Building a Team

As a kid I never played any team sports, I was into gymnastics.
The earliest memories I have from being part of a team is during PE in school and we had to pick teams.
The teacher would point out two kids of the class and they could pick a team member alternating until the group was divided into two. We all been there and no one wants to be that kid that is last to get pushed into the group just because there is nobody else left.
Luckily I was never that kid, but I always felt bad for them to get picked last. I would have hated it, the fact that they just don’t believe in you being a good addition to the team is what makes it worse.
My confidence would drop, even if it would be something I might be good at.
So keeping that in mind whenever I would be the person to pick the teams, although I would love to win- as I’m super competitive. The first person I would pick was one of the kids, who most of the time - would be last in. Why?
Think about it, you gonna end up with one of the weaker persons of the group anyway. So in my head it made sense to pick the weakest first so they feel like they matter and if someone believes they matter they will give 100% effort.
If your weakest person on the team gives it there best then that will lift the whole team!
Did we win every time? Probably not, but that’s not what really matters. What matters is that every one in the team felt like they were important.
The year 2016 was the first time I was part of a professional team. The competition was called “GRID league”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pro_Grid_League if you want to look into it, as you probably never heard of it as it was only up and running for three years.
I got picked by the "Phoenix Rise” who ended up winning that year for the first time.
Here is why I believe our team won the title.
We Spend Time Together
We lived in the same hotel for 8 weeks, we literally were 24/7 together. If we were not training we would hang out. The town Provo in Utah were we lived wasn’t much to do so we would find ways to keep ourself entertained. The girls would rehearse dances from MTV video clips and convince one of the guys to play along and learn the dance moves. We spend weeks on getting the steps right and the best part was to see Danny ( the biggest guy on the team) do the same moves.
In the evenings we would all go for dinner and after we would hang out and play games. The best game was to read out loud your DM’s or when we would challenge one of the team members to do something stupid like eating a teaspoon of cinnamon or snorting chili peppers for a few bucks.
Point being, we had fun together and didn’t take things to serious when we were not training. Spending time together creates bonds and the best relations are made in my opinion when you are laughing and having fun!
We Hold Each Other Accountable
Showing up for training twice a day wasn’t the problem, everyone loved to workout. We would keep each other accountable on doing the extra’s the coach gave us that we didn’t like to do. The boring stuff. Most of the time there was someone who had the same weaknesses so than we would team up in smaller groups and help each other out.
When someone wasn’t preforming well in training we would call them out. This brought some tension between certain teammates but the coach always made sure that it would be resolved before we left the gym. It’s important for the team that you can tell them straight what’s the problem is without them getting upset.
We Were Transparent With Each Other
Knowing your strength and weaknesses and paring up with a team mate that is strong where you are weak, so the team can make it through the other side as fast as possible. But sometimes it would also be stepping aside and letting someone else take your place because that was the best for the team. Even if that meant you couldn’t play that day.
Objective : Win the Championship
Strategy : End your life to win every game
Teamwork is useless if no one knows the goal or vision they are working toward.
Set those goals during each session or match.
Share them with the team.
Talk about them
Check in after each match
We Trusted Each Other
There's nothing else as important as trust in a team. Knowing that your team mate will hold on to the bar until all the work is done. A lot of the movements were synchronized so you had to trust one another to do the required work in the tempo we practiced. Or knowing when someone is close to their end and tagging in to finish the set without loosing time. Being efficient in transitions, trusting that they will catch the bar that is popped off your shoulders.
Trust allows you to be honest with each other without worrying that feelings will be hurt, allows you to be open to feedback without feeling attacked and in this case - when competing, it prevents you to not get injured.

GYMNASTICS
This Tuesday, we’ll focus on pull-up development. Whether your goal is to continue building strict strength or you’re working to increase kipping capacity, we will cover progressions to help you advance your pull-up performance.
Thursday, we’ll work on handstand walks. Get ready to refine technique, build control, and develop confidence while moving upside down.
HYBRID FITNESS
This week's hybrid session involves combining multiple elements from racing to understand the feel of transitioning between disciplines, followed by a lower-body endurance EMOM.
MOBILITY
Take your front squat mobility to the next level with this progression class focused on dynamic flow, stability, and control. Building on the foundations established in our previous session, we’ll reinforce improved mobility in the ankles, hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders while introducing active movement patterns and stability drills that directly translate to enhanced squat performance. Expect to move through controlled flows, tempo holds, and mobility-activation sequences.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is cleans. Working on speed under the bar and catch position, in the full squat. Spicy complex of clean pull, hang power clean, squat clean. Followed by some heavy clean pulls. Finishing with doubles on the back squats.

