Back to School - The Adults Kids Never Forget

Teachers, coaches, and mentors influence far more than academics or athletic performance. The way they encourage, challenge, correct, and respond to mistakes can shape how kids see themselves for years to come.

In this episode, Mac Zambrano talks with John Crane about how trusted adults can build confidence, create healthy expectations, respond well to mistakes, and remind kids that performance matters, but performance does not define them. 

You’ll hear about:

• Why teachers, coaches, and mentors can have such a significant influence on a child’s mental and emotional health
• Why sports can become a “laboratory for life”
• How to separate a child’s identity from their performance
• The difference between healthy challenge and unhealthy performance pressure
• Why consistency and honesty build trust with kids and teens
• How favoritism can quietly undermine a team’s culture
• Why encouragement is especially important when correction is necessary
• How an adult’s apology can build rather than diminish credibility
• Ways parents, teachers, and coaches can work together instead of against one another
• The value of giving parents and coaches time to cool down before addressing conflict
• How adults can help kids set their own goals and navigate the difficult moments involved in reaching them, and
• Why the conversations that seem ordinary today may be remembered by a child decades from now

Kids may forget the score or assignment, but they rarely forget the adult who saw them, believed in them, and helped them through a difficult season. 

Need support for a child, teen, family, or the people you lead? Care to Change is here to help. Visit the Care to Change website to connect with our team, explore resources, or learn more about how we support individuals, families, schools, churches, and organizations.