This past Sunday at church I heard something that really resonated with me. The pastor said that the most important decade in a person’s life is from age 13 to 23. During those 10 years a person grows from adolescent to adult, completes most if not all of their education, gets pointed toward or started in a career, and possibly meets their spouse. All those things added up set up a person for the rest of their life. The irony of the teenage years when so much guidance is needed is that many teenagers begin a concerted effort to distance themselves from their parents! Suddenly we parents “don’t understand” are “old fashioned” and are otherwise ill-equipped to help our young people navigate through the minefield of life! If only they could see the battle wounds of our own navigation!
Part of the pastor’s message was to continue to spend A LOT of time with your kids. The same kind of time when they were 1 to 12 years-old, but obviously that time will look different. Many times it’s easy to just let the 14-year old seclude themselves in their room with their phone…especially with the way they’ve been talking back to you and you just want them out of your face. It’s also easy to give that 16-year-old the car keys so you don’t have to chauffeur them around anymore. Don’t get me wrong, becoming independent is critical, (no one still wants a 28-year-old in the house) but we must be diligent to remain connected in their lives because they need us more than ever!
I’m thankful that you entrust my team and I to coach and guide your child during this often tumultuous time of their lives.
I’m humbled that you choose to devote part of your precious time with your child to spending it with Total Athlete Training.
We are reminded constantly that our workout session does not exist in a vacuum, but is affected by the daily lives of the athletes. While TAT is a short time every week and our delivery method is athletic preparation, our sessions are often sprinkled with lessons other than speed, agility, and strength. Between drills, sets, and reps we are working through school issues, team issues, and relationship issues. I often feel more like a psychiatrist than a coach!
This week I shared with the athletes some life lessons wrapped up in the disguise of athletic preparation. Click this link to hear about how your athlete’s current ability, their future potential, and their ability to maximize their potential are all related. If you’ve had some trouble getting the same general ideas explained to your athlete, give me a shot…let your athlete watch as well!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFQdIPr7LNw
