Having difficulty learning something new is a sign you’re expanding your limits, not that you've reached your limit.

Often as a coach it can be tempting to step in and try to alleviate the frustration a student is feeling. But this is potentially more damaging to their growth than letting them be imperfect at a technique and finding competence in their own time.

If I take away their agency by 'fixing' their problem, they'll come to rely on myself and other adults for solutions. By stepping in too soon, I'm taking away their opportunity to learn that they are capable of bouncing back, themselves. This is probably the best gift I can give as a coach of young athletes: self belief.

If they’re in there giving it a go and doing it imperfectly, they have free agency to grow at their own pace. It may take longer than I'd like, but it's not about me or my desire for quick results. It's about their ability to believe in themselves!

by Keiran Deck, founder, Secret Ninja School