onsdag 2 januari 2013

to be or not to be

Since 2006 I work as fencing coach, actually I’m fencing coach.
Not really complete, still learning, still collecting experience.
It’s not so easy to be fencing coach, but I’m trying to do my best. Already with great self-confidence, already ambitious, still want more, often more than my own students and this leads to moment that I’m very disappointed. But I’m still learning, I start understand that everything I do need a time.
I need a time to understand my students.
My students need time to understand fencing… sometimes I need more time to understand fencing better too.

What I have learned as a Coach already is that my students are not as me 10-20 years ago.
They wannabe good, but their good is like half good when I try to compare it with “my times” and believe me I wasn’t best.
They say they practice hard, but it’s like a half hard in my opinion. It seems like they want it... But as one of my favorite YouTube video says... They don’t want it bad, really bad.

I wanted it bad. I tried practice hard, and I’ve make a lot of mistakes, everything was “clear” when I was 25… it was a moment that I could jump in on the piste and just fence… like Neo in matrix… but it was “little” too late.

As a small recompense I won 8 gold in Sweden, didn’t practice, but my head was ready… and I didn’t say my last word yet,..
I dreamed to be a champion, and I decide to do everything is needed to make it happen. I didn’t achieve all I dreamed about, but it was really worth it to try.

My love to fencing, my passion makes me a fencing coach, which can be good. Time, will show.

My motivation was those few moments on podium, doesn’t matter which competitions.
My motivation was stipendium which give me possibilities to buy shoes or jeans, I never could afford without it, because I grow up without father, so all incomes we had was my mother salary, not so high, believe me.

I could go to Academy of Physical Education without exams.
I never paid for any world cup or my equipment.
I could travel, I could meet many people, I could learn languages.
I know, it was post communistic Poland, at 90’s … but it was great for me!

 It was like 2+2,
I will practice = I will be good.
I will be good enough = I will come to national team
National team = World Cups, Stipendium, equipment

First time flying by fencing
First time outside Europe by fencing
Start learning Russian by fencing
Go study by fencing
“First time” … by fencing (summer camp)
Nice…

Then you will be a fencing coach J
Nice…
Really, as my friend Henrik wrote few weeks ago... he has best work in the world, and Henrik is a coach, fencing coach to.

 Let ask your friends or parents, who want to do what he/she likes and take salary for it.
Yes, I know Bank director can be also cool job, and cool salary… but with all respect to Bank directors (especially those who want to be a sponsor to fencing or fencers) how cool is to be bank director?

 I was thinking about it. I even asked my wife
(Those who know my wife, knows that I have best wife that fencing coach can get, she simply understand that I love her more than football and basketball… but fencing was my “first one”, and I hate football, but I like pretty much basketball)
So I asked my wife, did I go to work.. She answered: you always say I’m going to the club…
I never said I’m going to work!
I’m not working J

 You cannot work like 50 hours per week, sometimes few weeks in a row without day off and get 75% salary for it and call it work..
I know, it calls… madness
But this is not madness, this is fencing. (Not Sparta!)

It seems that my students live in totally different world today.
They thinking about be a champion,
You can be a champion, Swedish champion, is propably what you get when you are practicing 2-3 times per week, but it will be champion in cross-orientation…
(Actually I heard that Sweden is quite good on it, so maybe is not so easy as I think)

Is it possible to be a champion in “call of duty” if you are practicing 2-3 times per week?

Lance Armstrong won 7 times Tour de France and 2 Olympic gold if I remember correct, and hi practiced around 12 hours per DAY and even this wasn’t enough, as we know today hi get help by other methods too.
(hi is still one of my heroes!)

As I see my students want too much,
Be good in school, be good in fencing, meet friends, watch tv, visit shopping center, play PlayStation, sleep a lot, don’t miss any family holidays trip, be always on grandma B-day party...

 
Sorry, it’s not working like this.
You always hear Life is the art of choice
You can choose to have fun in fencing; it will be really nice for sure
You can choose to do your best to be the best, without any guarantee that you will achieve it, I think this is really fun.. Sweat, pain and tears

If you want to be good in fencing you need to choose that since today for next 10 or 15 years you forget about everything what is not fencing connected, at least 11 month per year.

Yes, you can do something more, you can find even time to visit your grandmother but this demand a great self-discipline, no excuses just work, just step by step to achieve you goals, goal after goal, day by day, week after week.

I couldn’t find any of those “Greatest” who achieve “greatness” without offer their life for it.
And what is quite funny, in fencing you do this all just for yourself. You cannot expect money, sponsors or nice cars for it.
It’s just for you.

 So I’m thinking is it worth it?

I can help you work hard, I can show you how.
If you come to me and tell my “I want it bad, and I’m ready to do anything for it” I will do my best, I take responsibility for you, I will spend with you 20hours on the piste per week, but I need to know that you are crazy enough to be not afraid, that you are ready to give 100% of you every time I ask, and I will ask for it every day.

If you come to me and tell my “I want to have fun” I will show you fun with fencing  too.

But please you need to be honest with me, and what is more important with yourself.

 I know that be a coach is more to serve, than conquer but I demand great motivation and hard work before you deserve my serve
This is kind of coach I’m.
It’s not me who work, I just tell you and show you how, and you decide how much of it you will take.

 

 

 

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