A recent IG post passed my feed. The speaker said one of the greatest tragedies we've (society) allowed is the end of recreational sports. I first learned of this mentoring a young teen named Alex. He'd quit baseball, which he enjoyed playing. When pressed, he confessed that even at his age, instead of being something fun, it felt like they were prepping for the Major Leagues. (And this was nearly a decade ago!)

Adults–and this is hard!–must decide whether to keep pressing their kids to finish what they started, participate in something their kids are not too keen on, knowing it'll be good for them, or let their teen boys have more autonomy in their decisions. It's a delicate balance. 

Hopefully, as you've worked through helping your young man develop a "Best Moments" list, you have a clearer picture of what they love. You're seeing if they value opportunities to win over experiences. Or the experience is more important than the stuff that eventually fades. 

While this book is written for your teen, the truth is, there's wisdom for us, too. As a parent, coach, teacher, mentor, or whatever your title is as an adult who influences a teen boy's life, the greatest connection occurs when we lean into their values. If you value winning, but they value experience, again, if your goal is connection, lean into experiences and trust that it's going to be okay even if they don't "win" in the category you've determined to be most important.

Just as your teen received some relief from these chapters, hopefully, you have, too. Their interests are going to change and flip-flop. Their friendships are going to be fluid. And even if they seem inconsistent now, remember, this is normal. Seriously, I've been in the mentoring realm for almost 15 years, and this group of boys are some of the most adventurous, passionate, and creative (and strong-willed, lol) young people I've been fortunate to serve. That starts at home. Kudos to you!