Why PROJECT MBAPPE will or will not work for your child.

A THREAD.

For months #projectmbappe was trending on Twitter. Basically the hashtag was used by parents who visualized their children becoming the next sports sensation.

I laughed when I saw the hashtag for good and bad reasons.

GOOD: it’s amazing to visualize, dream and want the best for our children. That’s why we’re parents. We want the best for them.

BAD: Many parents have no idea what it takes. Many also only look at the finished product. They assume it’ll happen for them just because they wish it

I study and coach/mentor athletes for a living. I have a podcast that dedicated to guiding athletes and sports parents.

I see a successful athlete, I study them.

I knew Mbappe from his days at AS Monaco, he first big club in France. Yes he had other small clubs.

A few things to note about Mbappe that people don’t talk about.

- His father was a football coach, so he had direct access to guidance. To learn the game and understand it.

- his mother was a successful handball player. Sports was in their genes.

- his parents were extremely set on giving their children a better life out of Bondy where they lived

- he took music as a child. Research has shown that learning to play an instrument is extremely beneficial to a child

- at the time Mbappe made his debut for Monaco in the French top flight, he had been on a deliberate path for 10 YEARS.

- yes he was and is talented but there’s nothing lucky about his story

- he was obsessed with the game and even opted not to go to school

So, are athletes like this BORN or MADE? A little bit of both.

Research shows that for every one athlete who makes it in a sport, there’s another who had equal or more talent but for some reason didn’t make it.

Yes he had the talent but his parents were deliberate.

So what should you as a parent do?

1. GET MORE INVOLVED. Mbappe’s obsession with football was encourage and guided by his father. His father was over deliberate about his son’s sports journey

2. UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS. Putting your child in an academy in Europe is more the norm

(not 100% though), the same doesn’t necessarily apply in Africa. What’s the best way to approach your dream for your child from your point of view? What does that process look like?

Mbappe father was always taking him to trials and giving him exposure.

3. YOU HAVE TO NURTURE THEIR TALENT. A talent that was born but not nurtured will not go far in sports (Freddy Adu anyone?). Nurturing talent involves more than the physical aspect of the game.

It’s much more. Your child won’t become a pro athlete just like that.

So when you think #projectmbappe ask yourself, are you really ready for the project? Are you ready to commit to it?

This is where I come in, to not only mentor your child but to help you help them.

Cheers to your Project Mbappe. Please don’t forget to share and retweet.