September 21, 2018
Rehab Is Not a Dirty Word
Before we begin, let me acknowledge that Rehab(ilitation) has contributed to much of our Success @IPF and my personal Fitness Career…
I owe “Rehab” a great deal of payback as we have Profited through Financial Gain, Relationships with Great People, been continually Inspired by Incredible Work Ethic, and been eternally Motivated through Sheer Will and Determination…
In almost 25yrs, I have seen and been a part of some Incredible “Rehabs”:
Jurgen Summer was the 1st American Goalkeeper to play in the Premier League. I met him while I was Working in MLS for the New England Revolution. He was traded to us as an “Injured” Player, having torn both his ACL’s while Playing in MLS…
Everyone had given up on him, but We Knew there was more for Him to Accomplish. He had spent ~2.5yrs “Injured” before he came to us, and people were calling for his Retirement.
He became the 1st Player to Return to Play after Tearing both ACL’s and Performed like the Star he was. Although he was the 1st MLS Player to do this, he was much Prouder of Never Quitting and Believing in the Process.
The Standard He Set Training every day was Motivating to Everyone that came into contact with him, and made our Whole Team better as a result… His “Rehab” pushed his Teammates further, and harder, than they had ever been pushed because he set the Bar so High…
Tory Gabriello was struck by a Car travelling ~50mph. If not for a Nurse at a Coffee Shop across the Street, he would have Died. He suffered Head and Spine Injuries, in addition to all of his Limbs… He Decided he was Going to Walk, Run, Recover, Improve long before the Doctors thought he could, or anyone thought he would. His Tenacity and Determination Motivated Me on many Days to Work Harder and Match His Courage. Good Luck trying to find any evidence of the “Accident” when you meet him, as the only thing you will see is an impressive young man living his Best Life…
Olivia Wingate is a terrific young woman who Plays Soccer at Notre Dame.
She was diagnosed with a Knee Injury that needed “Routine” Surgery and was told she would be back, Pain-Free, in 3 Months…
When I met her, I met a Woman with no Training Experience, no Leg Strength, and a ton of Pain without any Knee Bend at all… She Decided to Train the “Rest” of Her Body, as the Doctors continually told her she would be fine.
Days went into Weeks, Weeks into Months. Frustrated but not deterred, she Improved her Habits: Sleeping 8hrs a night, Making Breakfast a Priority, Cooking at Home instead of Eating Out, and Adding Muscle to Get Stronger. We took a remarkably Patient Approach, and she never wavered.
9 Months Later, a Healthy, Mentally-Tough, and Fit Athlete passed her Conditioning Test with 3 only Weeks of Running as Prep.
She currently leads her Team in Goals, Shots, and Attitude about Training J
A Little Different take on Rehab involves the US Women’s Olympic Hockey Team. Their “Rehab” involved changing their Mental, Physical and Emotional State. They had been Training Consistently for ~2yrs before IPF. They had been doing the Same Movements, Same Lifts, with the Same Cues and Same Coaching, with No Improvement.
Imagine Giving ~8hrs a week to something for ~100 weeks with No Changes or Tangible Results… At Best, it would be Frustrating. At Worst, it would put you behind in your Desire to Win a Gold Medal…
The “Rehab” that we chose for the USWNHT started from when they Walked In, until their Final Day.
We completely changed their Training and How they were Coached.
We Pushed them, Provoked them, were Demanding of them, and asked them to Change their Mind-Set…
It Worked, and a big part of that was their Willingness to Embrace Change. Once there is “Buy-In” to that Attitude, Success becomes something you want because you See It Every Day…
One Important “Note”, is that they didn’t Love the Change from Day 1. They were ready for “New” + Different, they handled “Hard” very well, but the Big One was Being “Pushed” … Everyone wants Success, few Want To or Enjoy Being Pushed. They were “Pushed” and then some. It made for a Bumpy Road before they Understood the “Why” and “How”. It also made very Good Athletes into Great Players and Leaders. The Captains for the Gold Medal Team were forged during those Workouts, and are some of the Best Leaders I have seen in Sports…
Their “Rehab” wasn’t from an Injury, as much as it was from a Limited Mind-Set and Opportunity. I have said this before, but they Won the Gold Medal long before the Winter Olympics were played. They Won it Day after Day in the Gym, Pushing to Break Boundaries and Be the Best…
All of these “Rehabs” are different, but all tell a Story worth Noting:
A Story of Redemption, from an Athlete who had Success and wanted it again even though most thought his Career “Over” …
A Story of Persistence and Dedication, from an “Every Day” Person who Trained for Fun, who used his Tragedy to Fuel his Greatest Success. The next time you struggle for a moment, or even a day, think of the Months and ~2 Years that Tory pushed himself Physically to Move, Walk, and Enjoy Life again…
A Story of the Mental Anguish of a young athlete, dealing with the Unknown and an Injury for the 1st time. Going from always “Being the Best” to someone who has to watch and is forgotten about. A Tale of never losing Focus on What Matters and Adding another Chapter instead of Re-Writing your Ending…
Finally, the Story of the US Women is a Golden One, but also a Cautionary Note. The “Same”, again and again, is rarely what your Body, or Brain, need…
As You Grow, Change, and Improve, your Training, Mind and Spirit should as well… There are always Changes to Made, Corrections to Implement, and Enhancements to Adjust to…. “Staying the Same”, is akin to Falling Behind. Falling Behind is never an Option for the Achievement Mind-Set. The Olympic Dream is all about the Achievement Mind-Set. The Olympic Dream is never about anything but the Gold Medal and Being the Best in the World… Even the Best in the World need a Jump-Start, Kick in the Ass, and “Let’s Go” from time to time… Your Rehab is often just Great Training, in the Right Environment, with Good People…
Let’s Go and Start Your “Story” right now Baby!!!
