When I first opened up shop in Argyle, Texas about 18 months ago I knew I had something different to offer. I viewed it as a new opportunity for kids, families and coaches in athletic sports. It was not going to be in competition against anyone because I was not trying to make something better.
Actually I vividly remember the conversation when I signed the lease on my building having a conversation with a group of people who worked for the company I was leasing from. Now I get it, I look like I am 12 with a lot of energy and I was telling them about this new opportunity. I remember saying that I was bringing something to Argyle and surrounding areas, an opportunity they had never seen before…
The look of their faces will always live within me. It was not taken personally. They were not trying to be mean or malicious. Heck if anything deep down they want me to succeed because I was paying them for space to operate.
But I knew in my heart I had prepared nearly a decade to begin offering this opportunity.
Argyle Sports
It’s kinda frustrating because you hear it in sports. You hear it from other training facilities. Those things are sayings like “we are more than sports” or “we want to build great young men and women” yet very rarely do I see that in their habits or values.
Actually I even go as far to say in the first conversations with parents or coaches that if you are only looking for strength and speed training I am probably not the place for you. Because the foundation of our facility is built around mentorship, relationships and developing an identity the kids are confident to live in.
At the end of the day whether it’s nine year old kids up through the young adults in college, they are all craving one thing. They want deep, meaningful and intimate conversations. Nearly all the conversations they have right now in their life are very generic and surface level.
That’s why I tell people we are not the place if you only want physical training. There must be a level of trust to know that if a parent or coach is paying for individual training and they walk into us having a 45 minute conversation. They know those words being spoken are more meaningful and powerful than finishing up the actual lifting portion of our session.
Athletic Training
A huge difference to help people understand this new opportunity in athletic training in Argyle is the first question I ask kids and parents is all about them. Walk into 95% of other facilities around the country and they will take you on a tour of their facility. They want to show you all the state of the art equipment. The fancy gadgets they use in training and all that’s great but fancy equipment does not build a person’s identity.
I wanna know about YOU! The moment everyone sits down in the office I tell them the microphone is theirs and I am here to listen. Now I will guide them with a certain set of questions. But I find it fascinating because for most of them (specifically older ones) you can see the tears starting to come to their eyes.
The ones that begin to open up a little. You can feel the energy in the room like a tiny weight has been lifted off their shoulders to start to open conversations they have been wanting to have. They have been putting on a disguise for months or years living as someone that does not appeal to them.
For me, that first conversation is to build that initial trust and connection so that if this is the place for them they will feel comfortable with more meaningful conversations.
Athletic Sports
The mental side of sports has gained a ton of traction across the sports world over the past decade or so. But it’s the mental health of the person that matters most to me. I have been working with two universities for about the past six months and I have expressed to both stop trying to fix the athlete.
Upgrade the person and the athlete that lives within that person will take care of itself.
It’s kinda like when athletes become obsessed with winning and they can not quite get the results they want. It’s because they are too focused on the end result versus the progress in between. Remember the brain is not designed to notice progress and things that are going well in life. That is something you have to train it to do.
The brain is built for survival. So when you focus on the end result, which you do not have yet, you start freaking out. Thoughts go to all the things you have not done yet or the things you need to do. And all the progress you have made goes unnoticed!
It’s no wonder more athletes are dealing with more stress and anxiety than ever before. Stack that with 1,000 commentators on your Instagram feed and you will drive yourself crazy.
The Underground In Argyle
Instead the idea is to know that you are enough right now in this very moment. You do not need another like or follower to feel like you are worthy. You do not need another accomplishment or accolade to feel enough. All the powers you need right now are inside you. My ultimate goal is for YOU to see those powers inside yourself.
The fun part about all this is that it feels good to continue to upgrade your life. I heard a saying the other day that really applies to my mission : “you don’t have to be sick to get better”…
This is what I tell everyone I work with. If you want to have a conversation or wanna grow as a person does not mean you’re “sick” or “something is wrong with you” it means you are ready to unleash those superpowers!
That’s a gift! It’s fun to grow and expand! It feels amazing to witness your desires materialize in your life! The greatest part of all is waking up knowing you can ditch that disguise and live as the person YOU choose…
That feels fucking GREAT!