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Something happened. Or has been happening.
Maybe your child came home quieter than usual. Maybe they told you something their coach said that didn’t feel right. Maybe they’ve been reluctant for weeks. Maybe they said they don’t want to go back.
And now you are carrying a question you don’t entirely know how to answer.
Is this something I need to act on? Or is this something my child needs to move through?
This guide is for you if...
• You’re not sure whether what you’re observing is normal hardship or something that deserves
closer attention.
• Your child is struggling and you can’t tell if the environment is the problem or the growth is.
• You’ve been explaining something away for longer than feels right.
• You want a clear framework — not anxiety, not dismissal — for thinking about what you’re seeing.
Inside you’ll find:
• What a growth edge actually is — from the inside and the outside — with specific, recognizable
examples
• What a red flag actually is — six named patterns with real descriptions (not abstractions)
• A visual summary: Growth Edge vs Grey Zone vs Red Flag at a glance
• Six grey zone situations that don’t land cleanly on either side — the cases parents actually face
• A complete toolkit: questions for your child, questions for yourself, questions for the coach
• When and how to escalate, including international safeguarding contacts for five countries
• The decision to leave — and how to do it with integrity
Read it when something feels off. Return to it when you need to think more clearly.
Drawn from thirty years inside high-performance coaching environments — and from the honest
acknowledgment that even well-intentioned systems can cause harm.
Perfect for:
✓ Parents who are worried but not sure if the worry is accurate
✓ Parents who have been explaining something away
✓ Clubs wanting to give families a framework for raising concerns
✓ Anyone who has ever googled ‘is this normal’ at midnight
Written by Camille Martens OLY
Olympian • Commonwealth Games Champion • 29-year club owner • National Coach Developer • Former President of Gymnastics BC
Also in the MVP Companion Series: The Car Ride Home (free) • Handle With Care • Commitment vs
Quitting • The Triangle • Building Your Village • What Coaches Wish Parents Knew
MVP in the Stands — the complete guide for sport parents — available at nextpeakliving.com
Something happened. Or has been happening.
Maybe your child came home quieter than usual. Maybe they told you something their coach said that didn’t feel right. Maybe they’ve been reluctant for weeks. Maybe they said they don’t want to go back.
And now you are carrying a question you don’t entirely know how to answer.
Is this something I need to act on? Or is this something my child needs to move through?
This guide is for you if...
• You’re not sure whether what you’re observing is normal hardship or something that deserves
closer attention.
• Your child is struggling and you can’t tell if the environment is the problem or the growth is.
• You’ve been explaining something away for longer than feels right.
• You want a clear framework — not anxiety, not dismissal — for thinking about what you’re seeing.
Inside you’ll find:
• What a growth edge actually is — from the inside and the outside — with specific, recognizable
examples
• What a red flag actually is — six named patterns with real descriptions (not abstractions)
• A visual summary: Growth Edge vs Grey Zone vs Red Flag at a glance
• Six grey zone situations that don’t land cleanly on either side — the cases parents actually face
• A complete toolkit: questions for your child, questions for yourself, questions for the coach
• When and how to escalate, including international safeguarding contacts for five countries
• The decision to leave — and how to do it with integrity
Read it when something feels off. Return to it when you need to think more clearly.
Drawn from thirty years inside high-performance coaching environments — and from the honest
acknowledgment that even well-intentioned systems can cause harm.
Perfect for:
✓ Parents who are worried but not sure if the worry is accurate
✓ Parents who have been explaining something away
✓ Clubs wanting to give families a framework for raising concerns
✓ Anyone who has ever googled ‘is this normal’ at midnight
Written by Camille Martens OLY
Olympian • Commonwealth Games Champion • 29-year club owner • National Coach Developer • Former President of Gymnastics BC
Also in the MVP Companion Series: The Car Ride Home (free) • Handle With Care • Commitment vs
Quitting • The Triangle • Building Your Village • What Coaches Wish Parents Knew
MVP in the Stands — the complete guide for sport parents — available at nextpeakliving.com