Best case scenario.

5-7 years.

5-7 years of consistency.

5-7 years of challenging training.

5-7 years of dedication.

5-7 long years.

5-7 years is not an "activity" we sign our kids up for "something to keep them occupied".

During those five to seven years I can promise you:

Your child will want to quit.

You will want to quit.

There will be frustration.

There will be many obstacles.

However......

There will be GROWTH.

There will be CONFIDENCE.

There will be ACHIEVEMENTS.

There will be VALUES BUILT.

There will be a human made that is capable of handling anything life throws at them.

.........

I say this to you to say this is a process.

Kids don't quit. Parents quit on their kids.

Read that last line again.

The day it becomes "okay" to not go to training is the day it becomes "okay" to quit anything they want for the rest of their lives.

It's the car ride home.

It's the things said that kids overhear.

It's all the little things they hear that we think they don't.

It's being hard on them when they don't focus in class.

It's telling them how they should do better when they don't get a move right, the first time.

It's yelling from the sidelines to create pressure.

........

A black belt is a white belt that never gave up.

Imagine that being a quality your child picks up before they go out into the real world.

........

As a professional coach, I'd highly recommend a few things.

1. Trust the process.

2. Start taking classes for yourself, learning what the kids are doing will help you be not only a better leader, it will show you how hard those kiddos actually work to do this stuff.

3. Shift from the perspective of "activity" to "necessity".

4. Trust the process.

........

Best Regards to all of my Martial arts Family.

Nick C.