A “new week” thought.
A “new week” thought.
This is a serious subject. If our kids are raised so that they have a fear of trying things, that will limit a lot of opportunities, fun and the possibility of some achievement. We want eager children. We want inquisitive children who want to try new things and “push” a little bit. We want children who look at a situation as a fun chance to challenge themselves rather than a stressful situation where they may “fail.” Or disappoint. Or come up short.
Do we want to develop a young adult worried about the outcome of trying or an eager, self confident “doer?”
If children are raised with the “results are more important then the effort and challenge,” we may wind up with some kids who are reluctant to try. If we teach our kids that a trophy has to be at the end of every competition for the child to feel successful, we are going to frustrate, and stifle, most young people. (That is unless we do the 100% awards thing all of the time.)
Our parenting, our coaching, our teaching should be based on preparation and then giving your best effort in each challenge. And the success of the results are the IMPROVEMENT that each child exhibits not always in “where they rank” compared to others. There is a time and a place for ranking but the true success overall comes in the improvement of each athlete or student.
So as we head into another school year and the Fall sports season, our children should have good attitudes about what the challenges are and what the adults in their lives expect of them. Each child should challenge themselves to be the best they can be but they aren’t going to come any where close to that if they are reluctant to try. (If you like this message, share with your friends who are parents, teachers or coaches.) Tom Burgdorf and Gymnet Sports on Facebook
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