Complete Player is designed to support parents and coaches in recognising the habits and mindset that help young players grow on and off the pitch.
This guide explains how the journey works, how to use the tick system properly, and how to get the most value from it at home.
What Complete Player Is Really About
Complete Player is not about perfect performances, goals, or results.
It focuses on effort when things are hard, positive responses to challenges, resilience through setbacks, and team-first thinking.
The purpose is simple: to help players notice their own progress and understand why these habits matter.
How the Tick System Works
Each habit in the book has five tick boxes.
Each tick represents a clear example of that habit being shown. Five ticks show the habit has been demonstrated consistently over time. Consistency matters more than one-off moments.
This approach avoids rushing the book, rewarding isolated moments, or turning the journey into a checklist.
Where Ticks Come From
Ticks can be added when a coach mentions something positive, when a parent notices a habit during training, matches, or preparation, or when a player reflects on something they handled well.
It does not need to be formal. It just needs to be honest and consistent.
When a Sticker Is Earned
A sticker is earned only once all five ticks are complete.
This shows the habit has been noticed more than once, has become part of how the player approaches sport, and is something the player understands and recognises.
Stickers are recognition markers, not rewards for good behaviour on demand.
The Conversation Matters Most
The most important part of Complete Player is not the tick or the sticker. It is the conversation around it.
Instead of simply handing over a sticker, explain why it has been earned. This helps players connect effort to habit, and habit to mindset.
Better Questions to Ask
After training or a match, try asking questions that encourage reflection rather than results.
You might ask what they are proud of, what they found difficult, when they had to keep going, how they helped someone else, or what they would like to try differently next time.
These conversations reduce pressure, encourage self-awareness, and support long-term confidence.
If emotions are high, it is okay to wait. The best conversations do not always happen straight away.
Take Your Time
Complete Player is designed to take time.
The minimum journey time is three months. Many players take three to six months or longer.
That is not a problem. It is the point.
Habits develop through repetition, experience, and reflection.
About the Completion Poster
The personalised A3 sports poster is a celebration of the journey. It marks commitment and progress.
It is earned on completion of the full journey and is not intended to be used as motivation at the start. The journey always comes first.
Final Thought for Parents
You do not need to be perfect. You do not need to catch everything.
If you notice effort, talk about mindset, and recognise progress honestly, you are using Complete Player exactly as intended.
This is not a reward chart.
It is a mindset development journey.