The Monday Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Nad al Sheeba
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Wednesday - Indoor Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Thursday - Endurance Strength
A strength class focused on key movements for endurance athletes to help avoid injury, build speed and develop strength.
Time: 06:30am
Location: This is a paid class session at InnerFight HQ. If you're interested to join, email winning@innerfight.com
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds

Monday
Time: 5:59pm
Session: LRC Tempo
This week we will be holding the tempo pace (7/10 effort) for 6 mins with a 1 min recovery. The sequence will be repeated 5x. Evening session only this week!
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. Come ready to run fast and have fun.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we will be running 800m intervals off a 2 min rest.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
Today we will bridge repeats with IFE. Hill running is a great way to build some strength and power in your legs.

Monday:
Nothing like kicking off the week with some Back Squats! Before we get the engine fired up for some repeatable efforts! What will your times look like?
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 6 - 5/4/3/5/4/3 front squat
Conditioning:
Every 5 minutes x 6 Alt between
A: Park Run + 25 Wall Balls
B: 30/25/20 Cal Ass Bike + 25 Wall Balls
Tuesday:
Strength accessory to get the session started before we build to some heavy deadlifts! Then we hit a fast and furious workout.
Strength:
A) Every 75 sec x 12
1: 12 Incline DB bench press
2: 30-45 sec glute hamstring bridge
3: 20 sec straight arm side plank/arm
B) Deadlift Every 2:00 x 6 - 2/2/1/1/1/1 reps
Conditioning:
FOR TIME
30 Power clean
30 Burpees over the bar
Wednesday:
We're building to a tough single in the push press before we partner up for some working out!
Strength:
EMOMx10 - 1 Push press
Conditioning:
In pairs every 5 mins x 6 on a rolling clock
4 rounds
YGIG
6 STOH (60/40)
6 TTB
AMRAP - Cal Ski
Thursday:
Legs, legs, legs, then into a 12-minute workout where you rest during the run!!!
Strength:
A) Every 90 sec x 8 - 8 DB Box Step Up
B) Every 90 sec x 5 - 6 Alternating Barbell Reverse Lunges
C) EMOM x 8 Alt - 5 Goblet Spanish Squats & 3-5 strict knee to elbow
Conditioning:
12min AMRAP
3 Devils Press
6 DB Hang Cleans
9 DB Front Rack Squats
Car Park Run
Friday:
Long Weekend, so we're going to bring the fire this Friday to kick start the long weekend! See you on the floor!

