Coaching Beyond the Court: What Sibling Relationships Teach Us

As a coach with a background in sport psychology, I’m always drawn to research that sheds light on the less obvious drivers of talent development. While revisiting some older studies recently, I came across a 2017 paper by Taylor, Collins, and Carson—one of whom was Head of Department during my MSc in Performance Psychology at the University of Edinburgh.

Though it’s not a new piece of research, “Sibling Interaction as a Facilitator for Talent Development in Sport” offers some timeless insights. Through retrospective interviews with sets of high-performing siblings, the authors identified six themes through which sibling dynamics shaped sporting progress: regular shared sport experiences, emotional support, rivalry, resilience, cooperation, and eventual separation.

What struck me was how powerfully these informal, day-to-day interactions contribute to long-term development. The role of siblings as both motivators and training partners isn’t something we often factor into our planning, but it can be as influential as any structured coaching environment. Healthy competition, for instance, seems to push performance forward without external pressure, while emotional support builds resilience from a young age.

As someone working on the ground with athletes, this study reinforced the value of considering an athlete’s broader environment, not just their coach or team. Sibling dynamics, when positive, are a natural performance-enhancing resource.

It’s a reminder to stay curious, read widely, and keep looking beyond the usual boundaries. Sometimes the best insights come from the relationships we take most for granted. Read the original research here.