Hello !! Welcome Back :) Happy To See You

Welcome back and Thanks for reading the blogs, I hope you are enjoying them, this is part 2 of Declan, as you read in the last blog If A 12-Year Old Can Figure It Out Why Can’t You !?

You would have come to know and understand a young individual named Declan and through it all he has had his ups and downs we have had many ups, and we have had many downs. The most important thing I have come to learn about helping young people get fit and healthy you have to REMEMBER they are still figuring out themselves and individuals and as humans. Sometimes you tend to forget that they are just Kids… they are learning to deal with emotional and physical changes, they have the stress of school and friends, trying to find where they fit in, in this world and sometimes throwing them into a Monday group session that can make them feel on the verge of a physical breakdown of the demands from their bodies.

So I have learned an awful lot about how we approach fitness in kids and adolescents especially with Declan he can be stubborn, he can lack focus, but he can also have nights where he has 100% focus and 100% intent to achieve something new, the approach is simple you just have to flick the clock back and remember you were a kid once, adults can handle the push when it comes to shove some more than others but kids have to be treated with a little more care and attention you have to read the body language, you have to read the words they are using, tone of voice… take for example a few weeks ago he rolled in to a session and I knew straight off the bat that he was bothered and annoyed, he had his stubborn face on, and he was not in the mood, but he also knows and I make him aware literally at the same time I notice that he needs to pick his chin up off the floor and leave the attitude at the door and I understand he might be annoyed but the next 45 minutes he needs to forget it and get on with it…. I pulled him aside and got on his level and simply asked him what's up mate, what's got you down, he opened up and told me everything in detail, he told me calmly, he expressed how he felt and what he felt, I told him I know and understand I get it, I was a kid once bud but you just have to accept what it is for what it is and move on, you are not going to change the decision :) and he did he focused on performing for himself, and we have learned together how to channel those feelings into his session.

We Can All Use Our Stubborn Attitude Towards Fitness

One thing I have come to learn about him that he can be so stubborn and pig headed, but he is growing out of it, and when he gets like that not only does he suffer ha-ha he drags the group in on the action meaning our group is like a family, it’s a team and every action has a reaction and I haven’t had to call on consequences for Him, I took a fair few efforts, but he eventually learned when he is being a knob everyone else cops the consequences for his actions…. I remember one time he argued with me for 10 minutes, it was a battle, he didn't want to be there this was before I learned how to approach him in the way I do now, I said fine you don’t want to do what everyone else is doing? He said NO I do not. I said ok fine, grab the skipping (which was smaller than normal) I said you want to avoid doing what everyone else is doing you gotta do 25 overs in a ROW with that rope, you can’t change it, you can't quit and you have to start again every time you miss one or fail, you got to 25 in a row non-stop. The look on his face and in his eyes was like nothing I had seen from him until that day, he was furious and I even said if you want to punch me that is ok, but you gotta do 25 in a row and use how you feel right now to get it done. So many times he had to start again he got to 17 in a row, and he almost quit, he got to 17 and said I need a bigger rope, I can’t do it with this, he tried so hard, but he thought I was a pushover and I proved to him that night that I will stand my ground and I said “you got 17 in a row with that rope Declan you can get 25, Believe it” he tried and tried, he was frustrated, he was angry, he was so angry at one point he walked out and I didn't think he would come back in, he composed himself and FUCKING BANG he did it!! He did 25 overs in a row and from that day onward that kid has had my respect, and he knows now that respect is earned and not a given commodity, he knows now that every action has a reaction and that doesn’t apply at School that applies in life, in everyday life I am so proud of him. There have been so many times I can think where he has pushed me to my limit and I have no doubt he will do it a few more times yet, but I am learning how to cope with it and guide us both to a positive and beneficial mindset to make sure he continues to achieve and grow as a human. Love ya Deccy you are killing it.

If his mum reads this, and I am sure she will as I have her permission to write about him and express him on this page and what he does and how he continues to teach me things and vice versa, he was so proud to tell me that he plans on taking up Mountain Bike Riding and is excited (mum is not so excited) and I am very excited for him as it's just another notch in this incredible young man’s journey. So get on the bike Deccy and enjoy it, MB Riding is deadly but it’s also very awesome and cool ha-ha

If you are a parent and you have kids it’s ok to be the enforcer and it is ok to be compassionate with your kids after all we just want what is best for them in the end.

If you are a fellow fitness professional with kids under your training guidance remember they are kids, and they have feelings, they have emotions, and they also want to fit into what you offer as well as have fun…. Remember you can be their friend because to be honest sometimes that all they want is someone a little older to listen and understand what they are feeling or going through, whether they are aware of this I do not know I just know from Libby, Declan, Latham, Chelsea that they just want someone other than their parents to hear them and understand them from a seemingly different but similar point of view, so show them you give a shit about them and what they want to achieve but also remember they are a client all the same, and they don't want to be treated all that different just because they are 10 to 15 years younger than most of the clients you have. Trust me I am still learning this and will continue to learn more about young people and training.

Cheers for the read and I hope you enjoyed it !! I love writing these, so I hope you get as much out of it as I love putting in.

Part 2 - If A 12 Year Old Can Figure it Out Then Why Can't You !!

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