As a kid I never played any team sports, I was into gymnastics.
The earliest memories I have from being part of a team is during PE in school and we had to pick teams.
The teacher would point out two kids of the class and they could pick a team member alternating until the group was divided into two. We all been there and no one wants to be that kid that is last to get pushed into the group just because there is nobody else left.
Luckily I was never that kid, but I always felt bad for them to get picked last. I would have hated it, the fact that they just don’t believe in you being a good addition to the team is what makes it worse.
My confidence would drop, even if it would be something I might be good at.
So keeping that in mind whenever I would be the person to pick the teams, although I would love to win- as I’m super competitive. The first person I would pick was one of the kids, who most of the time - would be last in. Why?
Think about it, you gonna end up with one of the weaker persons of the group anyway. So in my head it made sense to pick the weakest first so they feel like they matter and if someone believes they matter they will give 100% effort.
If your weakest person on the team gives it there best then that will lift the whole team!
Did we win every time? Probably not, but that’s not what really matters. What matters is that every one in the team felt like they were important.
The year 2016 was the first time I was part of a professional team. The competition was called “GRID league”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pro_Grid_League if you want to look into it, as you probably never heard of it as it was only up and running for three years.
I got picked by the "Phoenix Rise” who ended up winning that year for the first time.
Here is why I believe our team won the title.
We Spend Time Together
We lived in the same hotel for 8 weeks, we literally were 24/7 together. If we were not training we would hang out. The town Provo in Utah were we lived wasn’t much to do so we would find ways to keep ourself entertained. The girls would rehearse dances from MTV video clips and convince one of the guys to play along and learn the dance moves. We spend weeks on getting the steps right and the best part was to see Danny ( the biggest guy on the team) do the same moves.
In the evenings we would all go for dinner and after we would hang out and play games. The best game was to read out loud your DM’s or when we would challenge one of the team members to do something stupid like eating a teaspoon of cinnamon or snorting chili peppers for a few bucks.
Point being, we had fun together and didn’t take things to serious when we were not training. Spending time together creates bonds and the best relations are made in my opinion when you are laughing and having fun!
We Hold Each Other Accountable
Showing up for training twice a day wasn’t the problem, everyone loved to workout. We would keep each other accountable on doing the extra’s the coach gave us that we didn’t like to do. The boring stuff. Most of the time there was someone who had the same weaknesses so than we would team up in smaller groups and help each other out.
When someone wasn’t preforming well in training we would call them out. This brought some tension between certain teammates but the coach always made sure that it would be resolved before we left the gym. It’s important for the team that you can tell them straight what’s the problem is without them getting upset.
We Were Transparent With Each Other
Knowing your strength and weaknesses and paring up with a team mate that is strong where you are weak, so the team can make it through the other side as fast as possible. But sometimes it would also be stepping aside and letting someone else take your place because that was the best for the team. Even if that meant you couldn’t play that day.
Objective : Win the Championship
Strategy : End your life to win every game
Teamwork is useless if no one knows the goal or vision they are working toward.
Set those goals during each session or match.
Share them with the team.
Talk about them
Check in after each match
We Trusted Each Other
There's nothing else as important as trust in a team. Knowing that your team mate will hold on to the bar until all the work is done. A lot of the movements were synchronized so you had to trust one another to do the required work in the tempo we practiced. Or knowing when someone is close to their end and tagging in to finish the set without loosing time. Being efficient in transitions, trusting that they will catch the bar that is popped off your shoulders.
Trust allows you to be honest with each other without worrying that feelings will be hurt, allows you to be open to feedback without feeling attacked and in this case - when competing, it prevents you to not get injured.

The Monday Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Nad al Sheeba
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Wednesday - Indoor Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Thursday - Endurance Strength
A strength class focused on key movements for endurance athletes to help avoid injury, build speed and develop strength.
Time: 06:30am
Location: This is a paid class session at InnerFight HQ. If you're interested to join, email winning@innerfight.com
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds

Monday
Time: 5:59pm
Session: LRC Tempo
This week we will be holding the tempo pace (7/10 effort) for 6 mins with a 1 min recovery. The sequence will be repeated 5x. Evening session only this week!
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. Come ready to run fast and have fun.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we will be running 800m intervals off a 2 min rest.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
Today we will bridge repeats with IFE. Hill running is a great way to build some strength and power in your legs.

Monday:
Nothing like kicking off the week with some Back Squats! Before we get the engine fired up for some repeatable efforts! What will your times look like?
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 6 - 5/4/3/5/4/3 front squat
Conditioning:
Every 5 minutes x 6 Alt between
A: Park Run + 25 Wall Balls
B: 30/25/20 Cal Ass Bike + 25 Wall Balls
Tuesday:
Strength accessory to get the session started before we build to some heavy deadlifts! Then we hit a fast and furious workout.
Strength:
A) Every 75 sec x 12
1: 12 Incline DB bench press
2: 30-45 sec glute hamstring bridge
3: 20 sec straight arm side plank/arm
B) Deadlift Every 2:00 x 6 - 2/2/1/1/1/1 reps
Conditioning:
FOR TIME
30 Power clean
30 Burpees over the bar
Wednesday:
We're building to a tough single in the push press before we partner up for some working out!
Strength:
EMOMx10 - 1 Push press
Conditioning:
In pairs every 5 mins x 6 on a rolling clock
4 rounds
YGIG
6 STOH (60/40)
6 TTB
AMRAP - Cal Ski
Thursday:
Legs, legs, legs, then into a 12-minute workout where you rest during the run!!!
Strength:
A) Every 90 sec x 8 - 8 DB Box Step Up
B) Every 90 sec x 5 - 6 Alternating Barbell Reverse Lunges
C) EMOM x 8 Alt - 5 Goblet Spanish Squats & 3-5 strict knee to elbow
Conditioning:
12min AMRAP
3 Devils Press
6 DB Hang Cleans
9 DB Front Rack Squats
Car Park Run
Friday:
Long Weekend, so we're going to bring the fire this Friday to kick start the long weekend! See you on the floor!

