I love working with kids; there’s nothing quite like it. I’ve spent countless hours volunteering and working with them, from tutoring elementary students to coaching youth cheer and gymnastics. However, it wasn’t until college that I realized just how much being around kids lights my mood. Every time I coached gymnastics during my freshman year, it felt like stepping into a whole new world. Surrounded by college students and professors day in and day out, I almost forgot how refreshing it is to spend time with a younger crowd. Although I’m not coaching right now, the lessons and memories I’ve collected from those kids still stay with me.
Even though they require a lot of my energy and patience, kids’ perspectives on life and the things they say always make me laugh. They’d ask off-the-wall questions and try to guess things about me and my life. Often, they’d ask my age and react with either shock at how old I am or surprise at how young I am—and that I’m not married with kids. It’s refreshing being around a different age group where conversations are lighthearted and fun. Their sense of wonder reminds me of how much joy comes from curiosity alone.
Kids also have this natural confidence we tend to lose along the way. We forget how to just be ourselves. Young kids don’t care about how others perceive them, so their unique personalities constantly shine through. This makes interacting with them so much more fun because I get to know them all individually, and it also makes me nostalgic for the simplicity of life before teenage social anxiety kicked in.
Coaching cheer and gymnastics reminded me not only to avoid overthinking how I present myself, but also to embrace a fearless mindset in both sports and in life. Many kids are eager to try new things, constantly learning new skills because they’re not held back by the fear of failure or injury. Watching them take on challenges without second-guessing themselves is inspiring–-it’s a reminder that sports are meant to be fun and that overthinking can take away from that. Sometimes I’d think, if a ten year old can learn a new skill that fast, why can’t I? Turns out, it was almost always a matter of mindset.
Overall, coaching is such a rewarding experience. Working with the same children over time allows me to watch them grow, both as individuals and as athletes. I remember the coaches I had growing up, the good and the bad, and they all had such a profound impact on my life. In all honesty, I am learning from them just as much as they are learning from me.