Persistence Cultivated by Frustration: Beyond the 233 Juggles We Witnessed Together
Hello, I am papa_life_lab, a father of three working as a freelancer.
I received a lot of empathy and feedback on my previous post, 'Growth Seen Beyond Tears of Frustration.' Actually, the trigger for this juggling practice was the 'tears of frustration' shed at a soccer tournament during Golden Week.
The sight of my eldest son collapsing in tears as the final whistle blew. The feeling of 'I really wanted to win' became the engine for his persistence—I received a lot of empathy for that previous article, which chronicled the starting point of his growth👇
Since then, my son's efforts have continued, and the other day—his juggling record reached '233'! (As of May 25, 2025)
His goal was 100, but he easily surpassed that and went over 200. As a parent, it has been a continuous series of surprises and emotions. But at the same time, the thought, 'What can I do for him from here on out?' has been gradually welling up.
What can a parent do for a child who is doing something with all their heart?
Watching my son practice almost every day and repeat challenges without giving up even when he fails, I am forced to think, 'Am I working as hard as this...?'
What I can do as a parent is:
To provide a safe environment
To support his health and physical development
To be there for him emotionally and offer words of encouragement
And one more thing I have been feeling strongly lately is,
👉 'Supporting the quality of his efforts with the right tools'
is a perspective to have.
Recently, 'ladder training' has become a family habit
Actually, when I recently taught my son the 'ladder training' I used to do in the basketball club during my student days... my eldest daughter and second son got hooked, and now it has become a morning routine for the whole family!
To make matters worse, my wife poked me, saying, 'Haven't you gained a little weight lately?' Bitter smile. Since then, I have also started working on it seriously with them (lol).
What are the effects of ladder training?
🏃♂️ [Agility UP]... You can practice moving your feet quickly, which is great for all sports like soccer, basketball, and baseball.
🤸♂️ [Improved sense of balance]... You can naturally strengthen your core through single-leg jumps and hopping.
🧠 [Improves Judgment and Concentration]... The key is using your head and body at the same time, asking, 'What was this step again?'
🔥 [High Fat-Burning Effect]... High intensity in a short time. It works wonders for adults lacking exercise, too!
As the saying goes, 'What one likes, one does well,' I realized that having mechanisms to keep things fun makes exercise habits form naturally.
When the tools change, the focus during practice changes too.
As I have introduced before, the following items have been truly helpful in our home. For those who want to 'support their hardworking children with the right tools,' I recommend these from the bottom of my heart👇
🔁 Practice alone!
[Juggling Practice Ball with Elastic Cord]
→ The ball won't fly away, so it's safe for the neighborhood. You can practice repeatedly, and your form will stabilize.
👟 Change your footing, change your movement.
→ When foot fatigue decreases, their mood after practice is completely different (lol)! It's great that it's hard to have issues even when exercise volume increases.
[Junior Cleats (Mizuno/Adidas)]
→ A pair essential for boosting motivation. Having a special pair for 'match day' helps tighten their focus.
🪜 Fun training for step power and agility!
[Junior Agility Ladder Training Set]
→ Portable and usable anywhere, indoors or outdoors! The point is that you can do it while playing as a parent and child.
📺 Learn together as parent and child.
[Soccer Improvement Course You Can Do at Home]
→ The advice and improvement points from professional coaches are very helpful. It's also great for parents to learn the trick of 'not teaching too much.'
A child's growth also nurtures a parent's 'perspective'.
While the increase in the number of juggles is just a result, being able to witness the flow of 'motivation → ingenuity → persistence → achievement' up close is the greatest treasure of all.
Honestly, every day I find myself feeling more impatient or inspired than he is.
But perhaps that is also the 'joy of experiencing growth together' as a parent.
📣 To those who resonated with this article: If you have similar experiences or worries, please let me know in the comments. Your 'likes' and follows are also a great source of encouragement!
I share my daily life of parenting, side hustles, and AI utilization on Instagram📷 ▶ @papa_life_lab
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