What are we feeding our kids?

Before I get to today's "food for thought"... you know i believe
its super important to start the game super confident. Same is to
be said for kicking the New Year off right!

So from now until 11:59pm on Jan 22, 2012 I'm giving you my "Kick
Off" special. All of my training programs will be discounted.

Tomorrow I'll release the precise details so be on the look out for
that newsletter. But if you want to take off before the whistle
blows shoot me an email and I'll get back to you with the details.

On to today's message:

What are we feeding our kids?

This question does pertain to the food we give our kids but today
I'm really discussing the mental food we feed our youngsters.

You know:

The thoughts
Ideas
Words of encouragement or discouragement
Goals
Limits
And so on...

In my experience there are 3 things every parent and coach MUST
understand.

1. Limits can be established only by YOURSELF. So fear not...
You can't establish a limit on me, I have to accept your beliefs
before it becomes my limit.
2. The limits and expectations we believe we have help form our
self image.
3. Each of us is equipped with an impersonal goal striving mechanism. Whether
we are positive or negative depends on what we program into our
goal striving mechanism.

Heres a real example I've experienced time and time again.

Tell one player he can score 2 goals today and he gets enthused and
focused. Another player hears the same goal and tries to hide
behind the corner flag.

Why the different response?
The goal was impersonal.

The two different reactions occurred because each player has
established beliefs within themselves. Player A has formed an "I
Can" self image. Player B formed their very own "I Can't" self
image.

Another way of stating it is... Over the years he/she has mentally
taken in their life experiences and decided "I can do that" or "No
way, not going to happen!"

Parents, grand-parents, teachers, coaches, that consistently
supply feelings of positive goals and mental pictures of success
to kids get "I CAN" responses 95% of the time.

On the other end give a youngster mental pictures of mistakes are
bad, perfection is the only way, doubt, worry, fear of injury and
more than likely you get a less than confident timid player who wants
to run and hide when things get tough or even worse quit!

There is nothing more important to me in my training than helping a
player establish a realistic self image. In fact the foundation of
my "Gold", "Silver", and "How to Fake Defenders Out of their
Cleats" training programs all begin with building an improved self image.

The reason I start with the self image is for ONE reason only.

I want to feed your child a new perspective on what is possible for
him or her.

I hope I can be if assistance to you and your soccer player this
year. I fully expect 2012 to be amazing both on the soccer field
and off.

I've got a ton of projects coming down the shoot for improving your
youngsters self image, confidence, skill, endurance and strength.

And Let's remind ourselves to feed our kids positive goals, help
them rise above their limitations and build super confident self
images.

Happy Belated New Year!

Coach Nolan