Give Your Teen Athletes An
Unfair Advantage
(In sport. And in life.)

The Only Step-By-Step Workshop With Genuine Life-Changing Success Stories From Every Day Sports Coaches – And You Can Be Next!

  • Learn from a seasoned combat sports coach, exercise scientist & registered psychologist with over 35 years of experience

  • Based on the only fun-filled and evidence-based program in Australia that combines boxing and psychology to guide young people toward achieving their full potential

FREE Workshop In

The Adelaide Hills Australia


September 27th (Friday) 6.00pm-8.00pm

September 28th (Saturday) 10.00am-12.00pm


CounterPunch Gym, 10 Wilson Court
Mt Barker, SA 5251 Australia

A Proven Pathway To Coaching A Thriving Teen Athlete WITHOUT Selling Your Soul!

You want the best for your athlete.


Whether it's to win titles or just the desire to influence young people's lives, you want to build them towards their true potential so they can become the athlete you know they can be.


You're there with them side-by-side, supporting their training, perfecting their skills and developing tactics.

​

The only issue is, they're not performing as well as they should.


And you know this for a fact because what you're telling them doesn't stick.

They're not following the programs you set them, they're hesitating to execute the skills you know they have, and they're not getting the results you know they're capable of.


In other words, they lack consistency and resilience, and as a result, they're wasting their potential.


And as a sports coach, you feel like you've failed.

You know how to give them the fitness, skills and tactics necessary, and you know they have the ability, but somewhere along the journey, there's been a breakdown of some sort.

​

And now you find yourself banging your head on the wall. You're frustrated, you're exhausted, and you're starting to lose confidence in your ability.


You became a coach because you wanted to make a difference.


But now you feel like your words hold no weight.

Why Most Sports Coaches Fail

As sports coaches, you're well-equipped with knowledge about how to maximise your athlete's performance on a physical and technical level.


But that's only half of the equation.


In order to help your teen athletes thrive, you must also develop and train their mental fitness.

In other words:

  • Their ability to regulate their emotions
  • Their ability to stay resilient in the face of challenges
  • Their ability to stay motivated without your direction

But, it's not as simple as giving them a pep talk just before they go into battle.

Mental fitness must be programmed into their minds just as consistently as they develop physical fitness and practise their technique.


It doesn't stop there though.


By nature, the way teenagers think is completely different to how we as adults think.

​

And we have to keep this in mind whenever we communicate with them.


The good news is, with the right knowledge and skillset, you hold the power to radically realise their full potential.


And that's exactly what you'll learn to do in this free workshop.

Here's What You Will Learn...

Understand Why You Can't Get Through To Your Athlete...

Learn the 3 stages of brain development & how to adapt your communication with your teen athlete over time

How To Teach Your Athlete Mental Resilience...

Learn how to develop emotional regulation skills in your teen athlete in a non-confrontational way

Good Listening

Proven Techniques For Effective Communication

Learn how to ensure your teenager receives, understands and embraces information in the way you intend

Tap Into Psychological Needs That Drive Human Behaviour

Learn how to motivate your teen athletes using scientifically proven methods to achieve their full potential

Here's What You Will Learn...

Understand Why You Can't Get Through To Your Athlete...

Learn the 3 stages of brain development & how to adapt your communication with your teen athlete over time

How To Teach Your Athlete Mental Resilience...

Learn how to develop emotional regulation skills in your teen athlete in a non-confrontational way

Good Listening

Proven Techniques For Effective Communication

Learn how to ensure your teenager receives, understands and embraces information in the way you intend

Tap Into Psychological Needs That Drive Human Behaviour

Learn how to motivate your teen athletes using scientifically proven methods to achieve their full potential

Who Is This Event For?

1) Sports coaches and personal trainers that want to help teenage athletes achieve their full potential in sport and life by working on both the physical and mental components of fitness

OR...

2) Part-time coaches that want to maximise the use of their time with their athletes in order to have a balanced lifestyle

OR...

3) Full-time sports coaches and instructors that want an extra edge in their coaching services

Module #1 – The 3 Stages Of Teenage Brain Development

  • How to identify the stage of teenage development your athlete is currently going through
  • How each stage of development can affect athlete performance
  • How to adapt your communication and coaching style to each different stage of development

Module #2 – The Zone Of Optimum Athletic Performance

  • Where the zone of optimum athletic performance is according to the latest sports psychology research 
  • How your teen athlete can develop emotional regulation so they can enter and stay within their zone of optimum performance
  • The systems and processes that ensure consistency

Module #3 – Dealing With Factors Outside Your Control

  • The 5 common areas that sabotage performance
  • What to do when outside factors (i.e. bullying, relationships, academic pressure) affect your athlete's performance


Hi, I'm Mercedas

Why should you listen to me?

