Youth coaching can make a fantastic and lasting difference to the lives of young people. Here, one of our Youth Coaches shares their experience of working with young clients to bring about self-change, growth and confidence.
The commitment from young people is huge, particularly for many who find attending school a challenge. Each time I’m in contact with the young people I coach, or when I attend the regular youth clubs and sessions, I leave knowing that I have made a difference. Whilst the focus is never on the events that brought them to coaching it is sometimes difficult for the young people I deal with to hold back on their need to tell stories (typically 15 to 18 year olds). Knowing the kind of challenges that they have faced makes their journey even more inspiring which is exactly why I went in to Youth Coaching. The reasons why I feel youth coaching is so powerful are:
The impact of being heard can be profound. For the young people, their experience is more likely to be one likely being talked at rather than being listened to. As a youth impact coach, my role is to actively listen; to engage verbally with the young people in order that they can create a new ‘conversation’; one that serves to help them move forward to achieve their goals. My experience proves that by having someone truly listen they are able to develop more constructive relationships with others and themselves.
I set out to create a ‘community’ within youth projects that the participants can identify with and feel they belong to. Through the creation of the safe environment, they can explore the concepts of choice, possibility, responsibility and commitment.
The lessons learnt can be applied to other situations outside of the project.
Change can often be a lonely pursuit, particularly when it is perceived to be so difficult. By working together in a group, change can feel less intimidating and results more rewarding. Not only do the young people support each other in learning new skills, but they are inspired by each other’s successes, driving them to achieve more. These group achievements can also be a catalyst for personal change.
Through an understanding of the ‘conversations’ that they have with themselves and their impact, the young people are able to develop a new self-belief. One that leads to the achievement of what they want from both the project and their lives. As the months go by, there is no doubt that the young people on the project start to change. They show more confidence, and accept greater responsibility for their actions. They are taking the small steps that are necessary to achieve their own goals. For more information on becoming a Youth Coach visit The Coaching Academy website
The Coaching Academy was established in 1999, and is now the world's largest coaching school.
In that time we have trained over 14,000 people to become life coaches.
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