Perfect Form & Choices


It is amazing to have the opportunity to be coached as you are allowed to learn through the experiences of another person. Experience can be the greatest teacher sometimes. It is hard to talk someone out of something they have been through. I cannot tell you about the numerous coaches I learned from over the years. An athlete can avoid so many mistakes if they listen and learn from their coaches.

Most of the lessons I learned from my coaches were off the field lessons. I can remember coach Lang in high school teaching us about how the character of a man is more important than his athletic ability. He was a great Christian man and told us about the value of abstaining from sex until marriage. At the age of 16, I can't say I was very receptive to that lesson. But I look back now and wished I would have listened.

What made me think about this subject was skimming through my college yearbook. It brought back some memories of how I had lived my life and some of the mistakes I had made. I thought about falling into pre-marital sex, being someone you are not, and making poor decisions. What I was lacking was an undeniable experience with Jesus, which could give us the power to live this life. It reminded of the time wasted as you do not know your purpose for truly being on this earth.

What we can't do is go back, but what young athletes can do is take my experience and make better decisions for themselves. I have the upmost respect for coaches who are willing to share their lives as well as their playbooks with their athletes. That is why I am so passionate about helping young men be the best athletes and people they can be. These young men are one day going to be fathers, husbands, and community leaders.

It is why I come to every performance coaching session with a purpose in mind. I see young men that are able change their lives along with their running form. I had the opportunity to talk to a group of young men and I could see lives unfolding in front of my eyes. I taught them about keeping your chest up, feet underneath your hips, elbows pushed back, and chin tucked. But my greatest hope is they make the right choice to serve Jesus with all their heart. That choice will not make live any easier, but will allow you to learn from coaches that have had experiences you do not have to have. Life is just a group of choices that take you closer or farther away from achieving your purpose in life.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

50 Cent's Trainer Talks Fitness with Fast Youth Athlete

Image
1) Hi Jay. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you were introduced to strength training? I am a Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach, as well as a Nutritionist. I have coaching since 1996-we're I started off as a Volunteer Assistant Track and Field Coach at Montclair State University. I began coaching after suffering a career-ending spinal injury, which occurred while I was competing as a Long Jumper at the University of Arkansas. 2) A lot of people know you as 50 Cent’s trainer and believe that he is able to stay in shape because he constantly has you around. I believe it still is the will of the person. What are your thoughts? It is fear and lack of self-confidence that usually keeps an individual from achieving any sort of success. We as coaches have to work with that fear, and turn it into belief. Once, there's self-belief-anything is possible. 3) I know that like my self yo
Read more

Why are kids quitting?

Image
We read a statistic that said 70% of youth athletes do not play sports or participate in activity after the age of 13. Why are we losing so many kids? There has to be something wrong with the way we are coaching or organizing youth sports. Most organizations will tell you that are not playing to win, but to have fun. But if you have ever been involved with youth sports you know that many coaches are all about winning. Either the parents or coaches are trying to recreate their athletic careers through their participation in youth sports. This is bad news for a young kid that is just interested in having fun. We like to win just like the next coach but we believe that early on when kids are just learning the fundamentals it should be about having fun. Our whole goal is to make sure that every kid leaves with a love for physical activity eventhough they decide to not participate in organized sports when they get older. Maybe, we would not have as many obese kids if we taught them that act
Read more

How a Phys Ed Program Transformed One School

At Naperville Central High School, west of Chicago, children who are having problems with math or reading go to gym class first. And exercise isn't just restricted to the gym -- there are bikes and balls in the classrooms, and the children are in constant motion. The results are amazing -- reading scores have doubled, and math scores are up by a factor of 20. Research shows that after 30 minutes on the treadmill, students solve problems up to 10 percent more effectively. Keeping kids active at school is a superb way to increase learning, focus and even test results. As many of you reading this have likely experienced, if your mind is feeling cluttered or you’re having a mid-afternoon slump, a brisk walk or a quick workout can give you a renewed sense of clarity and focus. This is true for kids, too, and the results of implementing a physical activity program at Naperville Central High School are nothing short of astounding. Students who took part in a dynamic gym class at the begin
Read more