Kids these days need to learn how to embrace the STRUGGLE!
I don’t know, but maybe It’s a sign of my age, but kids these days are ‘soft\’. But before you jump to any conclusions, we need to ask ourselves as adults, coaches, and parents, if it’s entirely their fault?
Remember the days when, if you wanted to partake in a sport, you had to cover all the expenses – that was the deal. Your parents simply didn’t have the money to support all the athletes and their extramural activities. Today, It seems things are handed to kids more easily, they seem to have more say in things as well, if you like.
These day’s kids are even allowed to change coaches when the going the gets tough or challenging, and parents stand by it and agree. What are we teaching kids every time the going gets tough or they don’t like it? – That when the going gets tough – step out?
Parents, If you want your children to grow up mentally strong, self-dependent and accountable then they need to struggle and grind.
Ask yourself this: Looking back at your school days, do you remember your easy teachers or coaches, or do you remember your tougher ones, the one that taught discipline, demanded respect and had a ‘earn it if you want it\’ mindset and teaching?
Parents, when you look for a coach for your kid, do you look for the ones that say ‘Good job Johnny’ all the time? the ones that stop the drill when little Johnny start’s breathing hard? Or do you go with the ones who say: “Do it again, you know you can do it better, you can do more”.
The message is simple: Surround your kids with coaches and teachers that give honest, and sometimes TOUGH feedback. Building mental toughness does not come from playing video games or watching re-runs of Rocky movies, no, toughness comes from the struggle. If you want to develop kids who can perform at a high level in sport (or in business and in life for that matter) then let them embrace the struggle.
Thirty two years of coaching and playing experience includes coaching at the Van Der Meer Academy, as a country’s National coach, coaching Davis Cup and Federation Cup teams, on the ATP, WTA, and ITF International Junior tours in over 60 countries. Coached two top twenty WTA players and as a National coach, coaching and captaining teams competing in World Youth Cup, World Junior Tennis, Asian Games, and the All China Games. Hobson’s players have won National titles, ITF titles and Professional tournaments and he has sent 100’s of player to play college tennis in the USA. Has conducted coach seminars in Japan, Hong Kong, China Singapore and USA. Conducted seminars for the JPTR and ITF. College educated as a lawyer completing BA and LLB degrees. Fluent in 3 languages. Competed in 5 Ironman triathlons. Associations include PTR, NSCA and completed the USTA High Performance Coaching Program.