Work Together

As I write this, American Suni Lee is the Olympic All around Champion. We all know that Simone Biles had taken herself out of Individual All Around Finals because of the “twisties”  I have not heard anything about Individual Event Finals.

Every gymnast is going to face a mental barrier at some point. It could be a mental block with a particular skill that they can work around or something like a case of the twisties on the worlds biggest stage. It is good to have a plan on how to deal with psychological issues in the gym. But like an airbag in a car, it is better to have a plan to avoid having to use it.

I was speaking to 1992 Olympian Wendy Bruce the other day. We equated a mental training plan like dental hygiene. You brush and floss and go to a regular cleaning appointment. You do not totally ignore your teeth until you have a huge problem.

My clubs are in fairly small towns and I understand the importance of keeping payroll expenses under control. Instead of thinking of what I have to do, let’s reframe the thought into what WE can do. Covid taught us that we are all in this together. Your gym, the gym across town, the one on the other side of the state. If there is a mental training coach or a sports psychologist that a few gyms can use- why don’t you

There is no better approach to solving challenges than the famous saying “two heads are better than one.” Whether creating internal partnerships between different aspects of your gym or to larger partnerships between other gyms, harnessing the strengths and abilities of others from different corners of your ecosystem is one of the best ways for gyms to scale their innovation and solve complex challenges. In today’s fast-paced environment, a “do-it-alone” approach is not the best strategy for growth. Gyms  that initially grew organically need to look for new ways to drive collaborative innovation that delivers on what their customers need today – and in the future.

Collaboration and strategic partnerships are fundamental to improving business outcomes.

Strategic partnerships benefit everyone: gyms, employees and customers. Some organizations may be resistant to partnering with a gym that competes with them for customers or profits, and some employees may not feel the need to collaborate internally in new or unexpected ways. The reality of today’s business landscape, however, means that partnerships are key to better serving customers by merging talent, expertise, technology and purpose.

A primetime TV commercial is too costly for most of us. Pooling our resources we could take out an primetime commercial on a televised gymnastics event that would benefit all of us. Our real competition is not the gym down the road. It is all the other activities for children. Oner gym does not need to fail for the other to succeed. We can all grow our base if we work together.

Tony Retrosi
USGCOA Region 6