Other than "Can you make my kid faster?", the number one request we get from parents who inquire about our program is "I want to see my child build self-confidence."
Self-confidence itself is kind of this vague, hard to quantify trait that someone either supposedly has or doesn't have. In that light, it would seem to be hard to map out a plan for building it because the actual destination is difficult to pinpoint.
Except it isn't hard at all.
Building self-confidence is a stunningly simple to understand process.
All you have to do is this - take on a challenge that you aren't sure you'll overcome and work hard until you succeed, even if if it doesn't happen right away, Actually, ESPECIALLY if it doesn't happen right away.
Then repeat this for every challenge you take on in training. Hundreds, even thousands of times over the course of your training career.
Given enough time, anyone who takes this approach will become confident in their ability at that task, and almost certainly in taking on challenges in many other aspects of their lives as well.
That is self-confidence
Workout programs are littered with opportunities to take on and overcome small challenges. Done correctly, they can be a true breeding ground of confidence building for everyone involved.
Go up a little bit in weight.
Go a little further or push a little harder in your cardio work.
Tighten up your technique to achieve faster sprint times.
These are all achievable challenges to overcome if you are willing to push outside your comfort zone a little more each time you train. And by taking this approach, your mind realizes that something which seems to be impossible for you to accomplish today actually can be done with a little extra effort and persistence over time.
Now of course, not everyone actually trains with this mindset. It can be scary to take that leap into the unknown when there's a strong possibility you'll fail. The ones who do make this jump, though, reap the benefits for the rest of their lives because they come to realize what any high achiever could tell you - that you are capable of accomplishing so much more than you think you can if you're willing to step out of your comfort zone.
For people to be willing to take this risk they must be surrounded by others with the same mindset who will support their efforts, whether they succeed or fail. Having adults or other kids who insult them or minimize them when they fail will destroy this process. You must be immersed in a culture where failing with effort is valued more than succeeding with no effort.
What I'm trying to say is that just because you follow a training program does not mean you are guaranteed to build self-confidence. You must take the right approach, and be surrounded by the right people.
But building self-confidence is not that difficult to understand.
Once you make the mental leap of taking on and fighting to overcome challenges, everything will change for you moving forward.
