How do you measure a Jiu-Jitsu coaches success?

Piggy backing off my post from yesterday about coaching. 🐷

It takes less skill as a coach to push a naturally talented, gifted athlete, and guide them to perform above their peers. 🚀

Because the athlete has already been gifted with good genetics, already possesses the drive, and the concepts of grappling likely come easy to them. 🥋

It is far more impressive (in my opinion), to take the “awkward” kid or uncoordinated adult and guide them to start implementing the fundamentals of Jiu-Jitsu.

I personally was one of the latter. An awkward uncoordinated adult.

I played exactly ZERO sports, unless you count LARPing as a sport. Hint: You shouldn’t. 😂 ⚔️

The concepts of even basic athletic movements didn’t come easy to me. 🤔 Things like a good base, a good squat, and good posture were lost on me.

Back rolls were almost impossible for me to get down. 😳

Hip outs? You might as well have asked me to mine bitcoin….I would’ve had greater success. 🪙

I did possess one strange trait that paid off over the years……

I was extremely stubborn. 🫏

Almost to the point of stupidity.

I would just keep showing up.

I’d watch new athletes come. They would be taken under the coaches wing and welcomed with open arms to the “cool kids” club. 👏

That wasn’t me. 🫤

So when I see a little 10 year old, goofy kid who has far more hours into fortnite than he does on the mat 🎮 …..I know he’s out of his comfort zone. I admittedly give them a little more attention because it’s needed!

“That’s favoritism!!!” 🙄

On the contrary….It’s prudent coaching.

To give more attention to the “stud” is simply lazy coaching, spurred by selfish motives to post their gold medals on social media as if it was a result of YOUR hard work.

That’s not my style.

Now I’m speaking in broad generalities….so surely somebody is gonna find their way to the comments with the typical, “Not every coach is like that…..” 🙄

We know Regina…we know. 😑

But to quote our Lord Jesus “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” (Matt 9:12) 📖

My $.02

See you on the mats,

Written by Coach David Fox