Play loads of games and make training heaps of fun, inspire their imaginations and help see how well they’re doing. They’ll take those good memories and positive emotions with them through all the age groups if they have heaps of fun when they’re really young:

I would be Batman, because he’s got lots of cool gadgets, an awesome vehicle, and he’s an ordinary guy who is able to be a superhero because he’s so smart dedicated to what he does.

 

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Filling in for my friend’s team when I was about 7, coming on and scoring a couple of goals, including volley where I turned around after scoring and my friend was gaping open-mouthed at me.

 

Jedi, then fireman, then professional footballer

Playing bird games with friends, watching coaching videos, reading about politics or history, writing songs.

Michael Owen, because he scored the winning goal in the first game I ever watched, he scored a lot of goals (like me at that age) and he was the shortest player (like me at that age).

Because you get to muck around and do things you wouldn’t normally get to do one you’re hanging around adults, and because their genuine enthusiasm when you introduce them to a really cool game or sport can be touching. Their energy and passion can be infectious.