Whether you are selling a product, an idea, or even yourself; you must always prioritize the needs of the person that you are dealing with in order to make that other person feel more comfortable with you. It is important that they feel comfortable with you so that they can trust you. As a Coach, you can have all of the technical knowledge in the world about football, but if you are not able to communicate effectively, than all of your knowledge and expertise will be lost. Albert Einstein once said, “if you can’t explain it simply, than you don’t understand it well enough”. This...

Very insightful book with a ton of great quotes by the great master himself – Bruce Lee. On Raising Children: “I will play with my [children] and joke with my [children], but business is business. When the subject is a serious one, you don’t go around trying to keep from hurting [their] feelings. You say what must be said and set the rules which must be set without worrying about whether [they] like it or not.” On Teaching: “Teaching requires a sensitive mind with great flexibility. Above all, a teacher does not depend on a method and drill systematic routines;...

I really like this book. Early one sunny Saturday morning while my son Jacob and I were walking along the street, we came across a collective series of yard sales (approximately 15 of them within a two-block radius of each other). Normally, I don’t bother to stop at yard sales, but I was feeling particularly curious and decided that snooping around other people’s ‘unwantables’ would be a good way to pass a bit of time. As it happened, I managed to pick up two small gems – the first was a small-sized colour television for one dollar. The next was this book – also for one dollar....

In this past weekend’s news report, a local martial arts instructor from Grimsby, Ontario, by the name of Shane Weaver, was officially charged with sexual exploitation of a 16-year old girl (one of his students). Unconfirmed rumours have additionally speculated that Mr. Weaver may have been blackmailing the girl. Pretty serious charges. Without knowing all of the details, it’s best not to pass any sort of judgment too soon. On the surface, Shane Weaver certainly talks the talk. He is a lifetime martial artist who over the years, has continuously preached about character building and strong...

Hi Dave, It was nice to finally meet you yesterday. In our previous conversations, I found you to be very helpful and friendly. I will try to keep this email as short as possible. First, allow me to apologize if I came across the wrong way. Sometimes, I know that emails can hold the ‘tone’ of the reader (as opposed to the writer) and it was not my intention to offend you or your friends/colleagues. I simply felt that based on my own observations and feelings, that perhaps you might like to know my perspective (as well as many other spectators) on the game. Second, you really caught...

Grimsby martial-arts teacher faces sex charges – accused of sexually interfering with female student July 27, 2009 written by DANA BROWN GRIMSBY – Niagara police have charged Shane Weaver, the owner of a martial arts studio (Shane Weaver’s Red Griffin Martial Arts Studio), with sexual exploitation in connection with an underage female. Police said the 35-year-old man Grimsby man is also an instructor at the studio, which they are not currently naming because the investigation is ongoing. They said the girl is under 18 and the incident is alleged to have occurred while she was a student. The...

Getting involved in coaching is easy.  Anyone can do it. Being a good coach however, is a completely different (and much more complicated) story. Some may say that I take coaching too seriously. Coaching is teaching and yes, I take teaching very seriously. Combined with the responsibility that we all have to set good examples with our youth, I might ask, why don’t more coaches and take their position as a ‘Coach’ (mentor, teacher, role-model, parent, leader) MORE seriously? It seems that far too many coaches are failing to realize that coaching is about the players (and...