For Kids & Teens | Matt Karlsven - Curiosity Expert & Author

Most kids think improvement comes from forcing yourself to practice, doing hard drills, or having "natural talent." But what actually creates growth is curiosity—asking questions like "What happens if I change this one thing?" Curiosity turns improvement into discovery.

❌ Forcing yourself to practice

❌ Doing hard drills

❌ Having "natural talent"

❌ Being better than others

Greatness Comes From Curiosity, Not Just Talent

Questions That Create Growth

🔥 "How fast could I get if I fixed just ONE tiny thing?"

🔥 "What happens to my shot if I change my foot position?"

🔥 "What happens if I practice for 8 minutes every day instead of 1 giant hour once a week?"

Curiosity turns improvement into discovery.

Practice Is Boring When You Don't Know What You're Trying to Fix

This is when drilling feels pointless. Curiosity makes practice fun because it gives PURPOSE.

Try Asking These Questions

🏀 "What if I can dribble with my head up for 10 seconds longer?"

🎹 "Can I play this section without looking at the keys?"

⚽ "Does my shot curve differently if I plant my foot slower?"

🎻 "What happens if I use less bow pressure?"

🏊 "Does turning earlier help me finish stronger?"

Curiosity turns practice into challenges—not chores.

Micro-Goals Beat Big Goals

⭐ Big Goals (too far away)

Score more points
Make varsity
Memorize a full song
Be the best dancer
Win a tournament

👀 Curiosity Micro-Goals

"Can I increase my speed by 0.4 seconds?"
"Can I do 1 measure perfectly?"
"How many shots in a row if I change my grip?"
"Can I transition without looking?"

Small questions → small wins. Small wins → momentum.

Story: Keaton's Soccer Shot That Was Always Off Target

Keaton always shot wide. He felt embarrassed. Coach said: "Just keep practicing." But it still didn't improve.

Then Keaton asked himself: "Where exactly is my plant foot when I miss?"

He discovered: When he missed left—his foot pointed left. When he missed right—his foot pointed right.

Next practice: He only focused on his foot position. That's it.

In two weeks: ⚽ He doubled his shot accuracy ⚽ Confidence went up ⚽ Parents and coaches noticed

Same practice time. Different curiosity.

Curiosity Helps When You Feel Like Quitting

Instead of saying "I suck at this," ask: "What exactly made today hard?"

Example answers: "I was tired." "I rushed through drills." "I was thinking about something else." "I forgot the basics."

Those answers give solutions. Curiosity helps you FIX problems, not FEEL them.

Story: Olivia and the Piano Song She Couldn't Play Smoothly

She was ready to quit the recital song. Her mom said, "Just slow down." Didn't work.

Then Olivia asked: "Which section messes me up every time?"

It was the SAME 4-NOTE TRANSITION.

She practiced only those 4 notes—for 3 minutes a day. Suddenly the WHOLE SONG sounded smoother.

Curiosity isolated the struggle. And fixed it.

Curiosity Makes Time Shorter and Practice Fun

Instead of long, boring practices… try a Curiosity Practice Session:

🎯 Curiosity Practice Session

Pick ONE question

"What if I jump earlier?" "What if I swing slower?" "What if I breathe differently?"

Experiment

Try at least two different ways

Notice what changed

What felt different? What worked better?

Kids love discovery more than repetition.

Curiosity Builds Confidence

Confidence ISN'T…

❌

Praise from others

❌

Winning

❌

Being perfect

Confidence IS…

🏆

Noticing improvement

🏆

Discovering patterns

🏆

Figuring out what works

I learned that if I move slower first, I do better later.

When I hold my breath longer, I mess up.

When I warm up longer, I perform better.

Confidence grows from understanding YOUR own skill.

Curiosity Helps You Enjoy Practice Even When It's Hard

Try asking fun questions:

✨ "Can I get one more rep than yesterday?"

✨ "How long can I keep my balance before falling?"

✨ "Can I fix ONE mistake today?"

You don't need to improve everything. Just one thing.

Story: Coleman and Basketball Free Throws

Coleman kept shooting short. Instead of shooting 100 shots…

He asked: "What is my hand doing when I come up short?"

He saw: When tired—he shot without bending knees. When rushed—he didn't follow through.

New curiosity goal: "Every shot today, I will do full bend + full follow-through."

He hit: 4 in a row → then 7 in a row → then his record: 12 in a row

He didn't shoot more. He just learned MORE. Curiosity creates improvement efficiently.

Some Days Will Feel Bad—and That's Useful Too

Curiosity turns "bad days" into learning days:

Questions to Ask on Bad Days

"What was different today?"

"What did I forget?"

"What distracted me?"

"What would I try differently tomorrow?"

Bad days give better clues than good ones.

How Curiosity Makes You Better at What You Want to Be Great At