions
Interactive sessions designed to strengthen trust, communication and connection within teams. Through practical activities and guided conversations, athletes learn how to support one another, respond to challenges and build healthier team culture.
Athlete Conversations
Supporting young athletes to better understand pressure, identity and the emotional side of sport. Sessions create space for honest reflection and healthier ways of navigating challenges both on and off the field.
Coach and Parent Workshops
Helping adults better understand the emotional load young athletes carry silently. These sessions support healthier communication and sporting environments where young people feel safe, supported and seen beyond results.
Session Information
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Sessions are typically 60–90 minutes
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Experiences can be adapted for teams, athletes, coaches, parents and leadership groups
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Suitable for schools, sporting clubs and community organisations
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Sessions are delivered in-person across Victoria, with online options available where needed
Every sporting environment is different, so sessions are designed collaboratively to suit the needs of each club, school or organisation.
The ASCENT Framework
Supporting the Human Side of Performance
A- Awareness: Understanding yourself under pressure
S- Self Leadership: Owning your mindset, reactions and influence
C- Connection: Building trust, communication and team culture
E- Emotional Agility: Responding with awareness instead of reaction
N- Nervous System Safety: Calm recovery and clarity under pressure
T- Teamship: Leading beyond yourself for the good of the team
Why This Work Matters
Sport can build confidence, belonging and growth, but it can also create environments where fear of failure, emotional shutdown and performance pressure go unspoken.
When identity becomes tied to performance, athletes stop taking risks.
When mistakes feel unsafe, athletes stop playing freely.
What looks like attitude is often protection, pressure or overwhelm.
ASCENT focuses on the human side of performance.
We help athletes and teams build:
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confidence that isn't dependent on performance alone
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healthier responses to mistakes, setbacks and pressure
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stronger communication during challenge and conflict
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cultures where athletes feel safe to stay engaged and connected
For example:
The athlete who looks "fine" after a mistake but spirals internally for the rest of the game.
The athlete whose confidence disappears the moment they feel they've let the team down.
The parent whose good intentions unknowingly add pressure and fear.
The team that learns how to repair after conflict instead of letting resentment build.
People perform better when they feel safe enough to stay connected to themselves under pressure.
The Human Behind ASCENT
Amanda Stokes is the founder of The Knowing Self, supporting schools, families, and sporting communities through emotionally intelligent, relationship-based work focused on culture, communication and human behaviour.
With a background in education, leadership development and youth wellbeing, Amanda's work helps people better understand what sits underneath reactions, conflict and diisconnection.
Her work supports teams and families to respond differently under pressure, communicate more effectively and create environments where young people feel safe to stay connected and engaged.
ASCENT was created to bring this work into sport, helping athletes, coaches and parents to better understand the emotional side of performance and the environments young people grow inside.
What We Believe
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Strong cultures are built through connection, not fear.
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Behaviour always has a story underneath it.
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The strongest teams know how to repair after conflict.
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Leadership is the ability to influence how people feel, respond and connect.
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Pressure affects everyone differently.
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The way we speak to young athletes shapes the way they speak to themselves.
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Belonging changes what people believe they're capable of.
Because how people feel changes how they perform.