Last night’s presentation (see previous post) to a junior football team went very well.
Twenty 15-19 year olds attended and they were not sure what was going to happen. Their coach said it would be special and to ‘watch out for the Sabre’.
I was a little apprehensive about the reception I would receive as it was my first presentation in a football environment. And Tai Chi can appear weird and silly in a macho culture.
But my concerns evaporated quickly as the boys got right into the spirit of what was offered by having a go to a very different approach to achieving their best.
Over the years, working with teenagers, regardless of the environment, I find the same themes keep coming up.
If you want to engage them in an activity you need to;
- make it fun
- challenge them
- talk their language
- make it relevant
- keep things moving
- encourage and praise them often
I finished the presentation with some weapons demonstrations to reinforce the difference between Yin and Yang energy. I did a short sword form, staff form and fans. They enjoyed the snapping fans demonstration.
It’s great fun working with teenagers.
And maybe why I enjoy it so much is because ‘I’m just a big kid too’.
