How to Train Your Dragon: I Mean… Your Teenager

Rule #3: The Coach Must Know How to Use Leverage

Setting a goal is easy; staying committed to it is the hard part. When people first set a goal, their energy is high. They feel excited and are willing to do anything to achieve it. However, after a few weeks, when push comes to shove, most people would rather choose an easier goal rather than going through hell to achieve the original one.

That’s why using the goal as leverage—in the right way—becomes critical. Especially with teenagers. Because when motivation fades, discipline must take over. And that’s where effective coaching plays a crucial role.

A Simple Strategy I Used

Assuming the first two rules are in place, I will give you an example of a strategy I once used to keep a teenage athlete engaged.

I had a 14-year-old baseball player warming up before his training session. For privacy reasons, let’s call him Tony. While he was running, I asked him a question.

“Tony, who does your laundry?” We all know how a teenage baseball player thinks of himself. I’m the man. I’m the next big thing. No one knows what they’re doing—especially my parents. And that’s exactly the hook. His parents.

He looked at me, slightly embarrassed, and said: “My mom.”
So, I asked him: “Does your mom wash your underwear as well?
“Yes,” he said, a little more hesitantly.

I followed up immediately.
“How is that any different from when she used to change your diaper?

You can imagine how he felt at that moment. Then I told him:
“From now on, you need to do your own laundry. You wash your own underwear because that’s one of the first steps toward becoming a man. It’s time to cut the umbilical cord.”

And while you’re at it:
Make your bed in the morning.
Wash your own dishes.
Maybe even wash someone else’s as well.

Because before you can dream of becoming a professional baseball player, you must first become a professional human being. You’ll know you’re on the right track when the people who see you the most—your parents—begin to look at you differently. One day, they will stop, turn their heads, and think:
“Who is this guy?”

And that’s usually the first sign that a new version of you is beginning to emerge. Your parents—the people who see you the most—will be the first to notice the new person appearing. The more often they turn their heads and say, “Who’s this guy?” the better.

At the end of the day, training a teenager isn’t really about push-ups, batting averages, or grades. It’s about helping them develop habits and character that will support them throughout their lives.

Because real training isn’t just about building stronger athletes.

It’s about building stronger human beings. And when that happens, the results tend to show up everywhere else as well.

If you’re a parent trying to help your teenager become stronger, more disciplined, and more confident, remember this: transformation rarely happens by accident. It happens when the right environment, the right expectations, and the right coaching come together.

At Results Fitness Center, we have been helping people build stronger bodies and stronger character for nearly 30 years.

If you believe your teenager could benefit from structure, discipline, and a bit of accountability, come see us. Sometimes, all it takes is the right place and the right people to begin transforming a boy into a man.