We need to back off and stop squashing kids potential. And it’s not just their potential to be successful, but their potential just to experience their own journey.

If we think we know best, and we’re the experts, we better know what the kids NEEDS are and be upholding their RIGHTS.

Now let’s stop. Deep breath. First, let’s take the PRESSURE off ourselves. Can we let go of striving for success through winning, performing and improving and just focus on the kids?

The pressure we’re putting on ourselves to be ‘best parent’, ‘best coach’, ‘best teacher’ is drawing us away from what matters:

‘It’s not about the coach and their coaching; It’s about the learner and their learning.’ - Brad Porter

So let’s come back to the child’s RIGHTS and NEEDS.

It’s here that we stop with all the pressure and embrace the journey. A journey of another human being. Even as parents and expert coaches or professionals and educators, each individual is their own person on their own journey.

And support them we must; Protect them we will; Provide for them we do.

But we also seek opportunities for AUTONOMY: to have ownership over their lives, be given the greatest gift of all - choice and making decisions for themselves.

We recognise the need for each child to express COMPETENCY: to explore their own capacities and abilities that grows a sense of confidence and self-worth.

And the freedom to be independent as well as experience connection and interdependence with others fulfilling the need for RELATEDNESS.

They have a right to ENJOY, PLAY and EXPRESS themselves and not conform to adult values.

SO WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT PROVIDES MORE FOR THE NEEDS AND RIGHTS OF THE CHILD?

It’s in the streets, playgrounds and backyards that there are no adults interfering. It’s when a group of kids come together that there’s autonomy, competency and relatedness in every dynamic.

So are we meant to just let kids run rampant in the neighbourhoods again, forbid technology and shut down the institutions?

If only we could turn back time, but we can’t. We must move forward and evolve with the times.

This means we need a new way to provide the benefits of the ‘street’ experience whilst:

• Keeping them safe yet encouraging exploration and risk taking.
• Providing a dynamic, engaging environment so that even technology comes a distant second
• Empower their collective intelligence, and not be instructed:

Paddy Upton using the wisdom of the crowd philosophy in his coaching. Player centred coaching at its most powerful. pic.twitter.com/BhpWTVHd8H

— Coach Logic (@coachlogic) March 25, 2017

This is where GAME PLAY LEARN comes to the for as an evolving, child-centred approach to engage and empower young people through a GAME SETTING: