AN EYE OPENER

Every once in a while you see something or hear something that changes you in such a way that you look at the world differently. Last week I watched Joe Defranco's DVD called "Strong". From very humble beginnings he has built a reputation as someone that gets results. His philosophy is "if you have one more in you then you should do one more." His workouts are so tough that only the very motivated can complete them, yet, people travel from all over the world to train with him.

As I watched the movie, I expected to see a documentary on his training methods. Instead, I saw a documentary on his athletes. I saw tough minded people seeking out this coach because they wanted to be pushed. They wanted to win so bad that they were willing to put their bodies through workouts that pushed them to the edge of their abilities.

The results speak for themselves. All of his athletes had become successful. Joe said it best in one of his interviews. "When these kids come up against their opponent, they know the kid across from them couldn't survive the workouts they had to do. They know they are tougher and want it more. They know they are going to win."

One thing I noticed about all the atheltes is that they all were driven by their goals to achieve. They all had a reason to be there. When the workouts were at their worst the atheltes would remind each other that they wanted to be a champions. They wanted to work so hard that nobody could intimidate them.

The workouts this summer will be reflective of what I've learned. Instead of forcing all the atheltes to come in and work out I'll invite them to find the courage themselves.