Blue Chip Athletics

Several years ago, I was working with a high school girl who played field hockey. She was one of the best field hockey players in the state, and was being recruited by many Division I Universities. She came to me in tears one day because her coach benched her in the second half of a game for “not hustling.”

I knew my client well, and knew that she was not one to “not hustle.” I told her that the coach must have had a reason for benching her, as this coach was very successful, and not one to bow to the politics involved in high school sports. My client told me that the game was an easy victory, as her school was up by 8 goals at the half – when the benching took place. Digging a little deeper, I discovered that the entire team’s effort was sloppy, and the coach was unhappy with the entire team’s play.

I told my client to relax; she was not being benched for her lack of hustle, but to send a message to the rest of the team, that they had better hustle. “Your coach has a purpose for everything she does,” I said. “By benching you, she is telling the underclassmen that she is not afraid to bench her best player for not hustling.”

Message sent. That team went undefeated the rest of the season, won the state title, and has since added another.

I have worked with that coach many more times over the years, and have taken many of her athletes and helped them move on to intercollegiate sports. I learned over those years that I was right – she has a purpose for everything, and doesn’t waste time with busy work.

In the gym you should have a purpose for everything. Too often I see people getting on a treadmill to mindlessly move through a workout trying just to burn calories. Many times these people are watching TV, or reading a magazine as they plod along. How many people have you seen on their cell phones while walking on a treadmill?

Now I do applaud these folks for getting out and moving, but I believe they can do better if they had a plan, with a purpose.

It is now almost two weeks into the year. What is your plan? What goals do you have? (“I want to lose weight” doesn’t count.) Be specific. “I want to lose ten pounds by April 1.” Is more measurable, and can help you stay on track.

Once you have your goals, figure out how you get there. When planning your exercises, ask yourself if that exercise will help you get there, or if it is just biding time in the gym. If it is just biding time, get rid of it!

You will find that your training will become more targeted, streamlined, and most importantly, more effective.