Underdogs

"I'm not an athlete."
"I'm not good enough yet to compete."
"Everyone will laugh at me."
"I don't have a singlet."

I've heard all of these sentiments more than once the past two weeks when I've asked people to don a singlet and consider competing in a weightlifting meet.

My internal responses are:
"Yes you are."
"If you can lift a bar then you are."
"No one cares what you are doing. If they laugh then they are a horrible human being."
"Buy one. Borrow one. Or beg for one."

 Bring a cupcake to the next party & maybe I'll stay longer

Irony?

 I've said them all before myself. The same kind of words spewed from my mouth before my first coach stopped me over a decade ago and said, "I don't care if you are the strongest or the fastest person on the team. If you don't have heart I don't want you on my team. You have more heart than I've ever seen and I want you to lift."

Needless to say I listened to my coach and here I am 13 years later doing the same thing with my athletes.

 Anti-social Amber always leaves parties early anyway

The Underdogs

There is a misconception that in order to compete in an athletic event or be a programmed for athlete you have to be some kind of super star.

"That is incorrect."

I don't care whether you're snatching 140 kilos or a training bar, whether you want to go to the Olympics or just lift in your garage, or whether you are a weightlifter, CrossFitter, or bootcamper: if you want to get better, I want to help you. Every person that steps on one of my platforms gets the same amount of respect. I don't tolerate any kind of disrespect towards any athlete or community; I will remove you from the team for it should it happen again after a warning.

 It seems in a world full of people picking and choosing what they post on social media that people have forgotten what the sport is about. Yes personal records and medals are great. But it's the journey to get to those things that matter.


My Favorite Underdogs

I'm an underdog so I identify with other other underdogs. No one thought I'd have records or quit a law career to coach weightlifting full time. All of my athletes are underdogs for one reason or another. Maybe it's their background, their age, their injuries: whatever it may be, they have the biggest hearts this side of the Mason-Dixon line.

Every single one of my athletes is my favorite athlete. I'm biased. But that's what Mississippi Weightlifting Club and Mississippi Barbell is: a core group of individuals with the biggest hearts for sport that you've ever seen. Learn more about each athlete here.

The girl who couldn't overhead squat anywhere near parallel without her shoulders rotating getting into  a full snatch with improved shoulders makes me squeal like a giddy school girl. She then went on the be a national competitor.


The girl who used to lift with shoulder and wrist pain eventually being able to do so pain free makes me want to hug everyone I see when I get that report back (don't worry: I refrain from physical human contact most days). She is now one of the most mobile people I have ever met.



The guy who couldn't get front rack to save his life being able to do so repeatedly and consistently makes me send endearing expletive written text messages of joy. He went on to place second in his age group...in the nation.

The athletes that go home and research meets, totals, and rules and then report back to me that they are signing up for their first meet that day make me want to fall to the ground and openly weep.


The garage gym lifters who illustrate what dedication really is. One went on to be a full time firefighter while raising her three daughters and the other an American Open athlete.

The athletes that come in quietly day after day to train no matter what make this job what it is.


The athlete that takes mobility to heart and you see them doing whatever you told them to do even when you aren't looking. He went on to place 7th with his team at the Crossfit Games.



Iron Lesson: So if you're sitting there thinking this post is aimed at you, maybe it is. Maybe you need to go sign up for a competition or challenge yourself some way. Do something that is outside your comfort zone. You never know what you'll find along the way.