Parents and coaches regularly do things to inspire and motivate kids, with the end goal being to help kids believe in themselves and reach their full human potential. Cheering kids on can go a long way, but sometimes the effects of applause alone can fade into the background over time, especially when it’s routine clapping from the stands and casually yelling out “Let’s go!” Don’t get me wrong, cheering is certainly good and parents should continue to inspire kids through their words and actions, but are there even more effective ways to truly inspire kids beyond pom-poms and bullhorns? In fact, there is! And the answer is so seemingly simple you might even doubt the effectiveness of what I am about to suggest.
The power of belief
Before we do things in life, we need to believe that we can experience some level of success. The more we believe in ourselves, the greater of confidence grows, and the more likely we will experience success as a result. In fact, in science the placebo effect is a phenomena so powerful that we regularly study how inert treatments and suggestions can lead to measurable, positive results. Belief may be the single most influential variable when it comes to our focus, motivation, and resiliency, making it very worthwhile to harness the power of belief.
Kids are no different than us when it comes to belief, and when they believe they can do something they try harder, and often experience improved results. Some kids develop belief naturally through previous success, or even by pure chance, but that still leaves a lot of kids longing for ways that they can improve their level of belief as well. Fortunately, as parents and coaches we can help kids believe more in their abilities, and the help we can provide to them can be easily summed up in the simple sentence below:
“I believe in you, now believe in yourself”
When kids hear directly from their parents, coaches, and teachers that they absolutely can do something, often really amazing things begin to happen. Kids need to hear from their mentors that they are good enough, and that they can do amazing things. These messages need to be said genuinely, with care and support, and consistently. Look kids in the eyes, grab their attention, and tell them directly and with conviction that they can go out and have a fantastic day today, and that tomorrow can be even better. These are not generic rah-rah speeches, but instead attempts to reveal how much you care, and how determined you are to help overcome insecurities and hurdles.
Helping to instill belief in someone is a powerful life experience, as it relies heavily on honesty, sincerity, and genuine encouragement. For kids, having a parent or coach tell them that YES, they really can achieve success, often promotes a stronger resiliency — especially handy for those tough days where success is difficult to see. It’s also important to remind kids that belief alone will not guarantee success, but without belief the challenges relating to future success can become overwhelming.
Final thoughts
As parents and coaches, we see kids all the time, but are we doing kids the best that we can if we ignore the importance of helping them develop personal belief? Kids need to know that literally every great sports moment, invention, idea, and countless other amazing life accomplishments all began by someone simply believing that they could do it. Connect with the kids in your life and take a moment to listen closely, and look for ways to help them develop the belief needed to reach their life goals and dreams!
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