Everyday I see my kids grow, as well as their friends grow, and I think to myself, what will these kids become when they grow up? Will they become fire fighters, policeman, be in the military, teachers, it really doesn't matter as long as they believe in themselves!
But, what makes these kids believe in themselves? I have coached baseball and softball for the past 5 years now and have worked with kids through Junior Achievement and the Big Brothers / Big Sisters program, and most recently connected up with the Cinderella Program.
I've seen many kids come through these programs without a smile on their face and they don't believe in themselves. Was is it something another child told them? Was it a comment from a parent having a bad day or a teacher that told them they were no good? (I had that happen to me in 3rd grade and it changed me.)
I want these kids to be leaders no matter what profession they choose to do in life. I want them to succeed, they are our future. Most of the kids I work with coaching come from great families, but for some reason they just don't believe in themselves. My goal in those 6 short weeks is to get them to smile and show them they are special and they can succeed in anything they want to do.
Unfortunately with programs like Big Brothers / Big Sisters and the Cinderella program these kids aren't so lucky and usually come from a background of a single parent household which had an abusive parent and now they are looking for a role model. These kids are a little more difficult because the only thing they know of adults is they can't be trusted and a lot of the time you are spending time earning their trust before you can build their self confidence.
Today I ask you, if you see a child trying to do anything, don't discourage them. Nurture them and help them reach their goals and build their self confidence. There is nothing a child can't do in this world if they put their mind to it. But, they do need some help sometimes.
Some of our greatest leaders came from backgrounds that were less than desirable in most people's standards, but if you ask every one of them, there was that one person that encouraged them to do great things, and they did! Can you be that person in a child's life?
Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739
Todd Clark and the Friendly Home Team
Knipe Realty
Todd@IFoundYourNewHome.com
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)746-9573
I am a licensed Realtor who specializes in Washington County, Oregon and also work in both Clackamas and Multnomah Counties including the cities of Aloha, Beaverton, Canby, Clackamas, Gladstone, Gresham, Happy Valley, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Sherwood and Tigard. All information contained in these posts are copyrighted and cannot be used without prior written approval authorization from the author me Todd Clark. If you are looking for an outstanding agent please give me a call I would love to help you with all your real estate needs.
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Touching post that strikes a nerve in me. My sister had a teacher that crucified her for asking a "dumb" question, and it destroyed her ability in school. That was in the 2nd grade. We brought that teacher before the school board. My Dad,always gave me reasons why I could not do things or succeed at things when I showed an interest in those things. It took me many years to gain the confidence I needed to succeed. Many adults for whatever reason do not realize the implications and the impact they have on children with their words.
My kids leaders, now thats a scary thought. Ok so baseball will be a job and talking on ths phone will be all that needs to be done. LOL
Best wishes on reaching those kids. I know even my 10-year old gets "instantly" discouraged at times and very sad, sometimes for no apparent reason. Many of us can accept depression even when it is not warranted. It is a bad habit we all can get into. Chosing to be happy canbe more work. Again, best to you and to these kids. I appreciate what you are doing. even 3000 miles away.
It only takes one person to make the difference in the life of a child...my upbringing was the epitome of disfunctional....dad in jail, mom in the bars & tried to commit suicide, oldest sister passed away when I was 14, brother committed suicide when I was 19, 2 developmentally disabled brothers and a sister whose life is just wrecked! And then there's me; married almost 20 years with 8 wonderful, stable children. My life shouldn't have been any different than that of the rest of my family but I always had someone speaking into me, helping me to believe...and I did.
Good for you in encouraging those young kids. I know (because we have so many in sports and my husband coaches as well) that for so many it's all about the win. I've heard so many coaches yell and humiliate kids in front of other coaches, kids, parents, etc and it breaks my heart. We're the moms and dads of the world training future moms and dads (and leaders) we need to make sure we're doing it the right way!
Our kids are our future and I am so happy to see this post!
Todd - you are making a difference in these kids' life - something that you or they may not even see right away. I can really only remember one teacher of mine who was especially encouraging to me, but I will never forget her, her challenge to me, and her obvious pride in me when I reached up. She made me feel special and that I was worth it.
What a beauitful reminder. Thanks
Todd, always enjoy your statistics and the beautiful presentation. Thank you for sharing and hope all is well up in Beaverton.