Ep 113: What Top Athletes Can Teach Us About Teen Success

Jeremy Bhandari, author of Trust the Grind, interviewed the
world’s most elite athletes to figure out what young people can
do to be just as successful in their own pursuits.


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Full show notes


You know your teen is capable of more than binging Netflix, but
helping teens sort out their own goals and motivate them to take
action is hard work! Kids these days encounter distractions at
every turn, and are constantly bombarded with images and videos
of others who are better dancers, athletes, make-up artists,
singers, comedians, (etc!) than your teen. Teens might feel like
it’s no use even trying to catch up with the top talent today.


Although it may seem impossible to empower a teen that just
doesn’t want to try, today, we're speaking with a guest who’s
interviewed top athletes to deduce what teens can do to achieve
personal success--and what parents can do to help.


I’m sitting down with Jeremy Bhandari, author of Trust the Grind:
How World-Class Athletes Got to the Top. As a lifelong sports
fanatic, Jeremy decided to talk to some of his favorite athletes
to uncover their secrets to success, work ethic, and most
importantly, happiness. He learned some seriously powerful
lessons about how young people can thrive in any avenue they
choose to pursue--and he’s here to share those lessons with you.


In our insightful interview, Jeremy and I talk about how some of
sports’ biggest stars achieved their wildest dreams. He explains
how your teen can do anything they dream of, so long as they
receive encouragement, remain in the right headspace, and are
constantly challenged to reach their full potential.


Cheer For Your Kid Until They Reach the Finish
Line


As a parent, you want to see your child successful and
happy….which is why you might not always support their
off-the-wall ambitions. It can be difficult to get behind your
kid’s lofty goals of winning an Oscar or becoming the next
president of the United States when you know they might face some
disappointment when they fall short.


The truth is, you’re not alone there. Even the parents of world
famous athletes have been known to be doubtful of their kid’s
dreams. Jeremy and I discuss his interview with Gary Player, one
of the world’s most successful golfers, and how parental
disapproval almost derailed a legendary career. Gary struggled to
get his father’s support when he decided to play golf around the
world instead of going to college. Without his father’s help,
Gary struggled financially, unable to buy golf clubs to pursue
his true passion.


However, Gary’s dad eventually came around, even deciding to take
out a loan himself to finance Gary’s new clubs. To this day, Gary
cites his father’s support as a major reason for his success.
Without his parents behind him, Gary may very well have failed to
become the brilliant golfer he was destined to become. Jeremy
says one of things he found to be consistent among many of the
athletes he interviewed was how much they benefited from having
supportive parents or adults to cheer them on in their youth.


As Jeremy and I talk further on this idea, he emphasizes how
empowering kids to believe in themselves can be essential to
their success as an adult. Whether your teen strives to run Wall
Street or sell out Madison Square Garden, they’re not likely to
get too far without some support from you.


In the episode, we dive deeper into the idea of encouragement,
and how we can use positive reinforcement to help kids understand
how hard work pays off. When it comes to helping your kid get
their mind in the right spot, Jeremy has some further advice to
bring out the high achiever hiding inside.


Challenging Kids To Be Their Best


Beyond just providing positive reinforcement, Jeremy discusses
the importance of challenging your kids to go above and beyond
what they believe themselves to be capable of. While praising
them can have amazing results, it can also be powerful to remind
them that they can always improve, and continue to strive for
further greatness.


Jeremy shares a story from his interview with Andruw Jones, a
talented athlete who played major league baseball for 17 seasons.
Jones grew up with a father who was constantly challenging him,
asking him how many push ups he could do, how high he could jump,
or how deep he could dive into the ocean. Jones told Jeremy that
constantly being challenged taught him that there was always room
to grow, and molded him into someone who continues to shoot for
the moon.


Frequently encouraging kids to go above and beyond helps meld
their meld to reflect an attitude of perseverance. Athletes work
out their muscles to become stronger, faster, and more efficient,
but Jeremy talks about how exercising one’s mind is just as
important. If you’re constantly pushing your teen to believe they
are capable of greatness, you can help them become the super star
they were always meant to be.


In the episode, Jeremy and I expand on this idea, chatting about
how we should encourage teens to associate with friends and
teammates who push them to always be improving. We also get into
a deeper discussion on how important a teen’s mental landscape is
to their ambition and productivity.


Why the Mindset Matters


Almost everyone Jeremy interviewed for his book had something to
say about the importance one’s mentality plays in achieving
greatness. Whether it’s knowing how to handle anxiety in
stressful situations or grappling with discouragement in the
aftermath of failure, Jeremy says one’s mindset is the key to
staying afloat when the going gets tough.


When your teen is in a tough spot, and thinks that they aren’t
capable of passing a math test or winning the talent show, Jeremy
suggests reminding them that nothing good comes easy. It’s
totally normal to struggle, get knocked down, and come up short.
What matters is that teens keep trying. Everyone from Elon Musk
to Albert Einstein faced failure before changing the world. No
one gets it right all the time, especially when they’re just
starting out.


Jeremy also touches on how easy it is for teenagers to blow
situations out of proportion and make mountains out of molehills.
Even though they may think that failing their driving test is the
end of the world, it can do wonders to simply remind them to stay
calm and try again in a few months. By helping them maintain a
positive attitude of perseverance, you can keep them on the track
to success.


Unfortunately, teens these days are also often sucked into a
dangerous mental habit: comparing themselves to others on social
media. There’s millions of people online for teens to compare
themselves with at any moment, often causing them to feel
inferior or incapable. In the episode, Jeremy and I discuss how
we can help teens avoid falling into this harmful trap, and
instead empower them to wake up everyday and love themselves.


In the Episode...


Jeremy and I chat about his interviews with a variety of
different athletes from a diverse range of disciplines, each one
with a unique perspective on life. In addition to the ideas
mentioned above, we cover:


Why it’s essential for teens to define their goals

How eating healthy and exercising can truly change your
teen’s life...