Good people motivated to help others. Proud people willing to raise their voices in dissent. Stoic people with shared values to protect. People motivated by community and something bigger than themselves. A recognition that sustainable countries do not operate for the few at the expense of the many. A belief in core constitutional principles.
Here are answers from the first six coaches appearing on the Truth In The Arena podcast, Tony Holler, Scott Charland, Ken Vick, Zach Even-Esh, Kendall Green, and Erik Becker.
For me? Patriotism is recognizing that my rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness will inevitably come into direct conflict with someone equally pursuing their rights to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness…and to be American is to approach those moments with a mix of grace, tolerance, and conviction.
Get Out There. Fight. Speak Up.
Scott Charland, Manager of Human Performance at PSM Performance joined Episode #4 of the TITA Podcast.
Coach Charland’s core philosophy is to treat every athlete or fellow coach equally—regardless of the sport, regardless of their status on their team—and takes that view of valuing everyone equally beyond the athletic realm and into how he sees his role in society.
Ultimately, the discussion shifts to applying those values to leadership, activism, and being invested enough in America to stand up and criticize our country if it fails to live up to its standards and founding principles.
What If We Don’t Speak Up?
Coach Ken Vick joins Episode #5 of the TITA podcast to talk about the importance of first principles, how to foster curiosity with athletes and peers in the coaching world, and what it means to broaden leadership skills beyond the immediate team environment to the community-state-national level.
Most coaches understand the leadership truism: “Your team culture will be set by the worst behavior that you tolerate.” Starting from the world of sports as a meritocracy built on beliefs that core values/qualities of hard work, talent, know-how, bravery, consistency, skill, and trustworthiness will open doors to opportunity, we expand the discussion to how coaches can demand those same qualities from political leaders and refuse to tolerate corruption, greed, cruelty, and behaviors toxic to the culture at large.
A Community Driven Passion to Make America Healthy Again
Zach Evan-Esh, founder of the Underground Strength Gym in Manasquan, New Jersey, joins Episode #3 of the TITA podcast. Coach Even-Esh draws on his deep experience coaching across a range of levels in the community, from teaching in school PE programs to training competitive high school athletes to working with the general adult population. For Even-Esh, it all starts with family, health, and a base of fitness and strength.
Reflecting on the twenty-plus years that he has been working with kids, he’s marked a notable downturn in general levels of physical fitness, nutritional awareness, and overall robust health. Passionate about ways to positively impact better health in his community, Even-Esh discusses his support for the MAHA movement and some of the “inarguable” pillars, such as encouraging better elementary school physical education standards, more dynamic park equipment, limiting highly-processed and unhealthy food, and focusing healthcare on returning sick people to productive health vs. managing illness.