GYMNASTICS
This Tuesday, we’ll focus on pull-up development. Whether your goal is to continue building strict strength or you’re working to increase kipping capacity, we will cover progressions to help you advance your pull-up performance.
Thursday, we’ll work on handstand walks. Get ready to refine technique, build control, and develop confidence while moving upside down.
HYBRID FITNESS
This week's hybrid session involves combining multiple elements from racing to understand the feel of transitioning between disciplines, followed by a lower-body endurance EMOM.
MOBILITY
Take your front squat mobility to the next level with this progression class focused on dynamic flow, stability, and control. Building on the foundations established in our previous session, we’ll reinforce improved mobility in the ankles, hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders while introducing active movement patterns and stability drills that directly translate to enhanced squat performance. Expect to move through controlled flows, tempo holds, and mobility-activation sequences.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is cleans. Working on speed under the bar and catch position, in the full squat. Spicy complex of clean pull, hang power clean, squat clean. Followed by some heavy clean pulls. Finishing with doubles on the back squats.

As a kid I never played any team sports, I was into gymnastics.
The earliest memories I have from being part of a team is during PE in school and we had to pick teams.
The teacher would point out two kids of the class and they could pick a team member alternating until the group was divided into two. We all been there and no one wants to be that kid that is last to get pushed into the group just because there is nobody else left.
Luckily I was never that kid, but I always felt bad for them to get picked last. I would have hated it, the fact that they just don’t believe in you being a good addition to the team is what makes it worse.
My confidence would drop, even if it would be something I might be good at.
So keeping that in mind whenever I would be the person to pick the teams, although I would love to win- as I’m super competitive. The first person I would pick was one of the kids, who most of the time - would be last in. Why?
Think about it, you gonna end up with one of the weaker persons of the group anyway. So in my head it made sense to pick the weakest first so they feel like they matter and if someone believes they matter they will give 100% effort.
If your weakest person on the team gives it there best then that will lift the whole team!
Did we win every time? Probably not, but that’s not what really matters. What matters is that every one in the team felt like they were important.
The year 2016 was the first time I was part of a professional team. The competition was called “GRID league”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pro_Grid_League if you want to look into it, as you probably never heard of it as it was only up and running for three years.
I got picked by the "Phoenix Rise” who ended up winning that year for the first time.
Here is why I believe our team won the title.
We Spend Time Together
We lived in the same hotel for 8 weeks, we literally were 24/7 together. If we were not training we would hang out. The town Provo in Utah were we lived wasn’t much to do so we would find ways to keep ourself entertained. The girls would rehearse dances from MTV video clips and convince one of the guys to play along and learn the dance moves. We spend weeks on getting the steps right and the best part was to see Danny ( the biggest guy on the team) do the same moves.
In the evenings we would all go for dinner and after we would hang out and play games. The best game was to read out loud your DM’s or when we would challenge one of the team members to do something stupid like eating a teaspoon of cinnamon or snorting chili peppers for a few bucks.
Point being, we had fun together and didn’t take things to serious when we were not training. Spending time together creates bonds and the best relations are made in my opinion when you are laughing and having fun!
We Hold Each Other Accountable
Showing up for training twice a day wasn’t the problem, everyone loved to workout. We would keep each other accountable on doing the extra’s the coach gave us that we didn’t like to do. The boring stuff. Most of the time there was someone who had the same weaknesses so than we would team up in smaller groups and help each other out.
When someone wasn’t preforming well in training we would call them out. This brought some tension between certain teammates but the coach always made sure that it would be resolved before we left the gym. It’s important for the team that you can tell them straight what’s the problem is without them getting upset.
We Were Transparent With Each Other
Knowing your strength and weaknesses and paring up with a team mate that is strong where you are weak, so the team can make it through the other side as fast as possible. But sometimes it would also be stepping aside and letting someone else take your place because that was the best for the team. Even if that meant you couldn’t play that day.
Objective : Win the Championship
Strategy : End your life to win every game
Teamwork is useless if no one knows the goal or vision they are working toward.
Set those goals during each session or match.
Share them with the team.
Talk about them
Check in after each match
We Trusted Each Other
There's nothing else as important as trust in a team. Knowing that your team mate will hold on to the bar until all the work is done. A lot of the movements were synchronized so you had to trust one another to do the required work in the tempo we practiced. Or knowing when someone is close to their end and tagging in to finish the set without loosing time. Being efficient in transitions, trusting that they will catch the bar that is popped off your shoulders.
Trust allows you to be honest with each other without worrying that feelings will be hurt, allows you to be open to feedback without feeling attacked and in this case - when competing, it prevents you to not get injured.

