My First Junior Class, Building Confidence Through Play and Progression
- Alina Limbu
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
From Being a Nervous Student to a Patient Coach
Starting the journey
I remember when I was eleven years old, looking up at the building where my taekwondo classes were going to be held, nervous, thinking, “Oh my, I'm going to get beaten up today”, “Why is my dad dragging me into this?” It's safe to say I've come a long way from being that nervous kid, now coaching a sport mostly recognised as an upper-body sport. If it wasn’t for me taking that step (pun very much intended) to go to my first class, I may not have found the love for coaching. A few weeks ago, I led my first junior class at DailyCali with a group of eight kids, teaching them the basic progression of push-ups, pull-ups, and L-sit.
I’m pretty sure some of the kids felt nervous when they attended their first class, just as I did when I delivered mine. As a coach, it’s normal to feel that way no matter how much experience you have, because you set a high standard for how the class should be led. Sometimes things won’t go according to plan, and it’s important to stay on top of the game. My top priority when teaching children is to make them feel comfortable, help them make new friends, and challenge themselves during the session.
I designed the class starting with an icebreaker game, followed by a warm-up (“shoulder taps”), then pull-ups, push-ups, and the L-sit. I closed it off with a game of tic-tac-toe that incorporated the skills we learned. Starting and ending the session with games helps lift their mood while imparting knowledge in between.
When I make a lesson plan, I like to structure it similarly to the taekwondo classes I attended. Warming up with static movements can get boring, and I’ve realised it’s hard to switch your brain into “training mode” after a long day of work, especially for adults. Switching modes helps lower cortisol levels, reduces mental fatigue, and improves coordination and physical strength. “Shoulder taps” are a great example of this. It’s a competitive game where two partners try to tap each other’s shoulders and knees while keeping count. It sharpens cognitive abilities by improving focus and decision-making speed.
Patience and Inclusion
When I first started coaching a few months ago, I used to measure success by structure: “Did I complete all the drills I planned today?” “Did I finish my class on time?” Nowadays, I measure success by my students’ feedback during our debrief at the end of class.
What makes me happiest is seeing shy kids slowly open up and try the drills. Personally, I believe in patient coaching. What does that mean? I’ll never force a student to try an exercise if they’re not comfortable yet. I’ll encourage them with a pep talk and motivation, but the rest is up to them. Having been on the other side as a student, I know a coach can make or break you. The right coach can unlock potential you didn’t know you had, while the wrong one can instil fear.
Another responsibility is making the training space inclusive by adjusting drills to each child’s level. This shows respect and builds trust.
I understand these kids because training together means trying and failing in front of others, or building yourself up while being seen for the first time. That can feel strange if they’ve never experienced genuine praise. But it comes down to perception: instead of seeing it as nerve-wracking, training together means improving in front of others, which builds confidence. As they grow stronger physically, they also build a close-knit community. I love seeing my students cheer for each other during games and exchange socials at the end of class.
Coaching has deepened my own understanding of Calisthenics and smart coaching. Form and starting points are crucial before progressing to advanced exercises, to prevent injuries. That means strengthening the basics before moving on to pull-up drills.
Coaching kids is harder than coaching adults because they get distracted easily and forget drill setups. Patience here is more than a skill, it’s active empathy. It’s understanding their frustration when they can’t succeed right away. Patience becomes encouragement with every small step forward. To keep them engaged, I design drills that require partnering up, which improves attention span and teamwork.
Community & Self-improvement
“A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you always knew you could be.”
— Tom Landry
As a coach starting out, I want to live by this quote. To me, it means being a guiding vision: prioritising who I see my students as, and who they can become. Achieving that vision requires demanding growth, holding them to high standards, and giving them the feedback they deserve.
As an athlete and student, I used to avoid my blind spots by sticking to my strengths (don’t get me wrong, it’s a great technique). But I hit a plateau by repeating the same routines. Praise and knowing your strengths are valuable, but critique builds skill and helps you excel if you're ready to hear it. My own coach once told me: “Alina, you’ve got these great tools, but you’re lacking in these aspects…”
Hard truths matter if you want to see change.
So the question is: Are you willing to hear the hard truths too?
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