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Leadership

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Thoughts on Leading

The best way to lead is always by example. But in order to be that leader you must:

  • Know the Way – To be effective make sure you and everyone involved knows the final destination.
  • Show the Way – Lead from from the front, set the example.
  • Go the Way – Get it down, meet obstacles head on and overcome.

 

What do you coach?
Do you coach Track & Field, Football, Gymnastics or diving? Yes you do but more importantly you coach the people who compete in those sports. The human element transcends all. Anyone can learn the techniques and strategies, but to be truly effective as a coach you must coach the person. Know what makes your athletes tick. Take an interest in them as people, they are not machines, they have feeling and emotions, they have lives outside of sport. I think of the great coaches I have been privileged to be around, this is a characteristic they all shared. They were emotionally intelligent; they took the time to understand their athletes as people and coached the person who did the sport. At the end of the day I always ask myself did you coach today the way you would have wanted to be coached?

Woodward Gymnastics. The End of a Dream

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The end of September of 2022 brought the end of gymnastics at Woodward Camps. Having been mismanaged for quite some time it was no longer what it once was and what it could be. Guest blogger, TOM HAMBLIN, shares his thoughts and memories.

In 1970, Ed Isabel had a dream, a vision he would build a camp.  Woodward Camp was born. He built it from the ground up with love. He put his blood, sweat, and tears into it. He built much of it with his bare hands. Woodward became  a field of dreams for gymnastics. He built it and we came. It was built by the gymnastics and the Amish community. We were family.

Woodward is sacred grounds where memories were made, and dreams come true. Campers trained and enjoyed camp life.  Campers that we all knew that came through those grounds have received college scholarships and even earning a World Champion title. Woodward was a diverse community where everyone learned gymnastics skills and enhanced our coaching skills. We  came from all corners of the globe to share information and perfect our craft in an environment built on mutual respect.  It was more than a playground or summer camp for us. It was FAMILY. Regardless of what level you were or who you were, you were part of that family. A family that believes in respect and integrity. Woodward’s heart was always open to you. You were part of Ed’s dreams and his family. His dream was your dream. We shared his dreams and his love of the sport of Gymnastics. The passion he had, we carried it forward. 

I was a camper for two summers and the opportunity to learned from the best and to enjoy the camp atmosphere. Best money ever spent. Memories were made. Many may know about my story. When I was learning to polish up my double back, my hearing aid flew off into the foam pit. All the campers came to have a pit cleaning party till we found my hearing aid. Yes, we found it after two hours. Oh, things we found as we cleaned out the pit. Yikes.  

My experience with Woodward adventure as a coach began in 1999. While I was doing some coaching at Woodward as a visiting coach I was asked to stay for the rest of the summer. I lived all summer for 8 years and continued till 2019. I grew from master staff to director of the cheer and T&T program. I took part on the team in the design and groundbreaking for the cheer/tumble gym in 2007.  I will never forget the -9 below zero weather. After the photos were taken, we even stuck around doing gymnastics skills on the bulldozer! lol! 

Its was heart breaking , to say the least, when Powdr  bought Woodward in 2008 (if my memory served me right). Powdr ruined our family (If they know what family is). There’s was no respect  showed on those sacred grounds. Their lies and lack of leadership killed it.  Powdr’s manager showed up drunk, firing people who were the heart and soul of the camp and ended up crashing the golf cart into a lake. Camp was no longer family. It left me with an uncomfortable vibe that it wasn’t Woodward anymore.  For the last few years, I barely knew anyone. My family were gone, my friends were gone. The new directors treated me like dirt and just could care less about me. I didn’t feel welcome anymore as I didn’t participate in their social events that I felt were  unprofessional and unethical. The quality of the program was diminished.  My gym friends were disrespected and thrown under the bus by the  Cheer Directors. They acted with a sense of entitlement as if they were the best of the best and owned the campgrounds. It was like a cold war, Cheer vs Gymnastics.  Little did they (Powdr) know anything about gymnastics, they were desperate to find quality staff after they fired so many with little reasoning or notice.  They became  desperate enough to hire Aly Raisman as the Gymnastics Program Designer (Whatever the heck that supposed the mean!). They used her has a marketing tool that was a complete scam.  They were desperate enough  that they hired a staff who was suspended from USA Gymnastics. They just didn’t have a clue. 

