Game Day Goals: Teaching Routine and Purpose (Ages 9–13)
Part of the “Money on the Field” Series within Developing Long-Term Habits
Back in 1992, I had my very first opportunity to coach soccer at the high school level. The school I coached was grades 10 through 12, but many of the other schools in our league included ninth grade. That meant we were allowed to invite middle school students seventh, eighth, and ninth graders to try out for our junior varsity team.
As it turned out, most of the ninth graders were skilled enough to play varsity, which meant our JV team was composed almost entirely of seventh and eighth graders. Every week, they faced opponents who were older, taller, faster, and stronger, often by several inches and at least ten pounds.
That first season, we went 0–14. We didn’t win a single game. But those boys showed up to every practice, listened, worked hard, and improved a little each time. By the end of the season, something remarkable happened. In the post-season tournament, they tied every game 0–0, advanced out of their bracket, and finally lost 1–0 in the last three minutes of the quarter finals.
That experience taught me one of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned as a coach: mastery in anything: sports, music, academics, or even money, comes from disciplined work, built through solid, repeatable habits.
Those boys didn’t transform overnight. Their improvement came from showing up every day, trusting the process, and learning to repeat the fundamentals until they became instinct. They discovered that discipline is not punishment; it’s preparation. It’s what allows potential to become performance.
That same principle applies when we teach children about money. Around ages nine to thirteen, kids begin to think beyond the immediate moment. They can plan, anticipate, and understand trade-offs. This is the perfect stage to teach them that success, financial or otherwise, comes not from talent or luck, but from consistent effort guided by purpose.
The Principle: Consistency Creates Confidence
In soccer, confidence is built through consistency. A player doesn’t step onto the field ready for game day because they practiced once; they’re ready because they’ve done it hundreds of times. They’ve built habits so strong they can perform under pressure without overthinking.
Money works the same way. Financial confidence doesn’t come from a single lesson or one-time allowance, it comes from rhythm. Children learn best when they experience money as part of a regular routine, not as an occasional event.
When kids learn to manage money consistently, saving weekly, giving thoughtfully, spending with purpose; they start to develop a quiet confidence. They no longer view money as random or overwhelming. They begin to see it as something they can guide with intention.
That’s the foundation of financial independence: knowing that disciplined, repeated actions compound into meaningful results.
The Habit You Are Building: Routine and Purpose
At this stage, your goal is to help your child build two connected habits: routine and purpose. Routine is about structure: the consistent, repeated actions that provide stability and predictability. Purpose is about direction: understanding why those actions matter.
Together, they create the same foundation that drives mastery in every area of life. The musician who practices scales every day, the athlete who trains between games, the scientist who records and reviews data, each develops excellence through rhythm and repetition. Financial habits work exactly the same way.
When children learn to follow a consistent pattern of earning, saving, giving, and reflecting, they begin to develop self-discipline. And when they connect that discipline to meaningful goals, they find motivation that lasts.
How to Teach It
Children between nine and thirteen are ready for structure. They can handle responsibility, plan ahead, and appreciate a sense of progress. The goal isn’t to overwhelm them with financial details, but to help them practice steady routines that mirror how money works in the real world.
Here are three Parent Drills to help build routine and purpose in their financial habits.
Parent Drill #1: The Weekly Allowance Routine
If your child doesn’t already receive an allowance, this is a great time to start. The key is consistency. Choose one day a week to give their allowance, just like payday in the adult world.
The amount doesn’t have to be large; what matters is predictability. Tie the allowance to participation and effort, not perfection. Examples can be things like helping around the house, following through on commitments, or completing schoolwork responsibly. Then, make it part of your weekly routine to sit down together and divide the money into Spend, Save, and Give categories.
Use this moment to talk, not lecture. Ask, “What are you saving for this week?” or “How’s your progress toward your goal?” The discussion connects money to reflection. It also builds confidence as your child begins to see how small, repeated actions lead to tangible results.
This is the foundation of financial discipline; the same kind that turns young athletes into competitors, young musicians into performers, and young savers into investors.
Parent Drill #2: Setting Short- and Medium-Term Goals
Once a child understands routine, the next step is to add purpose. Help them set one short-term goal and one medium-term goal.
A short-term goal might be saving for a new game, book, or small purchase in a few weeks. A medium-term goal might take several months, like saving for a bike, a trip, or something connected to a personal interest.
Write down each goal, post it where they can see it, and create a progress chart or visual tracker. Each week, when they add money to their Save jar, they can see their progress inching forward.
When they reach a goal, take time to reflect on how their patience and persistence paid off. Say something like, “You made that happen because you kept going.” That link between consistency and accomplishment is where purpose takes root.
Every time your child reaches a goal through repetition and planning, they are experiencing the same principle that drives excellence everywhere: discipline creates mastery.
Parent Drill #3: The Mini Budget Challenge
Now that your child has some savings and goals, they’re ready to learn how to plan their money in advance. This can be done through what I call a “Mini Budget Challenge.”
When your child receives a larger amount of money, a birthday gift, for instance, sit down together and plan how to use it. Encourage them to divide it into categories, such as spending now, saving for later, and giving to others.
Guide the discussion with questions like, “If you spend this today, how will that affect what you can do next week?” or “What will make you happiest one month from now?”
The goal is not to control their choices, but to help them think ahead. This introduces foresight and teaches that decisions have ripple effects; another habit shared by top performers in any discipline. A musician must plan practice time. A student must budget study hours. A young saver must allocate resources wisely. In every case, planning today creates freedom tomorrow.
What to Avoid
When teaching discipline and structure, avoid making the process feel restrictive. If routines feel like punishment, children will resist them. Instead, present structure as a source of freedom, the thing that makes achievement possible.
Also, resist the urge to step in when mistakes happen. If your child spends all their money impulsively, let them experience the temporary frustration of waiting until next week’s allowance. Those moments of discomfort are part of the learning curve.
Finally, avoid assigning goals for them. Let your child set their own targets. Ownership is what transforms discipline from obligation into pride. When they choose their goals, their motivation comes from within and that’s where lifelong habits take hold.
The Bigger Lesson: Purpose Gives Routine Power
That first season of coaching taught me that improvement doesn’t happen by luck. It happens through structure, repetition, and purpose. Those seventh and eighth graders didn’t suddenly get taller or stronger, they got disciplined. Every practice had a rhythm, every drill had meaning, and every player learned that showing up mattered.
The same is true with money. Routine gives your child a framework. Purpose gives that framework energy. Together, they create momentum. Over time, those routines turn into instincts, and those instincts turn into confidence.
That’s how discipline compounds on the field, in the classroom, and in life.
The Coach’s Reflection
When I think back to that 0–14 season, I don’t remember the losses. I remember the progress; the way those boys found pride in the process. They learned to trust repetition. They discovered that routine isn’t boring; it’s how excellence is built.
That’s the same lesson you’re teaching your child when you help them manage money with purpose. You’re showing them that mastery comes from consistent effort, day by day, week by week. You’re helping them understand that small, repeatable actions are what lead to big victories.
Whether it’s in sports, music, academics, or finance, the principle is the same: disciplined work, anchored by solid habits, is what turns potential into performance.
Control the process, trust the rhythm, and the results will follow.
Next in the Series: Midfield Vision: Teaching Awareness and Independence (Ages 13–18)
In the next article, we’ll move into the teenage years and explore how to help your child transition from structure to independence—learning to make their own decisions, manage earned income, and develop financial awareness that guides them on and off the field.