If you know me, you know I am extremely competitive, I LOVE to win...but most importantly, I LOVE to watch kids win, win at whatever battle they are trying to overcome; whatever goal they are trying to reach; whether it is a skill or a personal struggle, that they are coming to terms with.
As I think of the young girls I coach, I imagine each of their thoughts:
"Am I strong enough?"
"Can I overcome?"
"Should I give up or should I press on?"
"Am I worthy?"
"I'm not good enough."
"I will always struggle."
"What will my friends think?"
"I want to make my parents happy..."
I believe every kid faces different struggles, anxieties & challenges they must face; whether they overcome their obstacle, or are faced with defeat and must uncover the special path meant for them; for each of these journeys, a kid has an opportunity to learn a valuable lesson, or even be lucky enough to experience self-actualization! No matter what the circumstance, there comes a time when a kid will ask themselves, "Am I good enough?"
How do we help that kid win? ...and when I say, "win" I mean, how to we make a kid believe in him/herself?...I'm not talkin' trophies.
I honestly don't think it's that big of a secret how to motivate a kid. Sure, I say this after I sat my 2 year old in "time out" 3 times in less than 20 minutes, for throwing peas in the floor and whacking me in the head, but after 17 years of coaching...my theory stands true: A kid merely needs confidence to move forward. I think there is no better way of doing this than using plain 'ol English! Just simply tell a kid how incredibly amazing they really are! It's that easy folks, just say it! Forget about the little stuff and remember the BIG picture... it's about encouraging a kid, period.
There are no secrets to encouragement. Just truth....and the truth will set you free, or it will totally rat you out. Kids are way more keen than adults because they can sense if someone is genuine right from the get-go. Kids aren't afraid to call it how they see it. As you see, this blog does not have a special "theory" for adults because in my opinion, you're pretty much baked once you're an adult. The cake is finished cooking, you're either really deliciously amazing or you taste like poop, not special cream cheese icing can fix poop. I can speculate that the end result all depends on how many people told you how incredibly awesome you were as a child.
Although my childhood wasn't picture-perfect, my parents did their best to let me know I was a pretty cool kid. I was also lucky enough to have some pretty amazing coaches, siblings, friends & mentors. I am lucky enough, that some of these folks still pick up the phone, listen to me talk, interrupt them, and repeat ;). (You know who you are) I am blessed to have these amazing souls to thank for being apart of my journey; for where I am today, and where I may be tomorrow.
So, basically...this is why I love kids....why I love working with kids, and why I am grateful I get the opportunity to have a place in each kid's journey I have the pleasure of coaching. After all of my years in the gym, the one theory of mine that still holds steadfast & I lie by is: when you tell a kid they are awesome, they will always win, you as a mentor will win, and if you're lucky, it may lead to a first place medal, and possibly a career....but only if you're lucky. :)