The gymnastics and cheer program is no longer being offered at all Woodward locations.  Powdr announced, “Gymnastics is one sport where we have found it is not possible to have consistent sport leadership” REALLY?!?!?!? Leadership starts at the top! Powdr never cared for our sport, our culture, or the language we speak. If they had respect, they would have  approached the acquisition with an open mind and learned WHAT, HOW and WHY we do things.  I do not know if gymnastics was ever a part of their vision. Their mishandling of the program(s) led to the demise. 

Woodward is no longer the field of dreams. Ed’s legacy and passion are gone. Dreams have been shattered and affected by thousands  of kids. The gymnastics community is saddened by their ignorance and lack of integrity of their leadership to protect Woodward’s culture, family, diversity, and history. 

To my real Woodward family,

 Thank you for letting me be part of your family. I’ll miss everyone and hope to get together soon.

Tom

Share your best Woodward memories with GYM MOMENTUM as well as TOM on Facebook, Twitter, @gym_momentum, and Instagram

An Offer to Help Ukrainian Gymnasts

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The Swiss Gymnastics Federation (STV) has sent a letter to Oleksandr Sukhomlyn the President of the Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation stating that If the Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation wishes, we can arrange accommodation, meals and training facilities in Switzerland for Ukrainian gymnasts and their support team and coaches.

STV_Letter_to_President_Ukrainian_Gymnastics_Federation-1Download

I am so proud to be part of this organization that searches for solutions and takes action. This is what leadership looks like.

European Gymnastics Blog. Interview with ME!

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I was recently interviewed by the European Gymnastics Blog about my adventures here working with the Swiss National Team. They were kind enough to let me repost this here. SO PLEASE FOLLOW THEM!

Tony Retrosi is a gymnastics coach from the USA who owns two gymnastics clubs and runs the consulting company Gym Momentum. Having spent some time in Italy as a consultant with the Italian gymnastics federation, Tony was offered an interim role coaching the Swiss national WAG team following the dismissal of the previous coaching staff in September 2021. He stepped in to coach Switzerland’s best gymnasts last October, alongside 1992 Olympian Wendy Bruce Martin, who has since accepted a permanent role as the team’s head coach, and Switzerland’s most decorated gymnast, Giulia Steingruber, who saw out the end of her contract with the federation by helping to coach her former teammates following her retirement from the sport. Tony’s commitments back home in the USA mean that he can’t stay permanently at the National Sports Centre in Magglingen, where the national team trains, but he plans to continue working with the team as a consultant. Tony kindly agreed to share his thoughts and impressions of the team and talk about their goals.

“Gymnastics federations in many countries have had a very difficult quad and Switzerland did not escape problems.  When Wendy and I were hired, there was already new leadership within the STV (Swiss gymnastics federation). I have not met everyone but the confidence I have in the leadership cannot be understated.  Beatrice Wertli (Director) and David Huser (Head of Elite Sport) provide great leadership. It really is a pleasure to be part of their team. 

Every day I look forward to going into the gym.  The girls work so hard. They believe in themselves and believe they can be great. There will always be setbacks and bad days. But the girls know that tomorrow is another day. There is a mutual trust and respect. I am going to be a total mess when it is time for me to go back to the USA. I have been coaching for more than 30 years. These are some of the best young women I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I came to Switzerland to try to help out a team that needed a coach.  I hoped to make a difference. Instead, I made a family.”

Could you describe what the coaching team in Magglingen looks like right now? Are there any other coaches working alongside you and Wendy? Are there any plans for Giulia (Steingruber) to return as an assistant coach?

“Currently, the coaching team is mainly Wendy and I. We have Dessi (Buergi), our choreographer, a few days a week.  I know STV is interviewing coaches to replace me.  For me, this was always an interim position. Although I absolutely love it here, I own 2 gymnastics clubs in the USA as well as some other business ventures which make it impossible for me to stay.  I plan on remaining on as a consultant and helping out with whatever is necessary in the future. Coaches education has always been a passion of mine. I am hoping to become more involved in that aspect as well. Once a second coach is hired to assist Wendy, they will likely look for a third coach. Giulia was such a fantastic part of our team. She made the transition possible. Currently she is recovering from foot surgery and has decided to take some time away from the sport.  That being said, she stops in the gym every once in a while. She is a valuable resource that I hope will at some time continue on as a coach.”

