Put Me In Coach

Chloe woke that Monday with a mixture of excitement and anxiety because she was not quite sure what the day would hold. As she rose from bed, she let out a heavy sigh as she peered at the nicely pressed jeans and white t-shirt with matching white tennis shoes that she laid out the night before - the perfect outfit for the first day of 6th grade. She dressed and glanced in the mirror one last time before she made the mad dash to walk to school with her then best friend Katie. Little did she know her entire life was going to take a drastic change.

Chloe never really felt like she fit in, when she compared herself to the other girls her age she thought she wasn’t as pretty because of darker complexion, her kinky hair and skinny frame. She was not as fashionable or as popular as the other girls and Katie had become her safe haven. Chloe had a rough summer, puberty hit and she developed quicker than the girls in the neighborhood. So much so that she was nicknamed “Titty City”!

As Chloe walked into her first class, she recognized a group of kids from the

neighborhood and she quickly walked by with her head held down. One of the boys yelled “Hey look its Titty-City!” Chloe ran out the room to the bathroom stall horrified. This was the beginning of Chloe developing years of low self esteem.

Can you relate to Chloe? For the past few years, I have told this story as if Chloe was a fictitious person when in reality Chloe was ME! But, I know that I am not alone. Chloe represents more than half of the young girls trying to discover where she fits in this world of social media, video vixens, popular girls, etc. If I had the opportunity to go back and speak to my younger self I would tell her simply “YOU ARE ENOUGH JUST BY BEING YOU! HANG IN THERE IT GETS BETTER”!

This very childhood memory is why I decided to start Empower Youth Life Coaching LLC. Do I have years of experience with youth? Yes, I have over 28+ years of experience from being a mom of three, working in youth ministry and founding a non-profit for young

girls ages 13-18. Do I have the education? Yes, I do I hold several degrees to include my certification in Life coaching. But, that’s not why I encourage you to have your youth “COME SIT WITH ME”. I invite your youth to come sit with me because I remember how that awkwardness feels, so much so that even to this day I cringe when I tell the story and have to share that treaded nickname. However, I know that through my transparency and passion to see youth be all they can be I keep telling that story so they understand they are not alone.

Please join my Facebook group “Empowered Parents Raising Confident Daughters" and follow me on all social media platforms @Coach Crystal D.

Now let me work with you to get your youth off the bench and in the game and equip them with tools to ensure they succeed in this game called LIFE!

Let’s go!

Crystal D. Life

Youth Empowerment Coach, founder of It’s A Girl Thing, Inc., a published author, Motivational Speaker and Youth Advocate