​I recently accepted a position at a boxing gym and it has led me down a path of research looking into the sport and the ebbs and flows of it over the years. 

One trend that I keep stumbling across is the idea that deprivation breeds fighters. In the case of boxers, those individuals who don’t have much in life tend to fight because that is about all they can do given their current circumstances. 

In the early 1900’s the majority of champions were first born immigrants who came to this country with nothing. Jewish Americans, Italian Americans, and Irish Americans dominated the championship division. Then it went to African Americans and in more recent decades, fighters from former Soviet Union countries have really made an impact on the sport. Combine that with those fighters from Mexico, Puerto Rico and other countries where the living conditions are sub par and you can begin to see the trends that I speak of. 

The great Marvin Hagler once said that “It's tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 am when you've been sleeping in silk pajamas”. Comfort kills motivation. Deprivation feeds it. 

I do not think this idea is unique to sport. When times get tough for us, we have a choice to make. We either fight our way for a better future or we accept our current state and continue to live on that way. 

States of deprivation look different for everyone. Your rock bottom may be different than mine but at the end of the day, we only have one choice to make: TO FIGHT! 

Chris

​Good Morning!

I was talking to my daughter one day about learning Spanish together and she was excited about the idea. She then said she was going to learn Spanish and French. I said, “At the same time?” and she said “Yes!”

After her response I brought up one of her favorite subjects: ponies! I said Emi, “When you go to the field to bring ponies in, do you grab one at a time or do you grab two at a time?” She responded “One”. I said that is correct. If you try to chase two ponies at the same time you end up catching none. 

I then shared that it was the same with learning. If you try to learn two languages at once, you may impede your progress and end up learning none. 

The concept applies to training. You cannot optimally train for a powerlifting meet, become a kettlebell expert and prepare for a marathon at the same time. Focusing on too many qualities at one time will lead to minimal gains all. 

It is the same with coaching. Oftentimes too many things are discussed by a coach and it becomes paralysis by analysis. Find one area you want your athletes to improve upon for that specific practice and make that your intention. From there, set up drills to support that skill, and watch your athletes thrive. 

If you want more on coaching athletes, respond to this email with "COACH" and I will share information with you about a new idea for 2026: The Coaching Inner Circle. 

Chris