What does a typical day at the gym look like? How many hours do the gymnasts train? Are there dedicated days for working on floor choreo, upgrades, etc.?

“Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, we have two trainings per day. Morning is typically warm up, event conditioning, beam, vault, dance or floor routines.  Afternoon training is a longer warm up and line drills.  Bars, floor, finish beam and then strength. Having the sports scientists from Magglingen, like Christoph Schaerer, is a great benefit. They set up our strength program. Wednesdays and Saturdays are just one training. We tend to focus on basics and recovery. Every day has a little different rhythm to it.  Different assignments and expectations. .We are just beginning to focus on routines. We have DTB (Pokal) Cup in March that begins the season. Every day we try to leave some time for goals and upgrades.”

The gymnasts on the Swiss national team come from all over Switzerland and speak various languages. Have you and Wendy had any issues with language or cultural barriers? How are the gymnasts adapting to being coached in English?

“We are lucky that all the girls are very good in English. I do speak some Italian but no German or French.  Wendy and I have both learned a good deal of German and Swiss-German. There really have been no cultural issues of any real consequence.  There are numerous things that get lost in translation or mistranslated.  We bought a birthday card for one of the girls, deliberately trying to be cute and juvenile, only to find out that the card said, ‘congratulations on your baby’. Oops.”

What have been the biggest challenges and the biggest surprises for you over the past few months?

“Coming from the USA, we were used to working longer hours at a higher intensity level. The physical preparation of athletes in the USA is just instilled from a very young age.  Here we have learned to work smarter, not just harder. We are also used to having our gyms very crowded. Here we have more space to train and fewer athletes in a group. It is not uncommon for there to be 10 gymnasts in a group in the USA.  Here we have 13 women on our team. The gym now feels busy if there are 30 athletes in the gym (men and women). At my gyms in the USA, there is going to be 30 team gymnasts and another 30- 40 kids in classes all at the same time. What I miss is the mat shapes like wedges, barrels etc that I have gotten used to for drill work. Again, coming from the USA, Switzerland wasn’t really on our radar. I am pleased with the talent level and work ethic.  These girls are hungry. They want to be successful. They have risen to every challenge we have presented.”


What are the main goals for the national team in 2022? And for the rest of the quad? 

“Right now we are staying focused on a good showing at European Championships. There is a lot that goes into that. The new code presents challenges, some gymnasts coming off of injury. We were not able to spend enough time getting back to basics and building strength. We came in (to work with the national team) 10 days before World Championships in 2021. We really are not looking past Europeans at this point. From there, World Championships.”

Some of the gymnasts are recovering from injuries, for example Leonie and her knee and Anastassia and her ankles. Can you tell us how they’re doing?

“In gymnastics, some days, it feels like everyone is coming off an injury. Even everyday ‘aches and pains’ can limit a gymnast’s training. Leonie (Meier) is swinging bars and beginning to do some skills on floor and beam. This was a major surgery so she is still a few months out. Ana (Pascu) is making great progress. She does one hard leg event per day. Right now she is tumbling on the rod floor and vaulting into soft landing. Anina (Wildi), who was injured at World Championships, is back at about 90%. It is important when coming back from injury to go slow. If you rush back, you are just going to get injured again. As a coach, it breaks my heart when a gymnast gets injured. We try to get the gymnasts as strong as possible. Strength is injury prevention.”

We’ve recently seen lots of videos of the gymnasts training upgrades and some cool skills, such as Livia’s double front and Chiara’s DTY. Do you think the gymnasts have gained confidence over the past six months and if so, what has contributed to that?

“The gymnasts know that the gym is their safe space. They know that the only way to improve is to get outside their comfort zone.  When we started we focused on strength, basics and drills. Now they have the strength and understanding to do the skills. Confidence was pretty low when we arrived. Now they have swagger. They believe in themselves.  They believe in the process. They believe in the team. Wendy and I are pretty positive people. We don’t push the gymnasts. We lead them. We believe in them.”

We’re seeing more and more European elites going to the US to compete in NCAA. Do you know if there’s any interest in this among the current Swiss gymnasts? 

“Our main focus is preparing a team for Europeans and Worlds.  To share information throughout the RLZs (Swiss regional performance centres) on technique, on philosophy and what we need in gymnasts coming up here. For some gymnasts, they know they are not in consideration for Europeans and Worlds and that college in USA would be a great experience. If that is their goal, we are happy to work with them. But not to the detriment of the overall Swiss program.”

