Developing Young Leaders: Stacking Momentum
September 16, 2024
Developing Young Leaders: Stacking Momentum
Stacking Momentum: How to double down on action to tackle bigger things
Over the past two weeks in our Developing Youth Leaders lessons, we focused on building a bias to action and creating momentum. We then moved on to how to stack momentum and tackle bigger challenges.
We began by asking the kids what tasks they needed to be told to do and which tasks they took on independently. We discovered that the kids were more willing to take on tasks like practicing their sports but struggled with things like schoolwork. One surprising response was practicing the violin.
Through this lesson, we helped the kids identify areas where they were hesitant to take action and explored why. Building on last week's lesson, "Believing You Can Learn," we found that in areas where the kids were less confident or didn’t enjoy the activity as much, they were more hesitant to take action. While this isn’t surprising, making them aware of it helps them recognize where they might be stopping or slowing down, allowing them to tackle more challenging tasks.
Leaning into Weakness
We connected this to one of their workouts by allowing them to choose from 4 upper body movements and 4 lower-body movements. After picking their workouts, we discussed why they selected certain movements. All of them picked the movements they were stronger in, instead of leaning into weakness and improving. This approach helped them see how their decision-making could lead to hesitation and how leaning into their strengths can be a natural tendency.
In the following week, we repeated the exercise, letting the kids design their own workouts. This time, we noticed that some kids chose different exercises that they knew they would struggle with. This exercise also provided an opportunity for them to receive more coaching and learn new movements.
We then moved to the next week's lesson on "Stacking Momentum and Diving into Harder Challenges." We discussed the importance of maintaining momentum and pushing harder even after achieving a milestone. It’s a common tendency to want to take a break or celebrate after a significant accomplishment, but that’s precisely when it’s crucial to keep pushing forward. We explored how this applies in their lives and identified examples from sports where they felt confident and took on harder challenges.
Our goal is to help them recognize that leaning into their strengths is natural, but it’s through tackling weaknesses and pushing past comfort zones that real growth happens. We’re proud of the progress they’re making and excited to see how they apply these lessons beyond the gym—in school, hobbies, and everyday life.
Previous Blogs
Greg is an amazing part of our community — consistent, encouraging, and ready to get after it. He truly represents what the PTS community is all about. Prototype of the Month is well deserved! Below, he answers a few questions about his time at PTS. Share your experience at Prototype—favorite memories, moments, or stories or what’s your favorite part/what do you look forward to? I definitely look forward to that feeling of clarity after finishing up a workout. I feel ready to tackle the rest of the day. Sometimes I have trouble getting mentally ready for a tough looking metcon, but I always feel better afterwards. Who at Prototype has made the biggest impact on you and why? All the coaches and members are great, I look forward to seeing everyone when I am there, but the person who has made the biggest impact is Bridget Owens. She is my motivation and always pushes me to keep going and push myself to get better. What are your hobbies and activities outside the gym? I love cycling and mountain biking, the workouts at prototype have definitely helped improve my fitness so that I can do better on the bike even though I don’t get out as often as I would like. Also spending time with my family, grilling and BBQing when the weather is nice and getting to the beach in the summer. How has Prototype helped you or solved a problem for you? Prototype has helped enormously with my level of anxiety, I was really struggling when we first moved into town, the community and workouts at Prototype have been a life saver for my mental health. What are your current fitness goals? I want to get better at gymnastics, maybe get some toes to the bar. Favorite Quote Two Quotes: “Bone on bone, stack it” -Jon “Activate the lower half” -Brian
Prototype Training Systems at Westborough High School Winter Sports Meeting
Devon is a fantastic part of our community — always kind, coachable, easy-going, and consistently putting in the work. She shows up, supports others, and truly represents what PTS is all about. Prototype of the Month is well deserved! Below, she answers a few questions about her time at PTS. 1.) Share your experience at Prototype After what felt like an entire year of sitting during grad school, I knew I wanted to be more active. I came back to Prototype, and it was the best decision. I’ve made so many new friends here who make every class fun (no matter how tough the workout is) but my favorite moment has to be meeting my boyfriend Ed! 2.) What is your favorite part about being at Prototype? I used to do at-home workouts and always felt like something was missing. When I came to Prototype, it felt like I finally found that missing piece, the community! It truly makes a huge impact. Everyone here genuinely wants the best for you. 3.) What are your hobbies and activities? If I’m outside, I love playing pickleball, skiing, and going for walks. And if I'm inside I enjoy crocheting, reading, or baking! 4.) How has Prototype helped you or solved a problem for you? Prototype has shown me that if you put your mind to something, you can truly do hard things. I also know I will always feel better after going to the gym. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting in the car, but I never regret it once I’m there. 5.) What are you continuing fitness goals to this point? To get some form of movement everyday and to one day get a pull up. 6.) Favorite Quote “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, dreams are forever.” -Walt Disney
Climb to New Heights
Prototype Training Systems is more than a gym - it is a lifestyle. Join us today!
