How Progress Feels: Why progress in youth coaching is often subtle, non linear but still deeply tangible

This is the second of two posts in our series on the non-linearity of progress when working with young people. Jane, one of our coaches, talks about how we can identify profound progress by noticing the subtlest of changes

By Jane Gilham

When we talk about “success” in youth coaching, it’s tempting to look for clear markers, that is improved attendance, better behaviour, stronger grades and confident communication. Of course these outcomes matter but they rarely tell the whole story.

In my experience the most meaningful progress young people make is often quiet, uneven and easy to miss if you’re not paying close attention. Growth doesn’t arrive neatly packaged, it wobbles, pauses, moves forward, slips back and then surprises you by re-emerging stronger than before. A young person might appear disengaged for weeks, only to say something small but significant at home, in class or during a coaching session that reveals a shift in how they see themselves. Another may test boundaries repeatedly before they feel safe enough to stop acting out and start being honest.

This is why redefining success in youth coaching matters so deeply. In my experience of supporting students in the Yes Futures programmes, progress isn’t measured only by visible transformation, it’s recognised in moments like:

• a young person staying in the room when they usually walk out

• someone asking a question instead of shutting down

• a longer pause before reacting

• a flicker of self belief where there was none before

  
  

These moments don’t always look impressive on paper, but they are profound indicators of internal change. What makes youth coaching uniquely challenging (and uniquely powerful) is that young people are often navigating anxiety, uncertainty, identity concerns and external pressures all at once, particularly driven by social media.

Expecting linear progress ignores the reality of their inner worlds, and coaching that truly supports them must allow for stops and starts, resistance, silence and regression without interpreting these as failure. In fact, those moments are often where the real work is happening.

The standards, culture and professionalism at Yes Futures create the conditions for this kind of work to unfold. There’s a commitment to meeting young people where they are, not where we wish they were. To consistency, boundaries and care, not quick wins or performative outcomes. That steadiness matters more than we sometimes realise because for young people who have experienced instability or disappointment, reliability itself can be transformative.

Success then becomes less about fixing and more about witnessing, less about pushing and more about holding space. Less about immediate results and more about planting seeds that may not show themselves until much later. And that’s the paradox, progress in youth coaching is often subtle, but it is far from intangible. You can feel it in the tone of a conversation, the quality of engagement and the willingness to try again. You can see it when a young person begins to relate to themselves with a little more kindness, a little more agency and a little more hope.

That is success and it’s worth paying attention to.