Why the world needs activist athletes today more than ever.  

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Source: Why the world needs activist athletes today more than ever | World Economic Forum

  • Activism in sports has a proud history in the US and around the world, and current events are making it more important than ever.
  • Building on this and finding a way forward will require leadership at every level of society – including from high-profile athletes.
  • To make a real difference, however, athletes need to be supported by all actors in sport.

“To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street, and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Those were among the words San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick spoke in August 2016 to explain his views on ongoing racial injustice in the United States, and why he refused to stand for the national anthem before an NFL pre-season game. Kaepernick decided to kneel during subsequent games, too; his actions inspired many, but were heavily criticized as well. There were calls for NFL owners to fire players who followed his lead.

Kaepernick’s protests have rushed back into public consciousness in the aftermath of the brutal actions against George Floyd, the man whose death has become one of the symbols of the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and around the world. The stark side-by-side images of Kaepernick ‘taking a knee’ and the police officer who pressed his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck during an arrest in Minneapolis speak volumes. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Floyd’s death has triggered massive public demonstrations throughout the US and around the world, with protesters demanding solutions to systemic police abuse and wider racial and social injustice.

Where do we go from here? Can sport help address in real ways the wrongs of the past and present, and help build a better and more just future for all?

Those are big questions with no quick answers. What is clear is that finding a way forward will require principled leadership at all levels of society, including by high profile athletes. Kaepernick’s activism, and the support he has received from other sporting figures, most recently, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, is a reminder of the critical roles athletes and other public figures have played over the years, both as symbols of social change and as advocates for needed reforms. It also calls us to remember why freedom of expression is a fundamental right, and why more dialogue and understanding is needed, including on how that right is responsibly exercised in the world of sport.

It is worth recalling the proud tradition of athlete activism in the US. Think of Jackie Robinson’s example of integrating professional baseball, or Billie Jean King pushing for gender equality in tennis. Think of Muhammed Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War, which inspired the Black Power salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Think also of the roles athletes like Arthur Ashe and Magic Johnson played in de-stigmatizing HIV/AIDS and of the ongoing activism of Kareem Abdul Jabbar, whose writing and leadership have helped shaped public discussions about issues of race and religion. Colin Kaepernick follows in that long tradition.

As Black Lives Matter demonstrations continue to grow, more athletes are now speaking out. Numerous professionals from major professional leagues have taken to the streets to join protestors. NFL players came together to call on the league to condemn racism and admit fault for attempting to silence players. Their voices are clearly making a difference; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell admitted the league was “wrong for not listening” to players earlier and for not encouraging all to speak out and peacefully protest.

The NFL and other sports leagues, including the Olympic movement, are big businesses and their leadership must now take the next steps, working alongside athletes and other stakeholders. They clearly face many challenges, not only about how to return to play safely during the ongoing pandemic, but also how to the ensure respect for fundamental rights, including freedom of expression. Sports leagues have a difficult but critical role to play in supporting athletes who stand up for human rights.

We shouldn’t be surprised that athletes wish to express their identities and beliefs while on and off the playing field. It is time to see athletes who speak up for who they are. But we also recognize that their actions need to be supported by all actors in sport, not just the athletes themselves.

It is the responsibility of all involved in sport to develop strategies that support free expression and assembly just as they must for all other international human rights standards. Steps to intervene should be taken only if views being expressed undermine others’ human rights. Freedom of expression must be exercised in ways that ensure respect for the rights and reputations of others.

There is a great deal of work to be done to help ensure that the voices of athletes and others are heard and respected as we confront this central human rights struggle of our day. We at the Centre for Sport and Human Rights already engage with a broad range of actors in the world of sport, searching for practical solutions to human rights concerns from improving the conditions of workers who build and work at sport venues to protecting the safety and health of child athletes. We know what can be achieved when all involved in sport have a seat at the table in decision-making and when all work together to create the change that is needed.

We have an unprecedented opportunity today to broaden those conversations even further and include even more voices in much needed dialogue and joint action to foster racial and social justice around the world. We’re convinced doing so will not only help sport achieve its highest ideals, but will also contribute to making our world a place that truly respects the inherent dignity and equal rights of all people.

