First Home Run Story: Youth Sports, Goal Setting, and Hard Work
A cold, wet game. A 2–0 count. And a first home run over the fence. A simple story about youth sports, goal setting, and how hard work pays off for kids.
They’re Watching What You Do, Not What You Say
Parenting by Example: Teaching Kids Consistency Through Action
After dinner, I’ve been picking up the guitar for about 20 minutes a night.
Nothing special.
Same chair. Same chords. Same struggle.
And if I’m being honest, most nights it’s not that fun.
I’m a true beginner.
Fingers don’t go where they’re supposed to.
Everything sounds a little off.
Progress is slow.
It’s a slog.
But I keep doing it.
Not because I feel motivated.
Because I said this matters.
This whole process actually started when I decided to try something new later in life, which I wrote about in learning classical guitar at 48.
I’ve told my kids for years:
You get out what you put in.
Keep working.
Slow and steady wins.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
All true.
But none of that really sticks if they don’t see it.
How Kids Learn Habits: They Watch What You Do
Something interesting started happening.
My daughter began playing the piano more.
Not because I reminded her.
Because she saw me sitting there, doing the reps.
My son is watching too.
Maybe not saying much. But he sees it.
And honestly, it reminds me of something else I’ve learned as a parent—that space matters too. When kids aren’t constantly entertained, they figure things out on their own, which I wrote about in the benefits of letting kids be bored.
Teaching Consistency to Kids Without Saying a Word
That’s when it hit me.
This is how kids actually learn.
Not from speeches.
From patterns.
From seeing someone they trust show up… even when it’s boring.
Most of what leads to success isn’t exciting.
It’s not big breakthroughs.
It’s sitting down when you don’t feel like it.
Doing the work anyway.
Letting improvement happen slowly.
Or as I’ve said before, it’s really about discipline over motivation and showing up anyway.
The Real Lesson: Show Your Kids What Effort Looks Like
I may never be a great guitar player.
That’s not really the point.
The point is they get to see what it looks like to be bad at something… and keep going.
To choose consistency over comfort.
To work on something that matters, even when it’s a slog.
Because the truth is:
They won’t remember what I said about consistency.
But they’ll remember me sitting there…
playing guitar…
night after night.
“Know what’s enough. Build what matters.”
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