Beyond Belief is a much needed, compelling, practical guide to a creative world of coaching, with confidence at its heart.

It reimagines a way of coaching with confidence and self-belief at the very heart of all we do: highly creative, deeply rewarding and leading to beyond belief results. It explores how we create assured spaces for our coaching to flow, the sometimes rocky paths to trust and how to help those we coach prepare for their daunting challenges: confident coaches, confidence in the coach and coaching for confidence. And everything changes: how we think of and support motivation, resilience, creativity and much more.

Drawing on the inner stories of coaches and coached, endurance sports coach Mike Porteous brings to life a vision of coaching at its best, in essence coach and coached finding an easy fluency, wholly attuned mind and body to self and others and a depth of meaningful connections. A coaching book like no other.

This is a thought-provoking and inspiring read, which shares ideas on a better, more human way of coaching people, and helping them achieve things beyond belief…essential reading for all coaches, and shares nuggets of wisdom suitable for anyone who works with people. – Amazon 5*

Beyond Belief is an invitation to rethink how we understand, embody and build confidence in ourselves and others. Mike challenges us to prioritize trusting and authentic relationships that empower others to achieve and experience more than they ever thought possible. This book encourages us to coach from the heart and soul – embracing individuality, honouring the journey, and staying true to ourselves. If you’re curious about the art of fostering a deep experience of confidence, belonging, and growth in those you support, this is a must-read. – Katie Mobed, performance psychologist at The Prime Clinic and co-author of You Are a Champion with Marcus Rashford

Mike Porteous gives me confidence – pun intended – that coaching is on the right path. Beyond Belief transcends the regular predictable coaching book. In fact, I would call it more of spiritual guide, with deep insights the likes of which I’ve never seen before. A must-read for any coach who is pursuing mastery of their craft. – Cody Royle, coach to head coaches in elite sports and author of Second Set of Eyes, The Tough Stuff and Where Others Won’t.

Beyond Belief is a transformative book that is a must read for anybody serious about helping people reach their potential. Mike Porteous masterfully weaves together research, personal insights and real-life experiences to introduce the concept of ‘confidence-centred coaching’, an approach that reshapes not only how we support athletes but also how we understand personal growth and human connection.

This book is not just for coaches but for anyone seeking to inspire and empower others. It offers a compelling argument for putting confidence at the heart of all we do, challenging conventional wisdom and inviting readers to embrace creativity, empathy and self-awareness. His insights into the art of coaching, enriched by reflective conversations with experts and practitioners, open up a uniquely humane vision of what coaching can achieve.

Beyond Belief provides a roadmap for creating meaningful, transformative relationships rooted in trust, authenticity and purpose. This is a must-read for anyone who believes in the power of confidence to unlock human potential. – Stuart Armstrong, Head of Coaching at Sport England and host of the Talent Equation podcast

Beyond Belief by Mike Porteous is a transformative read for anyone guiding others in life or sport. Rather than a traditional coaching manual, it is a profound exploration of confidence, trust, and meaningful connection at the heart of true coaching. Mike’s insights offer a fresh perspective, challenging us to rethink success and nurture environments where individuals surpass their expectations. This book is essential for leaders ready to inspire authentic growth and resilience through the quiet power of belief. – Jen Coe, Performance Well-being Lead, The FA (Women’s Professional Game) and co-editor of Myths of Sport Coaching and Myths of Sport

Beyond Belief challenges us to reconsider how we build the confidence of those in our care. Cherishing individuality, committing deeply to the relationship between person and environment, and favouring, not the accumulation of knowledge for dissemination, but the embrace of not knowing and of a journey orientation. If you are curious to learn more about developing a deep sense of identity, belonging, and confidence in those you are fortunate to support, then I highly recommend giving this book your time. – Craig Morris, Olympic canoe slalom coach and high performance coach consultant

Mike has taken coaching, re-imagined it, and put confidence at the heart, helping coaches understand how to nurture it. With numerous remarkable stories for you to think with and bucket loads of practical examples, it’s a must read for anyone who thinks confidence is helpful! – Rusty Earnshaw, Director of The Magic Academy and international performance rugby coach

The philosophy we work from at The True Athlete Project is one of a more compassionate, mindful approach to sport. Mike’s approach to coaching positively hums with resonance with this approach, and so it was a great pleasure to see this shine through in such a practical format as is presented here. The fact that Mike frames coaching among words such as artistry, kindness, beauty, and magic gives you a sense that this is not a standard coach development text. Far more than that, it is a philosophy in itself, and one that is wonderfully aligned with embracing the human that is doing the coaching, promoting their flourishing alongside the people they are in a coaching relationship with.

This is precisely the shift of coaching practice that I would love to see more fully embraced in the world, at all levels of sport. If that were to happen, I have no doubt that we would see a whole host of more positive outcomes, not least in even better performances! – Laurence Halsted, The True Athlete Project

Loved it!! Sometimes reading about a different discipline is an open invitation to think differently and make meaning in our own craft. Mike’s optimistic and clear approach holds some golden nuggets of wisdom for any coach of anyone. – Claire Pedrick MCC, winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Coaching Award 2022 from Henley Business School and co-author of The Human Behind the Coach, winner of Specialist Business Book 2024

It sings! – Professor Stephen Rollnick, co-founder of Motivational Interviewing and co-author of Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Table of contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Part 1: Setting off to discover confidence
  • 1. Where we are
  • 2. Rethinking confidence
• Part 2: Into three domains of confidence
  • 3. Confident coaches
  • 4. Confidence in the coach
  • 5. Coaching for confidence
• Part 3: Coaching in a changed landscape
  • 6. The magic of creativity
  • 7. Motivation and the paradoxes of inner drives
  • 8. Resilience at the outer edges
  • 9. Protecting our coaching energy
  • Final words: On hope
• With thanks
• About the author
• Index

FORMAT / ISBN / PUBLICATION DATE / RRP

Paperback / 9781788607179 / March 4, 2025 / £14.99

Hardback / 9781788607162 / March 4, 2025 / £24.99

Ebook / 9781788607193 / March 3, 2025 / £7.99

Paperback and eBook Bundle / £16.99

Mike Porteous

Mike Porteous is the founder and Director of sports coaching business ZigZag Alive and founder of Confidence-Centred Coaching: a resource for coaches across all sports with an interest in confidence and self-belief. A highly qualified coach who has represented his country as a triathlete, he is now a coach mentor for British Triathlon.