In Need of Great Minds

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Great Minds
My wife and I are having a house built and have sold our old house. We have been living up at our lake house for the last few months. A beautiful place, but pretty isolated. A great place to think (or over think?!). Combine that with a 50 minute drive to get to one of my gyms I have had lots of time to think. 
As the Chairman of the USECA I have been on the USAG Advisory Committee. We do not seem to get a lot done. It is just too large if a group with too many interests to actually advise.  It is NOT for lack of trying. There is good leadership and some very committed people. The representatives on the Advisory Council are wonderful and do a great job representing their constituents. But it may be time for more.

The US Gymnastics Club Owners Association has been a great asset for clubs as we all tried to navigate getting reopened. Now that many of us our open they are a resource to learn from each other mistakes and successes.

  • What is working
  • What are you cleaning with,
  • What does your new waiver look like,
  • Where do we go from here
  • Are you traveling with your team this year
  • Are you hosting your invitational

What the USGCOA understands is that Gymnastics professionals and gymnastics business owners are struggling. My personal feeling is that before this is all over close to 1/3 of the clubs in the USA could be forced to close their doors.  
There are some great MINDS in the gymnastics world.  People with a lot of experience and creative thinkers as well as problem solvers. It may be time to tap these minds and come up with some concrete and creative ideas to navigate out of this. 
This is not a “let’s overthrow USAG”.  Truthfully, I don’t care about them at all right now. I am worried about the future of our sport.  My gyms will survive.  But others may not.  My brain power is consumed by just day to day operations as we reopen in stages and HOPE to get to 50% of what our enrollment has been. How many gyms are NOT going to be able make it on 50%? It would have been nice to have some better direction and leadership from the federation, but they are operating in survival mode.  At this point there really are no viable alternatives to USAG. I am the education coordinator for USAIGC and I believe it is a great program but I don’t believe they have an interest in becoming the National Governing Body for gymnastics. AAU was once the NGB. Like USAIGC, they have a good program, BUT they are not equipped to be NGB in this day and age.

My caffeine fueled thought today is that we should put together a meeting, zoom or otherwise, just to see if we can find ways to navigate this. There should be  representation from

  • Women’s Program
  • Men’s Program
  • Large Club (400+ enrollment) 2 or 3 reps. East coast, Middle, West coast) 
  • Small Club (Under 400) (2 or 3 reps. East coast, middle, West coast) 
  • Suppliers

It would be great to get these great minds together and see what kind of solutions come up. Having representatives from clubs of different sizes in different geographical areas will be of benefit. I do not know if this is possible or even if there is the collective bandwidth to take on such a task.

 

Just my thoughts! Let me know yours!

  • Who would you like to hear from?
  • What questions would you want answered?
  • Any Thoughts on representation?

Be a GREAT Leader During This Crisis

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I had a call the other day with a number of other club owners. We are all just trying to figure out- WHAT’S NEXT. We have to be able to walk and chew gum. We cannot afford to stay so focused on the virus that we lose sight of other things that are coming our way. 

  • We are probably going to be allowed to reopen our gyms AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME.  Summer is struggle for most gym owners. Have you thought about your plan for summer? 
  • Will your gyms be under a restriction on the amount of gymnasts you can keep in the gym at one time? 
  • Are you going to be ready for a possible baby boom? Do you have enough staff trained to teach parent and tot classes? 
  • What maintenance issues can you take care of in the down time?  
  • Have you been able to do anything to further your education? 

Following the conversation I read a great article in FORBES. I want to share some of the thoughts and Ideas. Read the original article here.

Now more than ever, there’s a need for great leadership in your gym. Even for seasoned gym owners and managers, when it comes to leading during a crisis like COVID-19, it’s hard to know where to begin. Every gym I know has been forced to lay off most if not all their employees. 

The truth is, this experience will change us. It’s like nothing I’ve ever witnessed in my 53 years of life. It’s different from any of the major challenges our society has faced in the recent past. Similar to 9/11, it feels like it came out of nowhere, and there’s simply no playbook to be found. Nobody really knows what to do.

Right now there are more questions than answers, and this level of ambiguity is difficult for humans—we crave certainty. But if you’re “the boss” in the gym, it’s imperative for the success of your team and  business to be strong and to lead with everything you’ve got. 

