At some point we all have to evaluate what we stand for and what we are currently doing to change the lives of the people we come in contact with on a daily basis. As a fitness professional I often find myself questioning my efforts in order to stay on track with my philosophy.
You see, I believe we are a country of snap decisions and impulsive actions. I, too, get caught up in this reactive lifestyle at times and that is why I continuously evaluate my efforts.
We are a country that lives by the motto “more is better.” The question is, “Why?” I can’t always speak for other industries, but I know in my niche of training young athletes we don’t want to stand up to the pressures of those judging us. I’m not talking about the kids. I’m talking about the parents and the coaches who want little Johnny and Jane fast RIGHT NOW!
I can honestly say my training facilities, although successful, did not reach the level of success they could have if I had taken the approach of skipping steps to get a faster result. I just cannot and will not do it. First off, I value my profession. Secondly, I can’t justify setting a young athlete up for failure, although success may come quickly and early, just because mom, dad, or coach has an agenda.
It’s funny; we live in a society that understands most competitive sports don’t last forever. In other words, there is a shelf life to how long an athlete will play competitive football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and other sports. We also understand that a large majority of athletes will never go on past high school, and even smaller percentage goes on past college. Yet, many parents and coaches are willing to sacrifice the rest of an athlete’s life for a few years of competition.
I guess my question is, “Are you just training to satisfy those around you or are you making a real positive change in the life of an athlete?” If you are just throwing fun and entertaining drills out there to get a “wow” response from the bystanders, you are missing the point of your job. Your job is to make a difference not get applause.
Do take the time to look at movement as it should be? Do you understand the benefits of making sure the athlete’s joints move properly before doing higher level training? If you can answer these questions with a yes then you are in it to make a difference. Good for you and keep up the great work!
Yours in Speed,
Lee
P.S. Don’t forget the positive influence you can have on your athletes. For many years I used to talk with my teams and training client athletes about how athleticism has a nice parallel with life in general. We can draw a lot from speed, strength, power, balance, flexibility, agility, and endurance and how it relates to life. I decided to write a book that would help young people with their attitudes in every day situations. It’s called “7 Points to a Championship Attitude.” It is a great gift for your team or students. Please go to www.ChampionshipAttitude.com to pick up your copies.
Lee,
I agree 100%. In fact, in our local newspaper last week was an article talking about how parents and youth have unrealistic expectations of future success in sports. On the front page was a picture of an 11 year old boy doing back squats with a 45lb bar in a popular sports performance chain. The caption said, “He was fighting through his aching back pain because the sign on the wall said Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body.” What does that say about our industry?
Keep doing what you are doing Lee!
This speaks to the the I.D.C principal that I teach from for the last 5 years
Intentional, different, and consistent(with your goals) and you will win most of your battles! Ken H.
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