schools + clubs
For athletes serious about building a life that lasts beyond the jersey.
Piggyback helps you design your life with intention and clarity, on and off the pitch.
✳︎
meet the founder
✳︎ meet the founder
Hi, I’m Tayla…
If you're here, you probably already think about your athletes as more than just players. Which is great, we already agree on something.
I'm a dual-code athlete from a little(ish) town in New Zealand. Football was my day one love and I’ve been playing internationally for 10+ years until recently making the switch to AFLW - because apparently there wasn't enough contact in football??. I've been fortunate to have a pretty cool career on the field but an even better one off the pitch (stories for another time).
But none of it happened because I had it all figured out. It happened because the right people showed up at the right time and gave me tools and ways of thinking that genuinely changed how I moved through the world.
They helped me realise that my journey was exactly that, mine. Not my parents', not my coaches', mine. It was up to me to create good opportunities, and equally to know when to get myself out of the not so good ones.
Piggyback is my attempt to give that to your athletes.
Athletes across every level and sport are all asking the same questions - Who am I outside of this? What happens when it's over? How do I keep perspective when everything feels like it's riding on Saturday's result? Figuring out who you are beyond the sport doesn't just make better humans. It makes better athletes too.
With a background in Sociology and a Master's in Business Leadership, I bring frameworks that actually work and the lived experience to back them up.
I'd love to share that with your athletes.
ONE-OFF SPEAKING
For athletes that are ready for a shake up
A 45–60 minute talk that opens up the conversations most programs don't make time for. Tayla weaves in her own story - the highs, the detours, the lessons, while leaving space for athletes to reflect on their own. Honest, engaging, and refreshing.
Topics can include: identity beyond sport, navigating transition, dealing with pressure, maintaining perspective, importance of being a good teammate, and building a life that's yours.
WORKSHOPs
For athletes ready to step off autopilot and intentionally design what’s next.
A 2+ hour interactive session for athletes ready to step off autopilot and start designing what's next. Less talk, more doing. Athletes slow down, zoom out, and work through practical Design Thinking exercises and real frameworks they can return to for the rest of their lives.
They'll walk away with a clearer sense of who they are, what's getting in their way, and how to build something intentional that holds up beyond the jersey.
PROGRAMs
When athletes feel connected and grounded off the field, it shows up on it too.
A fully customised program designed to help athletes slow down, zoom out, and build tools and frameworks they can return to for the rest of their lives.
The structure, timing, and content are shaped around your group, whether that's pre, during or post- season. Can include regular sessions, Zoom check-ins, and 1:1 offerings keep the momentum going between sessions.
Their words, not mine.
“It's not always easy to hold the attention of young athletes online, but Tayla did so effortlessly. We would highly recommend Tayla and Piggyback to any school or sporting group looking to inspire and positively challenge their young people. We look forward to working with her again in the future.”
- Teacher
“It made me think about who I have around me and how important it is to have people who support you and want you to do well. I also liked how she spoke about gratitude, especially when things aren't going perfectly in sport or life. It made me realise that even setbacks can help you grow.”
- Student
“Tayla shared her journey with honesty, humility and authenticity, and it genuinely connected with our students.”
- Teacher
“She was really easy to listen to and didn't feel like she was just lecturing us. It felt more like she genuinely wanted to help us. I definitely took a lot away from it, not just for sport but for everyday life too.”
- Student
“The way she spoke about gratitude and the concept of 'green light people' really resonated. Those themes didn't just land in a sporting sense - they sparked meaningful reflection about friendships, mindset, and the kind of people our students want around them in life. Tayla was professional, well-prepared and highly engaging throughout. She spoke in a way that was relatable and real, and our students were attentive from start to finish.”
- Teacher
what you’ll learn
How to apply the Design Thinking framework to your life to align who you are, what you do, and what you believe. So, when you sense that there’s more for you out there in the world, or when life punches you in the face (Mike Tyson said it, not me), you’ll have the tools to adapt, move forward, and create a juicy life worth writing home about.