Here are five powerful ways you can help your people in a significant way:

  1. Stay Positive (Even When You Feel Negative): This one is tricky. Shouldn’t leadership be about honesty? Yes, for the most part. But the reality is, with this crisis, nobody knows what will happen. So we have a choice between guiding our employees with negativity or positivity. As a rule- I don’t do drama.  This doesn’t mean sugar coating the reality of our current situation or turning a blind eye to everything that’s going on. It means that, instead of getting caught up in the spiral of worst-case scenario thinking, you intentionally choose to focus on what you can control, what’s going right, and how you and your employees can work together to support each other and move forward day by day.
  2. Create A Message Of Hope: If I could turn back the clocks and prevent this pandemic from happening, I would do it in a heartbeat. But I can’t. It’s here, and it’ll be with us for the next few months, if not more. So, it’s time to think about the potential silver linings of this international catastrophe, faraway as they may seem right now. What problems have we been facing as a population, and how can this help us be better as a whole? I see two obvious themes: coming together and having a shared experience of discomfort and very justified fear (after all, this is affecting everyone). What hopeful message can you come up with—and spread to coaches you work with—that aligns with these common threads? How can these themes ultimately benefit the gym?
  3. Be Vulnerable And Make An Effort To Connect: Being vulnerable is hands down the best thing you can do as a leader. Period. Connection is critical at a time like this, especially when we’re all isolated in our homes, and opening up tends to allow others to trust and connect effortlessly with you. No, it sure isn’t easy, but it’s an effective strategy to leverage. Whether you do so in one-on-one meetings or with your full staff, try to find moments where you can share your true feelings and be honest and emotionally open.
  4. Take Care Of Yourself: For many of us, this one is very hard to follow. We are used to being physical and moving every day. Now we spend a great deal of our time navigating SBA loan applications. Before this- I worked out almost every day. Then coached.  Now- I try to go for a walk or run in the morning and then some exercises around the house.  I think I have invented a new workout regimen POWER YARD WORK.  Even though our gyms are closed there’s too much to do, too many problems to solve, and more people to connect with than humanly possible, it’s easy to let self-care go. But don’t. You can’t be inspiring if you’re exhausted. You can’t lead if you get sick. You can’t be hopeful if you’re stressed out. This is non-negotiable. 
  5. Have A Plan: The nature of this crisis is making planning difficult because things are changing by the day and week. However, as a leader, you want to give your people something to hold onto. Share your plan for the week. As much as you can, it’s optimal to demonstrate that you’re thinking of ways to tackle the challenges and you’re putting these ideas into action and getting everyone back to work. 

Let me know how YOU are doing. It’s a tough time but we are going to be OK. #itsgoing2Bok

Doc Massimo. Thank You For All The Lessons You Taught Me.

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RIP DOC.

He has been my mentor for more than 30 years. He passed away this weekend. 

When I met him, Doc was a Harvard Educated psychologist and a gymnastics coach. I was a rookie gymnastics coach studying psychology. I attended one of his lectures and like many good lectures I finished with many more questions than answers. I stopped him in the hallway and asked, “Excuse me, Dr. Massimo, Do you have time to answer a few follow up questions?” 

He simply said, “Call me Doc, Let’s go get a coffee and we can finish the discussion”. 

2 hours later we changed from coffee to wine and we were still talking shop. 

While in college I met with him on occasion to seek academic and research advice.  At the beginning of my coaching career I called on him on a regular basis for advice in the gym. As my career began to take off (based on the talent of the gymnasts) he was always available. We would meet for Chinese food  or go for a quick drink after a competition and great discussions.

Looking back he was around at many of my life’s highpoints. 

– He was the first one out side of my family to call and congratulate me on the birth of my daughter. 

– The first time I had a gymnast make USA Championships, she made Event Finals on Balance Beam. As she dismounted and nailed her routine- who was there to congratulate the two of us? Doc. 

Doc was always filled with an infectious enthusiasm! He had a way of making you believe in yourself and making even your craziest dreams seem possible. 

Or relationship was never too formal. His leadership was less about directives and more about exploring ageless themes — constantly reminding me, “Consider this.” And “”Stop Over Thinking.” He expected me to raise  my game. 

As I reflect back on my relationship with Doc I realize that though coaches do often provide guidance and mentorship to others, once we hit a certain age, that guidance tends to fade away. And yet that’s when we need it most, because that’s when we as leaders have the greatest impact.

