Youth Coaching (Part 2 of 2)

Welcome back!  It is the season of Oranges and yellows, pumpkins and ghouls, warm hearts and cool nights.  A perfect time to pick up where we left off the topic of Youth Coaching in the Summer.

So we have established a few things: That parenting is important as it is challenging – no news there.  That parenting is just as much a verb, as it is a noun – probably more importantly so.  That sometimes parents are too blind in their love for their child to see their own pitfalls in the parenting role.

That being said however, it is important to mention that not all parents are mere namesakes. Actually for the most part, parents are engaged and involved with their children every step of the way and go on to raise some of the most productive assets to humankind.

But who can deny that they would love to have a helping hand.  As they juggle the multiple demands of daily living, non-stop, day-after-day, no vacation, no overtime and raise these precious children besides, something has to give.  And this fact further augmented in the case of a single parent – mother or father.

Parenting is by far the most important job we will ever be entrusted with and should be respected thusly.  When we hire contractors, landscapers and mechanics to do specialized jobs, why not hire help to sculpt a masterpiece when it comes to our children as well? That is where the youth coach can step into the gap.

Consider the following:

• Children will often listen to an outside voice than they will their parents’.
• Coaches cannot be emotionally manipulated.
• Tweens and teens feel empowered to get a say in their own lives, something that is at the top of their list in their age group.
• Coaches and can be the yin of objectivity, to the yang of a parent’s subjectivity.
• Time is of the essence and do overs are hard to come by.
• Parents remain partners in the youth coaching process, so they are still the last verb when it comes to their child.

Needless to say that, youth, their parents and their coach can be a win-win-win combination. But if you have not yet found your parental helping hand in a coach yet, do not fail to lean on family elders, extended family members, clergy and teachers.

We can do this.  Together.