Thank You

This newsletter is a personal shout-out to 4 guys.

Ron Theberge
Frank Gramarosso
Al Carius
Ken Popejoy

Lessons Learned

All four of these guys were my coaches and each of them had a major impact on my life. The list of lessons learned from them is too long to write. But the lessons went well beyond the field. The majority of their teachings were to prepare us for real life:

being part of something bigger than yourself
dealing with hardships
sacrifice
always conducting yourself properly

Full Circle

My life has come full circle, I recently became my daughter’s assistant soccer coach. Although these girls might just be 7 years old, it’s never too early to learn what it takes to succeed on and off the field.

How I got so lucky to have these guys in my life I will never know. But I thank them because their teachings and examples are about to be passed on to another generation!

Image Credit: Matt Jones via Unsplash

A Passion of Mine

I know you are not supposed to pick favorites…but too bad, I did! I would venture to guess that you are going to be surprised at my answer. My favorite population to work with is not athletes or weekend warriors. The Baby Boomer generation is where it’s at for me. These silver foxes don’t deadlift 500 lbs. nor do they run a sub four-minute mile. But they do deadlift 65 lbs. and push the sled. Now that gets me excited!

This generation is much different than mine and younger generations. They understand hard work better than anyone I have ever met. There is no self-entitlement or woe is me in their vocabulary. They have a wisdom that comes with age, they know how to deal with adversity, and most importantly they understand that there is a process, and that process does not happen overnight. There is a lot that can be learned from the Baby Boomers.

Why I Love Baby Boomers

The reason I love to work with this population is because I get to see their lives change more than anyone else I work with. We are able to hold back Father Time! They get stronger, better balance, better posture, denser bones, and more confidence in their physical ability. Instead of living life on a very narrow street, so to speak, they’re trucking down the 405 freeway doing 75 mph.

If you have kids you understand the significance of milestones and how awesome it is to see someone do something for the very first time. The problem is, those milestones that we once took for granted start disappearing because the body is starting to break down as we age. At least a few times a month I get to witness breakthroughs. Skills that they thought were lost just so happen to show up again - strength, balance, conditioning, and confidence. This is the best part of my job!

My Challenge To You

I am challenging you to encourage your grandparents, parents, and friends that it is never too late to pick up a weight, walk around the block, go to a yoga class, and eat healthier.

Image credit: Erik Taylor

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Lessons Passed On