It sounds serious because it is. A positive association can add years to their lives, while a negative association can quite literally take years off of their lives.
“Look at it from a macro perspective.
Kid’s aren’t taught to positively associate with training, fitness, & health from a young age.
Unqualified adults wing it thinking ‘ehh, it’ll probably stick.’
The 14-year-old turns 40 one day.
And yeah, we have an obesity epidemic.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
I’m obviously passionate about Strength & Conditioning/ Sports Performance. I work at improving the administering and delivery of it every single day.
But I’ll be flat honest with you, faster 40 times or 2 inches higher on a vertical jump aren’t why I do it.
They are byproducts of what I do, but most definitely not what drives me.
It goes far deeper than measurables on a spreadsheet.
I fully recognize that I have not earned, but been GIFTED the opportunity to serve our youth.
Our youth that is currently in a dynamic, highly impressionable stage of life.
As a coach, this comes with a tremendous responsibility because as a facilitator of physical activity, I can empower them and help them positively associate with the concept of training, leaving a good taste in their mouth..
Or I can be a pseudo drill sergeant asshole, mindless to the fact that my those under my direction are making judgements and associations with the concept of physical activity based on how I present it to them, forcing them to negatively associate with training if I am a jerk, all because of MY ego.
The reason I am so adamant about our kids receiving high quality coaching, from qualified professionals who understand the mental & physical sides of training is because this stuff is literally life and death.
“That sounds drastic Ray, come on now!”
Oh yeah? You think Jimmy’s dad running 14-year-old Billy and Timmy into ground causing them to puke and then go home to tell their parents they want to quit doesn’t have life or death implications?
When for the rest of their lives they grow up hating the concept of training/fitness all because of their poor experience with Jimmy’s asshole dad?
And then at 40 they are packed full of preventable illness, a lower quality of life, and a statistically speaking shorter life expectancy?
But let’s go the other way.
What if I build them up? What if my impact on them can teach them to positively associate with exercise?
What if at 37 years old they exercise twice a week because that Ray guy showed them they can do it when they were 16?
That’s why I do it.
This sh*t matters.
