.png)
.webp)
Quirky Kid launched Power Up! in 2014, translating performance psychology techniques used in high-performance settings into a structured, child-focused program for young people.
The program was launched on 26 September 2014 at the Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation in partnership with Football United. It was developed for young people involved in sport, music, performance, academics and other settings where managing pressure, preparation and confidence can influence performance.
A contemporary Australian media interview with Dr Kimberley O’Brien records the launch, the Football United partnership and Quirky Kid’s aim of making performance psychology skills more accessible to young people.
Turning performance psychology into practical skills
Power Up! teaches six core psychological skill areas: goal setting, self-talk, imagery, focus and attention control, arousal regulation and competition planning.
The aim was not simply to improve results. The program was designed to help young performers understand the mental demands of preparation and competition while maintaining perspective, wellbeing and enjoyment.
Launching with community sport
The launch with Football United placed Power Up! directly into a youth performance setting. Participants could connect the program’s psychological techniques with real examples from training, competition, setbacks and pressure on the field.
The partnership also reflected a broader Quirky Kid approach: psychological concepts become more useful when they are translated into engaging activities and applied in the environments where children and young people actually need them.
Power Up! later reached organisations in Australia and overseas, with Quirky Kid’s current program record documenting use by organisations including Gymnastics Australia, Football United and international partners.
National recognition in the same year
The launch followed a major publishing achievement. On 17 September 2014, Power Up! won the Primary Student Resource – Arts/Science/Humanities category at the Educational Publishing Awards Australia.
Read about Power Up!’s 2014 Educational Publishing Award.
The launch and award together marked an important stage in Quirky Kid’s expansion from clinic-based psychology into structured programs designed for use by schools, clubs, families and professionals.