But should there be more? Is there a point at which we age out of having mentors and are obliged, instead, to play only the role of mentor, not mentee? As I reflect on the insights Doc gave me, I believe this is the case. I probably won’t find another mentor in my career, but the one I did have offered his guidance and wisdom with the implicit expectation that I find my own way to pass it on. Maybe Doc’s mentorship doesn’t end with his death. Maybe the final gift he’s given me is the opportunity to reflect on what he’s given me, with the goal of trying to become a mentor worthy of his investment.

Doc’s passing reminds me that my runway is limited, even short. I’m not sure if I’m yet worthy to pass his insights to others. I’m always surprised when younger people say they consider me a mentor. “Tony, when you said that, it changed my life direction. I want to thank you for that.” Often the “that” are comments, frankly, sometimes I don’t remember making.

But it’s time for me to pick up the mantle. The lessons I’ve gleaned from Doc are now part of me. None of what I learned from Doc are things he demanded I take from him or were forced on me. His casual reflections from the hard knocks of experiences of gymnastics and life were the source. He provided sparks of insight, even brilliance, derived from the messy context of gym life. He simply  placed the insight on the table and let me figure it out. 

Great mentors, I’ve realized, don’t tell you what to do; they find ways bring out the best in you. Doc taught me not to be a BOSS in the gym with the gymnasts but to be a partner in their experience. He taught me not to hover and micromanage my employees but to offer thought-provoking perspective. It’s less important that others do things my way than that we together shape the values and principles of the gym. 

Like everyone who unexpectedly loses someone they love, I rue that I hadn’t seen Doc recently. Who knows what stories and metaphors I have missed the chance to consider. My education from him feels incomplete. And so I know that I must pick up the ball on my own. Whom should I lunch with now? Mentorship, in both directions, especially for those of us in our 50s, is too precious to let slip away.

Rest in Peace Doc.  You’ve changed the world. 

Doc- you have changed a generation of coaches. I thank you and hope carry on. Many people have seen my lecture, “Coaches as Educators” and I am turning it into a book. I really should re-name it to, “Everything I learned from Doc.”

You Must Accept The Harsh Truth That NOBODY Cares and You Need to Just Work Harder

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Found in INC MAGAZINE

One of the biggest tests of leadership is how you act in times of setbacks and adversity. Some of us beam, some buckle (but hold), others break. What makes tough times even tougher is that there’s often an element of unfairness to it. Maybe somebody has wronged you, a circumstance has occurred over which you have no control, the system is inherently biased against you, or others are getting preferential treatment.

Thriving in adversity is also difficult because your energy, resources, and support might be depleted by the mere fact that that’s what adversity does. Maybe fighting through setbacks tests you and your will, taunts you, tortures you until you want to call it quits.

The point is there are a variety of reasons it’s called adversity, and a variety of outcomes based on how you choose to handle it. Running through it all is one common thread, a brutal truth that you must eventually embrace if you want to plow through setbacks and succeed.

No one cares. Work harder.

After this past weekend’s Baltimore Ravens game, the emerging favorite to win the league MVP, quarterback Lamar Jackson, attended the post-game press conference with a t-shirt on that boldly pronounced this painful truth: No one cares. Work harder.

It’s not the first time I’ve encountered this sentiment. In my book Make It Matter, I shared the story of Mark Shapiro, who was then president of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians organization. In an interview, Shapiro told me that once he was attending a friend’s wedding; his friend happened to be marrying the daughter of NFL coaching legend Bill Parcells.

Shapiro was talking to the coach and lamenting about how his Indians team was devastated by injuries and an aging player roster. Parcells interrupted Shapiro with an abrupt piece of advice: “Mark, nobody gives a s—!” He repeated his advice again to Shapiro at the wedding reception and a third time in the restroom. Shapiro said he never forget the lesson as he took it: “leaders must lead, there must be unswerving accountability, and there are no excuses.”

I’ve personally learned this lesson, too. Many times. I’ve had moments on more than one occasion throughout my career where I forgot this lesson, where I played the victim, where I became overly focused on what was happening to me, where I spent too much energy on offering excuses and explanations and fighting to right the wrongs being done to me. I was lamenting, not leading.

Here’s why this is very powerful advice, even if it’s harsh.

First the hard part of the advice– it implies no one cares. Which is 100 percent true. But not because we’re all evil. Think about it for a moment, in times of adversity and setbacks, odds are that everyone around you is going through some things, too. It’s not personal, it’s not that no one cares about you as a person. They just don’t care about your circumstances because they have their own to worry about.

