I’m not going to lie, our social media is very “win centric.” We talk about stuff like high standards, how to win, the winning mentality, and on and on.
Why?
Because Winning is important.
I, (Coach Matt) spent so much of my competitive career not winning, and feeling bad because of it, that I told myself that one day when I had a gym of my own that I would do everything in my power to ensure that my athletes felt the pain of losing as little as possible, so that's what I do.
I also understand that, from an outside perspective, this can be very intimidating. It seems like we put a lot of pressure on our athletes to win at all costs.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. There are actually 4 main expectations we have for our athletes at NLGA and they surprise you.
4 Expectations We Have for Our Athletes at NLGA
1. Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes/Fail
Mistakes and or failures stink. I haven’t met anybody that likes them. They are, however, necessary and the more you train or compete with the goal of trying to not make a mistake or be perfect, the less you’re actually reaching your full potential. Everyone is eventually going to give up points, get put in a bad position or even get submitted eventually, just approach each day or each competition with the attitude of going out and being the best grappler you can be, we’ll fix whatever mistakes that come up.
2. Be Aggressive
This goes along with Number 1. Once you start to live roll or compete and understand the techniques or game plan, go for the finish. Actively try to take your partner down, pass their guard, and hunt for submissions. Being overly passive doesn't get you anywhere.
NOTE: Aggressive does not mean reckless, you still need to control your body and take care of your training partners. There is a lot of value in taking chances, you will never know what you can accomplish if you don’t take chances.
3. Have Fun & Enjoy The Process
We don’t like to BS people. Sports like Jiu-jitsu and wrestling are challenging and some aspects are more challenging than others, but does that mean practice is run like a boot camp where someone is yelling at you nonstop?
Far from it.
I want No Limits Grappling Academy to be a place where people want to be. I want it to be a place where they feel comfortable hanging out after practice, a home away from home of sorts. Now, that doesn't mean we don’t work hard, or that every day is going to feel like a long, sunny, walk next to a babbling brook, you will work but it's also a place where people can feel comfortable, feel part of a team. We DO take grappling seriously but we also believe that you need to enjoy it because if you don’t enjoy it, there's not much point otherwise.
4. Be Grateful for Every Opportunity
As I mentioned before, nobody likes losing, especially yours truly. I am grateful for all my losses though because they helped build my resilience and taught me to keep fighting to get what I want and now when I have to deal with difficulties on or off the mat, I'm well equipped from the lessons the losses taught me.
Obviously, the aim is to perform as best as we possibly can and to win (have I mentioned winning is important? lol) but regardless of the outcome, be grateful for the opportunity to train, to learn, to grow, to test yourself, to meet people, to have incredible experiences.
Take training seriously, but not too seriously. Remember to smile, and be grateful for everything you encounter, no matter how difficult it seems right now because one day you’re probably going to be wishing you had them back.
There you go, there are the 4 main expectations we have for our athletes at No Limits. Was it what you were expecting? Did you think it was going to be something totally different?