A while ago I was blessed with the opportunity to sit with a friend of mine and record a podcast about his story of survival after being severely wounded in battle. No matter how many times I hear his story, it never ceases to amaze me. I’m sure I sat there with my mouth half open the whole time. I won’t sully his story by attempting to tell it, but I promise that you will want to check it out. Take a listen HERE. And Part Two Starts HERE.
but I digress…
During the interview we were discussing his work with wounded veterans and adaptive athletes and I asked a multi-layer question that I probably (or certainly) used too many words to ask, expressing a concern I know think a lot of coaches might have.
In short I asked “What advice would you give to a trainer that will help him to work with an athlete that comes in with a disability, be it psychological or physical? How can you help them to bridge that gap and attempt to relate to them, though you do not share that same experience?”
His answer… short, sweet and graceful
“Be honest and sincere.”
Be honest about your abilities. Whether you have prior experience, or not. Be honest about what you know and are capable of. Be honest about what you can relate to and what you can’t.
Be sincere about your willingness to take that journey with them and help them reach their goals. Be sincere in your actions and commitment.
Be honest and sincere…
Simple…
And yet, just think how much of a better teacher, business owner, coach, father, mother, co-worker, friend, confidant, countryman and so on we’d all be, if we actually took that to heart.
Be honest and sincere… in everything you do.
I challenge you to do just that…
Be good, stay safe, train hard.
-aaron
Aaron Jannetti 