Play-Based Coaching for Kids and Teens
Empowering kids and teens to build resilience, confidence, and connection through play-based coaching. Our coaching combines play, adventure, and neuroscience-backed techniques to help kids and teens thrive, navigate challenges, and discover their unique strengths. Transform how your child leads their life—let’s get started!
We believe that growth happens best through play.
That’s why our coaching blends play-based learning, adventure, and mindfulness to engage youths in a way that feels natural and empowering. Using neuroscience-backed tools, we help kids and teens connect their minds and bodies, develop emotional resilience, and step into their strengths. Every session is designed to be dynamic, personalized, and focused on building the confidence and life skills they need to thrive.
1:1 Leadership Coaching
Personalized coaching sessions designed to help youths discover their strengths, build resilience, and become leaders of their own lives.
Rites of Passage
A transformational journey that guides kids and teens through pivotal moments in their lives.
Camp &
Retreats
Immersive experiences where children and families explore themes like resilience, connection, and personal growth.
School Assemblies
Interactive and engaging presentations that bring the principles of Inside Out Coaching to schools.
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Testimonials
Jake Roussos
Teen Coach
Making Waves
I’ve always been drawn to water. Growing up near the ocean in Los Angeles, I spent countless hours in the waves, but I never realized how much the water was actually teaching me. One of the greatest lessons it offers is the ripple effect—how one small action can create waves of change.
This is the foundation of my coaching. Every thought, every choice, every action we take sends ripples out into the world. The question is, what kind of impact do we want to make?
For much of my early life, I was drifting—moving from one event to the next, always feeling anxious but never really understanding why. As I got older, I searched outside myself for solutions, which led to unhealthy habits and an even deeper disconnection from myself. Then, in my early 20s, I was introduced to meditation and mindfulness. Around the same time, I started working with a coach who, in our very first session, told me something I’ll never forget:
“You have everything you need within you.”
It became clear to me that the tools I had learned—the ones that changed my life—weren’t too complicated for children to understand. In fact, they were exactly what kids needed. That realization brought me back to my roots: working with kids.
For 16 years, I’ve taught children how to build resilience in the water as a lifeguard and water safety instructor. I took a six-year break to explore the corporate world as a sales manager, where I learned valuable lessons about leadership, communication, and the challenges that come with adult life. But something was missing. I felt the call to return to working with kids—this time, in a deeper way. Three years ago, I had the privilege of learning from world-class children’s change-maker Zelna Lauwrens, who introduced me to play-based coaching and its profound benefits. That’s when my mission became clear: to coach children to be the leaders of their own lives. To give them the tools I wish I had when I was young. To help them recognize their strengths and use them to serve—not just themselves, but their families, schools, and communities. And the water continues to teach me. It reminds me that leadership isn’t about control—it’s about flow. It’s about understanding that every choice we make has a ripple effect, and we all have the power to create waves of positive change. That’s what I want for the next generation—to grow up knowing that their true power lies within them. To see themselves as capable, resilient, and worthy of leading a life that feels aligned with who they truly are.
I’m grateful to be able to share these lessons with kids, to help them make waves in their own lives—and in the world. Thank you for being here and for choosing to lead your life from the inside out.
With Love and Gratitude, Jake Roussos
How Do We Achieve This Together?
- Understand Their Minds and Bodies: They discover how to make conscious choices that align with their personal needs.
- Practice Resilience: By recognizing the power of yet, youth become excited by failure and ready to learn from it.
- Utilize Their Strengths: Every child has unique talents, and learning to use these is essential for contributing positively to the world.
These tools are not just theoretical—they are practical and tailored to help each child navigate their individual experiences and emotions.
FAQ's
Inside Out Coaching is a transformational coaching program designed to help kids and teens become the leaders of their own lives. Through experiential learning, play-based methods, and science-backed tools, we empower young people to build resilience, confidence, and self-awareness.
Coaching provides kids with tools they can use for life. Unlike traditional education, which focuses on academics, coaching helps children develop emotional intelligence, decision-making skills, and personal leadership. It equips them to navigate challenges, regulate their emotions, and take ownership of their growth in a way that feels empowering and engaging.
I created Inside Out Coaching because I saw a gap—kids weren’t being taught the tolos they needed to thrive mentally, emotionally, and socially. After my own journey of overcoming anxiety and self-doubt through coaching and personal development, I knew these lessons needed to be accessible to kids early on. My mission is to give them what I wish I had growing up: a foundation of resilience, self-trust, and the confidence to lead their own lives.
While therapy often focuses on healing past wounds, coaching is forward-focused. We help kids and teens develop tools to build resilience, confidence, and leadership skills. Our approach is experiential, meaning we use movement, adventure, and real-life challenges to teach life skills in a way that feels natural, engaging, and fun.
The safety and well-being of every child we work with is our highest priority. Our coaches undergo background checks and professional training in child development, trauma-informed care, and safeguarding practices. We maintain clear boundaries, ensure a safe and inclusive environment, and follow best practices for working with minors. Parents are kept informed and involved in their child’s journey, and we uphold strict confidentiality and ethical standards.
We primarily work with kids and teens ages 8-18. However, we also offer family-based programs and retreats that involve parents in the process, fostering connection and shared growth.
We offer a range of programs, including:
- 1:1 Coaching: Personalized coaching sessions tailored to the needs of the child or teen.
- Group Programs & Retreats: Interactive experiences that blend adventure, leadership training, and personal development.
- Family Coaching & Workshops: Helping families build stronger communication, connection, and resilience together.
If your child struggles with self-confidence, anxiety, emotional regulation, or decision-making, coaching can be a powerful tool. If they’re already thriving but want to develop leadership skills and a deeper sense of self-awareness, coaching can help them grow even further. Book a discovery call with us to see if our programs are the right fit!
Our approach is grounded in neuroscience and positive psychology. We teach kids how their brain works—how thoughts influence emotions, how to reframe challenges, and how to strengthen their nervous system for resilience. Techniques such as breathwork, movement-based learning, and mindset training help children regulate stress, build confidence, and develop lifelong emotional intelligence.
Yes! Our coaches undergo continuous professional development, including training in child development, trauma-informed care, neuroscience-backed coaching techniques, and experiential learning methods. We ensure that every coach is highly skilled in supporting children and teens through their growth journey.