I AM THE GREATEST!!!

Those were the words uttered by Muhammad Ali after he won the heavyweight championship belt. There is a good chance he might have been right at the time.  

Those words if not uttered, are definitely thought by a lot of strength coaches out there. Just like any industry, strength coaches have egos and think they have created the ultimate speed and strength program that can be duplicated by no one.

Do I think I am the greatest? Probably not. But, I think that I am very good at what I do. And that is just perfect for a lot of the athletes that I have worked with.

The beauty of my industry is that there are many ways you can accomplish similar goals. There isn’t just one way and if you deviate from that way the athlete’s development is compromised.

I am friends with several of my competitors in Columbus. I have visited their facilities and observed their training styles. None of us are exactly the same. We all have different methods that work for us to get our athletes better.

If I had someone come up to me and say they were going to train with one of them, it might sting my ego for a second, but I would immediately tell that person they would get some great training. In fact, I’ve referred people out to those guys because I felt they would fit better with the prospective client.

I have learned from a lot of great strength coaches. Just like children learn from others to form the person they grow up to be, that is what I’ve done.  I take different philosophies, different exercises, and pieces of other programs to fit with what I like in my training program. Other stuff I discard.

And that is okay!

Ultimately, it boils down to who you, as the athlete, would feel most comfortable being your speed and strength coach. Most of the time, I don’t think you could make a wrong choice.

I continue to learn to this day. We just had a complete overhaul of our strength program based off a training philosophy of another coach. I think it is really going to help the growth of our athletes. That is the bottom line:

I want to make the best program possible for the athletes that are willing to train with us.

If they can get the results they desire, then we’ve done our job. We will have put them in a position to have the chance to create memories that will last a lifetime when they play their sports.

What I really enjoy is watching my athletes play their sports. Seeing them achieve things they never thought possible before training. I know that we are making an impact. I feel it goes beyond just the training too. We form relationships with these athletes and even though realistically I might not be the greatest s&c coach out there, I am doing enough to impact these athletes in a very positive way.

One athlete’s father told us that recently his daughter just tested out the highest score with her varsity basketball team’s fitness test. I’ve been requested by 2 athletes for a recommendation for their school’s National Honor Society and another athlete asked me for a college recommendation. I really appreciate you guys asking me to do that for you. I think that is cool as heck!

Do I think I am the greatest? No. But, I do think that what my staff and I do for you has made a difference in your lives. I know that because you tell us and the examples I gave above. I hope to continue to make that difference for you and as many athletes as we can looking towards the future.

Photo courtesy of David Rosen on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidrosenphotography/