Fatherhood Field Notes Ep. 560: Seth Garten - Go for the Ride! Supporting Your Kid to be State Wrestling Champion
A state championship was his daughter's dream and massive victory. For Seth Garten, learning as a dad-coach when to speak, when to stay silent, and how to guide his child through failure were some of his own personal wins in the process. This episode is a masterclass in timing, trust, and raising faithful, resilient kids who know who they are in Christ.
This episode highlights a critical leadership principle for fathers and coaches: proper timing matters more than instruction. Seth shares how emotional awareness, delayed feedback, and trust-based communication helped his daughter grow from early losses to taking the Idaho State Championship her senior year of high school.
Seth's approach emphasizes identity formation, accountability agreements, and modeling behavior—core frameworks applicable to parenting, coaching, and leadership.
Key Takeaways
- Timing > Truth — The right words at the wrong time do damage
- After loss, kids don’t hear coaching—they hear identity
- Ask the child or athlete: “Are you ready?” instead of forcing feedback
- Mastery requires sacrifice—sometimes from the whole family
- Your kids will mirror your discipline, not your advice
- Identity must be rooted deeper than performance
Go for the ride and dive in for this deep conversation between Ned and Seth about coaching our own kids and youth as we help them to know their God-given identity.
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Check out Seth's Family First Fitness on Instagram:
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An epic experience for boys becoming men: Genesis by Rise Up Kings
- This episode is sponsored by Genesis - a Rite of Passage by Rise Up Kings
- Order The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book here
- Check out the TEDx
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Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!
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Mentioned in this episode:
Rise Up Kings Genesis - a rite of passage for young men & dads