What are you building now? If you're going to be working with a competent instructor, the chances of crashing are pretty slim truthfully. It's the second plane that usually gets all beat up. Either way, I look at a trainer or basic sport plane that has all the covering rubbed off the wingtips, patches everywhere, one cowl cheek glued back on, etc and so on with respect because that's a plane whose owner has enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. These early planes aren't art projects and shouldn't be treated as such, IMO. Take that thing out there and fly the daylights out of it.