Preparing Kids to Fail

Every week, we're talking how to build legendary kids.

Hi there, 

I love my kids’ teachers, but the most effective teaching moments so far this spring are coming from…the NBA playoffs.

Take this week. Joel Embiid won the MVP, and gave us a masterclass in confidence. When he started playing basketball in Cameroon (at 15!), he knew he had almost no shot of getting where he is today. However, he worked hard anyway because, as he put it, “improbable doesn’t mean impossible.”

@libertylinephl

"Improbable Doesn't Mean Impossible." Joel Embiid talked about his journey from Cameroon to the NBA in his MVP Press Conference. #JoelEmbi... See more

Last week, our family’s favorite player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, gave an impassioned, impromptu lesson on why he didn’t equate losing with failure.

The challenge is that in today’s culture of excellence— particularly surrounded by “selective perfection” on social media—we can feel more pressure than ever to be perfect. This requires us to retrain our thinking more urgently than ever.

No one likes to be wrong… but failure is often the first step on the road to success.

Or as Kobe said, “Failure doesn't exist… because your story continues.”

@kobehighlight

Kobe Bryant on failure. “It doesn’t exist. The story continues” #failuredoesntexist #kobebryantquotes #giannisantetokounmpo34

These athletes deal with failure by expanding beyond the narrow context of the game, to their careers—and their lives. That’s a difficult mindset to adopt, but it’s incredibly valuable.

READ MY FULL THOUGHTS HERE →

Navigating failure is one of the most valuable skills we can teach our kids and that’s why it will be a core part of our program.

If your family is interested in joining mine in testing our training program, email me directly at [email protected] to join our waitlist.

While we won’t always get it right, Kobe, Joel, and Giannis reminded us that the legend continues- and we’re excited to put the work in to succeed.

See you next week,

• Even more Kobe—on confidence coming from being prepared

• A high school in LA throws ice-cream parties for college rejections, with students pledging they won’t be defined by the college they attend

• Matt Damon asking to be judged by his good ideas, not his bad

• “Sad Dads” aka The National’s new album is out

• LearnLingo, an AI conversational tool that teaches language through real-life conversations

Actionable Advice from our Head of Program & Development

This week, Amber—one of our Legends Insider moms—shared a successful pep talk she gave her 7-year-old daughter who was afraid of attempting a tricky move in gymnastics. Fish breaks down the three reasons it worked and how you can help your kid attempt to try things, even when they’re scared.

1. Acknowledge the risks.

2. Propose a gradual plan, with supports.

3. Describe what you believe is possible.

READ ON →

Research TLDRs from our Director of Research & Evaluation

Dr. B breaks down the flawed 10,000 hours-to-mastery study and talks about how we can prepare our kids for failure, by modeling it ourselves.

READ ON →

A word from our Executive Director of Legends Lab Foundation

Dean Sue was there for a legendary moment in sports history—Duke’s 1992 game-winning pass-and-shot against Kentucky. When the shot went up, she held her breath like the rest of the stadium, but maybe not as tightly as everyone else—because she knew these players and she knew they were prepared.

READ ON →