Credibility

Credibility:

1. The quality, capability, or power to elicit belief

2. A capacity for belief

It is with great hesitation that I write this. I've watched and I've listened, mostly stayed silent. But now I have to speak. I'm not a hater, nor is everyone a trainer. I stood in shock the other day at a local park when I watched a guy completely take away credibility from the training profession. There he was in the park with Timberlands, Knee High Socks and Jump Soles. As I continued to watch in amazement he put a kid through a series of dribbling drills complete with incorrect form and technique. I kept saying to myself "I hope he's just a family friend and he isn't charging him". Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the guy complete with beer-belly was actually trying to motivate the kid by doing the drills to set the example. Noble effort, only problem was that besides doing things incorrectly, he got tired like every two minutes and had to sit down to take long drinks from his water bottle that used to be "Tropicana Fruit Punch." Is this what training has been reduced to? Are we now seeing a trend where everybody who played a little bit of basketball or other sport can become a trainer? Do you have to have been a big-time college or professional athlete to be a good trainer? No, not really but can you at least take the time to go and get certified, attend coaches clinics, read some books on the subject to expand your knowledge base? In fact there are a ton of big time players who don't make good coaches or trainers. Ask Magic or Isiah about the automatic transfer of knowledge and information that comes from being a big-time player.

So let me ask you, if I watch Law and Order, Ally McBeal and The Practice can I stand outside the courthouse and solicit those who can't afford professional qualified legal representation? What if I watch Nip Tuck or ER can I start performing plastic surgery and medical procedures?What difference does it make if I'm not Board Certified and don't know the difference between an MCAT and a Alley Cat. Pardon me for my stance, but it's painful to watch others continue to forget that it's not about them, it's about truly developing the athletes. I understand that sometimes you don't know, and sometimes you don't know what you don't know. It has become en vogue for everyone to wear the "trainer label' without truly going through the process of professional certification, Continuing Education Units and professional development. Training is a profession not a side hustle or way to make some extra cash. Would you let just anyone fix your car, your teeth or your knee if that was their side hustle? So why let just anyone train your son or daughter if they are important to you and you want the best for them. When you do this you are incorrectly giving credibility to one while wrongly taking away credibility from another. All we ask is that you leave the training to a professional.