Great question! Here's why I'm qualified to teach you how to help your teenage athlete achieve their full potential...


My name is Mercedas Taaffe-Cooper, and for the last 35 years I have been honing and combining my skills as a martial artist, a combat coach, a sports & exercise scientist, and a registered psychologist into an overarching method I call the CounterPunch method.

To give you insight into why I'm so passionate about helping you help your teenage athlete be the best they can be, I'd like to invite you to jump back in time with me, and re-live my journey in 10-year increments.

1985 – 1995

My Start As An Athlete


My journey starts over 30 years ago, when I first competed as an athlete. Through rigorous training and conditioning, I'm proud to say that I've won a total of 25 titles in martial arts and boxing tournaments since, including:

  • 4 World titles
  • 3 European titles
  • 10 Irish titles
  • 8 Australian titles

1995 – 2005

Coaching Teens To Elite Level


Having had my own life transformed through the power of sport, I sought to do the same for youth. As part of this commitment, I:

  • Established 4 boxing clubs (1 in Ireland, 3 in Australia), all of which continue to coach young people today
  • Coached over 1000 youth since 1987 – 5 of which have won 19 titles (15 in Ireland, 4 in Australia) in total
  • Trained with some of the top boxing coaches in the world (such as Nicolas Cruz Hernandez, Gerry Storey, Mick Dowling, & Bodo Andreas) in order to become more effective as a coach

1995 – 2005

Coaching Teens To Elite Level


Having had my own life transformed through the power of sport, I sought to do the same for youth. As part of this commitment, I:

  • Established 4 boxing clubs (1 in Ireland, 3 in Australia), all of which continue to coach young people today
  • Coached over 1000 youth since 1987 – 5 of which have won 19 titles (15 in Ireland, 4 in Australia) in total
  • Trained with some of the top boxing coaches in the world (such as Nicolas Cruz Hernandez, Gerry Storey, Mick Dowling, & Bodo Andreas) in order to become more effective as a coach

2005 – 2015

Becoming A Psychologist & Launching CounterPunch


While working with youth as a sports coach, I began to notice that many weren't reaching their full potential as a result of personal life factors.


As a result, I sought to improve my understanding of psychology, and today, I'm honoured to say that I've:

  • Become a registered psychologist and worked with over 100 youth and adolescent clients as a Clinical Psychologist at CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
  • Run a 2-year, state government-funded study with the Menzies School of Health to create and validate the CounterPunch method as a tool for improving mental wellbeing in teenagers
  • Been featured on ABC TV as part of the 730 show

2015 – Now

CounterPunch Continues To Change Lives


Eventually I realised there's only so much 1 person can do on their own, so I decided it was time to share CounterPunch with the world (hint: that's where you come in!). As part of fulfilling that mission, I have:

  • Co-written the bestselling book 'Elevate Your Life' alongside 10 other nationally recognised experts, including Benjamin J Harvey
  • Created a Facilitator's Curriculum to teach sports coaches like you to take young athletes through the journey to become the best versions of themselves.

2015 – Now

CounterPunch Continues To Change Lives


Eventually I realised there's only so much 1 person can do on their own, so I decided it was time to share CounterPunch with the world (hint: that's where you come in!). As part of fulfilling that mission, I have:

  • Co-written the bestselling book 'Elevate Your Life' alongside 10 other nationally recognised experts, including Benjamin J Harvey
  • Created a Facilitator's Curriculum to teach sports coaches like you to take young athletes through the journey to become the best versions of themselves.

And that's where this free workshop comes in.


I've learned so much over the last few decades, and I'm incredibly EXCITED to share with you the top tips and strategies to help give your teen athlete what they need to fulfil their true potential.


But hey, don't take my word for it...

Here's What Sports Coaches Have To Say

Padraig Clancy – Football Coaching Coordinator


"What I got from Mercedas was a far better understanding of how young people think, maybe to get down more to their level and talk to them."

Aine Conlon – Kickboxing Coach


"One thing I got from CounterPunch was that I was able to relate more to the children in my class and more importantly to my children at home."

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it REALLY free? Why?

What if I'm not a sports coach?

What research is the content based on?

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Why did you create this course?

Claim Your FREE Ticket Now...

Seats are strictly limited due to venue size. Don't miss out on this incredible event.

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FREE Workshops ​In The Adelaide Hills Australia


September 14th (Saturday) 10.00am-12.00pm

September 27th (Friday) 6.00pm-8.00pm


CounterPunch Gym, 10 Wilson Court
Mt Barker, SA 5251 Australia

© 2019 CounterPunch