Learning From Kids by Dylan

Learning From Kids by Dylan - September 2024 Scholarship Essay

Mentoring and teaching young children is my favorite non-traditional way to learn outside of school. I am a part of my high school's varsity soccer team and I have recently had the opportunity to help coach a U8 team. After lots of practice and a couple games, I have learned a lot from these 5-7 year olds. Although it may seem weird that they can teach 17 year old me lessons, trust me, they have.
Simple things such as making friends and finding joy in everything is something that kids do really well at. As an introvert who has had the same friends for many years, this is something that would be beneficial for me to learn from them. They make conversations with everyone and have such pure hearts. They don’t care if you're not the greatest soccer player, the smartest student or the most outgoing teammate. No differences are noticed by these children and they treat each other as equals. Learning skills and picking up these habits from children has taught me a lot. Little things such as a smile or a kind gesture, can change someone's day. I keep these behaviors in mind while going through my day, showing respect to everyone and being inclusive to anyone.
The athletes on this team are also really good about trying new things. Every practice they are open to trying new drills or picking new partners. This is something that I am currently trying to learn. Like previously mentioned, I am very introverted. I tend to stay inside my little bubble and keep to myself. This year especially, I really want to try new things. With it being my senior year, I want to get out of my comfort zone and say yes to new things. Recently I had been asked to join both FCA and Positive Peer Advocates, and although none of my friends wanted to join with me, I said yes and showed up to these meetings. I also plan to go to homecoming with a date and also have been trying to expand my amount of friendships.
Kids don’t realize the impact that they have on others. If I wouldn’t have been asked to coach this team, I would’ve never learned the importance of these things. This has become my favorite way to learn. It is both non-traditional and not inside of a classroom. I will continue to learn and pick up knowledge because of young children.