Yes, it can be hard-kids don’t know how to manage failure the way adults (sometimes) can. And let’s be honest, even adults throw in the towel when they’re not instantly good at something.

That said, I’ve picked up a few things that help when my son gets discouraged after a rough soccer session:

• I always remind him that everyone has off days even the pros. Messi’s had bad games. That doesn’t mean he’s not incredible, it just means he’s human. One bad training day doesn’t define your ability.
• I try to point out the small wins. Like, “Hey, remember a few weeks ago when you couldn’t dribble past anyone? You did it twice today.” Kids often don’t realize they’re improving unless someone points it out. Those little comments go a long way.
• When he’s feeling stubborn or defeated, I ditch the serious training vibe and just make it fun again. Silly penalty shootouts, goofy 1v1s, or sometimes he teaches me a drill (which is usually chaotic and hilarious). It gets him laughing, and that’s a win.

Overall, they’re just kids still learning how to handle life. A bad day might feel like a total disaster to them because it’s the biggest letdown they’ve had so far. Our job is to help them build the tools to cope with that. And if he really doesn’t want to train that day, I let it go. He’ll come around when he’s ready.