Are you a successful athlete? What makes a successful athlete?
1. A successful athlete is Coachable.
Coachable athletes are humble. They’re willing and eager to receive feedback. They know that they have more to learn and they know that they need guidance along the way. They trust that their Coach has their best interests at heart and they listen closely to feedback on ways in which they could be performing better in the gym.
As athletes, we’re always growing, always pushing, always looking to improve and be more efficient. Coachable athletes get this and it makes them better athletes. They are constantly learning and gaining new information, and then they employ that information in their training.
As athletes, we are the sum total of the coaching we’ve received. We each have a team of people behind us that have contributed to our athletic career. Coachable athletes recognize the care and investment that they’ve received, and they look to grow that investment all the time.
On the flipside, proud athletes often make little progress. They don’t think they need coaching which results in blindspots in their training. And, inevitably, they get stuck.
2. A successful athlete is Driven.
Driven athletes constantly want more. They want more knowledge, more time in the gym, more opportunities, more personal records, more. They recognize that these gains take hard work and they discipline themselves to the task.
As athletes, we’re inspired by other athletes that are driven. We love to see an athlete dedicate themselves to improving. And, when they reach their goal, we eat it up! We love to see hard work paying off.
Driven athletes have purpose every time they step foot in the gym. They often take detailed notes as to what they’re doing and how it compares to what they’ve done in the past. They test, retest, succeed, fail - and learn from their failures. They set tangible goals and they dream big. They are often thinking in the midst of even the hardest of WODs. “What was my goal here? Can I do more? Can I hang on for a few more reps? Can I make this movement more efficient somehow? What other experiences have I had in workouts that can help me here?”
Driven athletes inspire us! Driven athletes make other athletes better. Other athletes learn from their dedication and look to imitate their successes. Driven athletes breed driven athletes.
3. A successful athlete is Encouraging.
Successful athletes appreciate others. They recognize that the community they enjoy is built on caring for and supporting others. They recognize that the support and encouragement they’ve received is fundamental to their success - and they look to give that same support and encouragement to others.
The success of CrossFit is rooted in our ability to be a community of people that cares for each other. Encouragement is infectious. When we receive it, we immediately desire to give it. When we recognize how important the support and investment of others has been to us athletes, we long to pass that on!
We remember those people that gave us encouragement when we felt like giving up. We remember those times when someone followed up with us, kept us accountable, sent us an atta-boy/girl. Those little moments of encouragement and support got us through tough WODs, self-doubt, laziness, etc. They made us feel like we belong. They made the gym feel like a second home.
When we stop to think about the people that are in our corner, we appreciate the value of looking to pour into the lives of others. Encouraging athletes breed encouraging athletes and a community that is vibrant and full of life.
4. A successful athlete is Positive.
Positive athletes come into the gym with a mindset of wanting to get better, and choose to stay positive even when confronted with difficulties. They never complain, whine, or make excuses. Instead, they expect hard work, difficulty, and inevitably, they expect their success.
Positive athletes recognize the importance of facing their weaknesses - movements that humble them or worse - movements they can’t do. When an athlete runs into a movement they can’t do, they have two options:
1 - Leave. This program is too hard. This isn’t for me.
2 - Stay. I want this. I’m pissed that I can’t do this. So, I’m going to stay and work hard at it.
Positive athletes stay motivated when things get frustrating. They find the positives in the midst of difficulty. They believe they will overcome.
Positivity, just like encouragement and drive is contagious. We all have someone that comes to mind when we think of a positive influence in the gym! We look to position ourselves near them, and we’re encouraged by their positive outlook.
-Coach Joe