Another year has passed in the confines of the weight room.  A time for Strength Coaches to look back on gains, set backs, dos, don’ts, attitudes, dreams and life experiences.  It may be filled with free weight, chalk and sweat but the more I think about it, the weight room is more of a life-sized classroom that every youngster should experience.  For inside I have learned more than any textbook has ever taught me.  The value of hard work, attention to detail, sacrifice, paying dues, persistence, positivity, courage, team work, discipline, determination, dedication, adaptation, programming, methodologies in practice, what works, what doesn’t and BELIEF!  The most rewarding is belief!  A young athlete that gains confidence and believes in himself/herself through training is more rewarding than PR’s, weight pulled and record boards.  My goal for 2013 is that more people can experience this atmosphere, this magic, this special place where work meets reward, where passion meets persistence, where pride meets iron, where life lessons are ingrained in the fabric of our being for the rest of our lives, the weight room!  I hope 2013 brings more to experience this classroom.

Another year is officially in the books.  This is always a great time to look back and reflect on the year, and how it has shaped the development of both the business and my professional growth.  Seminars, books, lectures, DVD’s, travel, and business development have all been a part of this journey to attain greatness.  Below are four things I learned along the way. 

The older I get, the more I realize that attitude and work ethic trump talent and natural ability. How we react to the cards that are dealt is more important than the hand it represents, and that character outlasts fame, money, Twitter followers and Facebook likes. There is nothing worse than the sight of wasted talent. I have played with some Junior/College hockey players that should be making millions in the NHL, and I have coached youth athletes that have struggled to reach their inner potential with the preconceived notion that the world owes them something. It was never about goals and assists, penalty minutes, weight lifted or one rep max totals. It was and still is about attitude! It’s about being on time, never being outworked, honesty, integrity, embracing the grind, pushing your teammates and relentlessly perusing a “One Day Better” mentality. As my older brother would say, “It’s about being an “Everydayer”.

I miss the good old days! A time where hard work, commitment, discipline and positive attitude were expected, not rewarded, failure was not final and earning meant sacrifice. These lessons have stood the test of time. Growing up in Canada, I never played AAA hockey, I got cut from most of the teams I tried out for. I knew at an early age that hard work; desire, dedication and discipline were the keys to success. My father never responded by formulating a new league, moving across town, getting involved in “politics” or buying me something to ease my self pitied state. By doing so, he taught me a very valuable lesson that would pay off later in life: In the real world not EVERYONE GET’S a TROPHY.

Coaching runs in our families’ bloodline. My father was a hockey coach, and currently both of my brothers are Coaches in various disciplines. The word “Coach” energizes me. It’s my alarm clock in the morning! My passion. To Coach is an honor. It is the ability to mold, shape, discipline, inspire, motivate and cultivate an inner potential that many may not even know exists. I have had the unique opportunity of having strength and conditioning mentors that have molded my career by affording me the opportunity to “stand on their shoulders.” For that I am forever grateful. However, long before the days of these mentors my older brother Misha shaped my childhood in ways he may never fully comprehend. I was a better brother, a better son and a better person because of my older brother.