Strongcreatures! It has been an incredibly busy spring and early summer. Tonight, I continue my series on coaching. However, I first need to do some housekeeping in the form of announcements...
You may know already, but I am now a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) - Certified Personal Trainer (CPT). In addition to being officially certified through NASM I am now taking clients as part of the Team at Fit AF in Kansas City, Missouri: Fit AF Studio in Kansas City, MO, US | Mindbody (mindbodyonline.com). If you are in the KC area and would like to setup a general personal training session w/assessment, a strength training session w/assessment, or a 30-minute session please contact me directly and we can talk about your goals and get you booked into an appointment!
ALSO, I am still working on the Strongcreature (MyHeavyMettle) Retail Store. Please keep your eyes on the Instagram Wyatt Meriwether (@myheavymettle) • Instagram photos and videos for updates.
This evening I am writing about learning to embrace what you find uncomfortable because I believe that the ability to do so effectively develops our ability to succeed and reach our goals, especially as coaches and leaders in sports.
The months leading up to my most recent competition proved to be difficult in a variety of ways. I began coaching, I cycled through a roller coaster of programming revisions, and like everyone, I had some emergent personal issues arise. However, it is through this adversity and uncomfortableness that I found myself growing stronger. I wasn't just getting stronger in the gym, but I was becoming more resilient. Over the past year I felt as though I revisited who I am and rediscovered what is truly important to me. I know that I am not alone in cycling through personal change. It's comforting knowing that I can share pieces of my story with my readers, knowing they might understand on a more personal level. Regardless, for me it was an uncomfortable process in personal growth, but I embraced it head-first. Why? Because as a leader I have to lead by example. Now, what does that mean? I am certainly not the strongest competitor over 40, nor am I the most experienced. However, I don't quit. I show my resiliency by moving forward in every aspect of this sport, and my life (at least I try my hardest). I may fall short at times. I may not have all the answers, but I will go down fighting despite the odds.
What does resiliency and embracing the uncomfortable have to do with coaching? I believe that truly stellar coaches are those that are consistently focused on not only their own goals but also remaining uncomfortable through new and difficult goals. I don't mean that good coaches go out of their way to try new things for the sake of trying new things. No, I believe that great coaches are striving for the next big step for themselves and their athletes.
Well, you may be thinking that if these "stellar" coaches are focused on their own goals they won't have the time or energy to focus on their athletes. Nope. That's not how it works. Bad coaches, bad teachers, are stagnant. You may disagree with me, but I stand firm by my opinion that stagnancy breeds apathy, and apathy breeds complacency in the goals coaches set for their athletes and themselves.
So, what am I saying this evening? What's the point? My point is, if you are an athlete: stay hungry. If you are a coach, a teacher... an educator of any caliber: stay hungry. Find ways to remain uncomfortable. Grow through adversity. Get better, train harder, lift each other up, and strive to be stronger.
I do hope you will continue reading my blog. Although it's been a hot minute since I posted last, I can promise you that more posts are coming. I hope to regale you with more stories of the world of Strongman, and maybe a few quirky anecdotes to fill the time.
Strength and honor, friends. Strength and honor.
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