This morning I was reminded of a great quote I heard this Summer.. "Necessity Fosters Innovation". This is saying, when you have to make adjustments, new ideas are sparked and innovation is abundant. Here are two examples:
Strength and Conditioning: When the size of a weight room is compromised, you have to make adjustments to your programming to compensate for the lack of space, height, etc. This may lead to a new idea about training or conditioning as a whole. I think this is how circuit training came to the forefront and is now a staple in most training facilities.
Ice Hockey: With increasing costs of ice in the United States, teams began using half a sheet of ice to split the costs. This was done because of financial strain, but then realized everything can be accomplished using only half a sheet and there was really nothing lacking. Today, you can go to many places and see half-ice practices being utilized regularly by youth teams.
The Lesson: If you feel restrictions are holding you back, think outside of the box and you may be creating something new for everyone. Thanks For reading and Happy Halloween!
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Brad: This isn't really relevant to this blog, but let us know what you think of the St. Louis Cardinals hiring Mark McGwire as a hitting coach. Do you think this creates an ethical problem considering McGwire's use of performance enhancing drugs? Would you want to coach with someone with this background? Thanks John
ReplyDeleteThanks John,
ReplyDeleteInteresting subject here, and being a native of St. Louis I definitely have some opinions. First of all, I think this will be a terrific opportunity for McGwire to finally make peace with all the personal adversaries he has developed over the years, but more importantly the sport of baseball. The ability to get a second chance of some sorts in Major League Baseball and be able to teach a new crop of players could be tremendously beneficial for him as a person.
As far as the ethics of hiring/working with an individual with this background, I believe everyone must prove themselves, their ability, their character, etc. anytime they are put into a new position. Someone with an unhealthy background puts themselves under a much steeper hill to climb in this respect, so I'm sure it will be a hard road ahead for McGwire. I certainly would not have an issue with the hiring of McGwire if I was another coach on staff.
Unfortunately, I think the majority of the ethical questioning around this story has been brought on by the ultimate instigators (media outlets). At some point McGwire will have to address his past, if he hasn't already, to a media source and his initial response will determine how future engagements play out.