You don’t have to like it, but you do have to live with it. And it’s true for everybody in every situation. Well, with one exception: if you’re a workaholic whose family is begging you to be more present for them, then “No one cares. Work harder” is misguided, terrible advice. But for just about every other situation, it’s a universally applicable sentiment. So take strength in numbers.

Now the second part of the advice– work harder. That’s the more helpful bit. Underlying this is likely another layer of truth. Think back to the last time you were in a circumstance where you found yourself lashing out at others, making excuses, or playing the frustrated victim. If you’re honest with yourself, isn’t it true that if you spent less time complaining and bemoaning and more time getting down to business and rolling up your sleeves to work harder, smarter, or just plain differently, it would have helped? I’m betting, yes. As hard as that might be to admit.

So while being admonished to work harder might feel harsh, it gets you back to solution mode, to something you can control (your effort level) instead of focusing on what you can’t. You thus instantly take back at least some level of personal power, which is far better than feeling powerless.

So prescribe a little tough love to yourself or someone else who needs to hear it the next time you face a tough situation. Instead of seething in the face of setbacks, there’ll be success.

Tips To Be A GREAT Leader

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I was reading the online edition of INC magazine and came across the article. Good lessons for all of us. I have edited it to make it more friendly for our industry.

The worst leaders are remembered for what they did to their people, the best for what they did for their people. It’s as simple, and as tricky as that.

Tricky because as a leader it’s easy to focus solely on tending to the business and your career, forgetting that tending to your people first will take care of both.

Over my career as a head coach and gym owner o I’ve learned that delivering the “for” is as important as delivering the forecast (again, they aren’t mutually exclusive). It’s what good leaders, and good human beings, do. However, even with the most altruistic intent, you can miss doing the kind of things that epitomize your number one role as a leader.

To care.

Here are the five most powerful things you can do for your people to do right by your people.

1. Build a MOAT around them.

MOAT stands for Managing On Absolute Trust, and it’s a must. Isn’t it what you would want as an employee? To know your boss trusted you and your decisions? To carry this idea further I pictured building a moat around my people as a key part of my job. They know I have their back. Doing so creates an empowered island where they are free to choose how they rule their kingdom (their event, their groups, their classes) without interference.

They’re protected from outside interference and yet there’s always a drawbridge to my help and assistance. I’d cross over that drawbridge upon request or would proactively do so to provide coaching and nurturing (thus, they were never “on an island”, as the negative connotation goes).

Finally, moats are reserved for protecting and growing important assets. Picturing the moat around my people reminded me to reinforce that they’re valued and valuable, worthy and worthwhile.

2. Give them the best feedback they’ve ever gotten.

It’s not a high enough bar to merely invest the time it takes to give feedback. Any leader can do that, although clearly not every leader does. Research from Officevibe (an online leadership learning platform) shows that two-thirds of employees want more feedback, and 83 percent say the feedback they get isn’t helpful.

The best bosses go beyond and thoughtfully plan out and deliver insightful, actionable, even brave, feedback.

Think of the best feedback you’ve ever gotten and replicate what had to be true for you to have gotten it. It required insight into you as a person and nailing a fundamental truth about what makes you great (that you should do more of) or what was holding you back. It took time, careful observation, and the giver of the feedback caring enough about you to get the feedback spot-on, delivered in a way you could hear it. Start here.

3. Care about their career as much as you care about yours.

Start by having crystallizing career conversations. Help them identify what they want to do in their career, not what their supposed to want to do. Get clear with them on what it takes to get where they want to go and discuss options without setting unrealistic expectations.

Then advocate for them ferociously, find ways for showcasing their talents in ways that will give them a career boost.

4. Get the skeletons out of their closet.

This means getting employees to share their most closely held performance weaknesses; the things they know they need to work on but are afraid to admit. I think I am a pretty good all around coach. BUT- I am NOT the person you want coaching dance for girls or pommel horse for boys.

This puts learning in overdrive, but can only happen if you have a foundation of trust in place (which will be there if you’ve built a moat). Maybe they don’t like to speak in front of large groups or feel they stink at vault.

5. Teach them in teachable moments.

Continuing with the theme of investing in their development and growth, be on the lookout for teachable moments when learning is most powerful. Moments like the day after a terrible competition or when a plan does NOT come together. In those moments, coach.

Most importantly, do these things right because they’re the right things to do.

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