Don't be Afraid to be Great

As a coach, I am constantly surrounded with individuals with varying backgrounds, pre-existing issues and the pursuit of individual goals. I have often commented that I enjoy coaching the average athlete over the elite. I enjoy mining down to the core of an individual and helping them reach their goals. It is both rewarding and gratifying partnering with an athlete as they embark on their journey. The plan, the strategy, the tactics and the best maps are constantly changing. It is those people who identify, rectify, plan, act, follow-through, repeat, learn, comprehend and stay vigilant to the process who will endure.

One of my personal favorite athletes, who I have had the pleasure of coaching for years, now, is my good friend Teddy. I have known him for many years and I have watched him grow into the solid young man he is today. I see a lot of myself in Teddy – the athletic and social underdog. So when Teddy went off to college he soon joined the college rugby team. A decision that made me happy as I followed a similar path. This camaraderie and team bond is the perfect stepping stone for Teddy.

At the end of his freshmen year, he came back home and entered Elm City CrossFit with one single goal – he wanted to show up for his sophomore year and secure a starting position on the college rugby team. Teddy and I worked the entire summer and I set him up on a program that was a bit non-traditional and in some cases down-right crazy – but he endured. Teddy lost over 20 pounds in one summer and was ready to head back to college a new man.

While leaving the gym last night, I received a phone call from Teddy. He was calling me from school. He called to tell me that he had been selected to the starting team (the A side). I could not have been more proud of Teddy and what he accomplished. He put in some really hard work and it paid off. I am further honored to have been a part of his great journey that is surely only just began. You deserve it Teddy. You have done an amazing job. The thing that I am most proud of is that you never gave up and even though life has a way of putting us all down, you stood up and took every opportunity to make a difference in your goal. You were not afraid to be great. ~The Average Joe