Monday
Time: 5:59pm
Session: LRC Tempo
This week we will be holding the tempo pace (7/10 effort) for 6 mins with a 1 min recovery. The sequence will be repeated 5x. Evening session only this week!
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. Come ready to run fast and have fun.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we will be running 800m intervals off a 2 min rest.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
Today we will bridge repeats with IFE. Hill running is a great way to build some strength and power in your legs.

Monday:
Nothing like kicking off the week with some Back Squats! Before we get the engine fired up for some repeatable efforts! What will your times look like?
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 6 - 5/4/3/5/4/3 front squat
Conditioning:
Every 5 minutes x 6 Alt between
A: Park Run + 25 Wall Balls
B: 30/25/20 Cal Ass Bike + 25 Wall Balls
Tuesday:
Strength accessory to get the session started before we build to some heavy deadlifts! Then we hit a fast and furious workout.
Strength:
A) Every 75 sec x 12
1: 12 Incline DB bench press
2: 30-45 sec glute hamstring bridge
3: 20 sec straight arm side plank/arm
B) Deadlift Every 2:00 x 6 - 2/2/1/1/1/1 reps
Conditioning:
FOR TIME
30 Power clean
30 Burpees over the bar
Wednesday:
We're building to a tough single in the push press before we partner up for some working out!
Strength:
EMOMx10 - 1 Push press
Conditioning:
In pairs every 5 mins x 6 on a rolling clock
4 rounds
YGIG
6 STOH (60/40)
6 TTB
AMRAP - Cal Ski
Thursday:
Legs, legs, legs, then into a 12-minute workout where you rest during the run!!!
Strength:
A) Every 90 sec x 8 - 8 DB Box Step Up
B) Every 90 sec x 5 - 6 Alternating Barbell Reverse Lunges
C) EMOM x 8 Alt - 5 Goblet Spanish Squats & 3-5 strict knee to elbow
Conditioning:
12min AMRAP
3 Devils Press
6 DB Hang Cleans
9 DB Front Rack Squats
Car Park Run
Friday:
Long Weekend, so we're going to bring the fire this Friday to kick start the long weekend! See you on the floor!

GYMNASTICS
This Tuesday, we’ll focus on pull-up development. Whether your goal is to continue building strict strength or you’re working to increase kipping capacity, we will cover progressions to help you advance your pull-up performance.
Thursday, we’ll work on handstand walks. Get ready to refine technique, build control, and develop confidence while moving upside down.
HYBRID FITNESS
This week's hybrid session involves combining multiple elements from racing to understand the feel of transitioning between disciplines, followed by a lower-body endurance EMOM.
MOBILITY
Take your front squat mobility to the next level with this progression class focused on dynamic flow, stability, and control. Building on the foundations established in our previous session, we’ll reinforce improved mobility in the ankles, hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders while introducing active movement patterns and stability drills that directly translate to enhanced squat performance. Expect to move through controlled flows, tempo holds, and mobility-activation sequences.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is cleans. Working on speed under the bar and catch position, in the full squat. Spicy complex of clean pull, hang power clean, squat clean. Followed by some heavy clean pulls. Finishing with doubles on the back squats.

The Monday Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Nad al Sheeba
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Wednesday - Indoor Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Thursday - Endurance Strength
A strength class focused on key movements for endurance athletes to help avoid injury, build speed and develop strength.
Time: 06:30am
Location: This is a paid class session at InnerFight HQ. If you're interested to join, email winning@innerfight.com
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds

As a kid I never played any team sports, I was into gymnastics.
The earliest memories I have from being part of a team is during PE in school and we had to pick teams.
The teacher would point out two kids of the class and they could pick a team member alternating until the group was divided into two. We all been there and no one wants to be that kid that is last to get pushed into the group just because there is nobody else left.
Luckily I was never that kid, but I always felt bad for them to get picked last. I would have hated it, the fact that they just don’t believe in you being a good addition to the team is what makes it worse.
My confidence would drop, even if it would be something I might be good at.
So keeping that in mind whenever I would be the person to pick the teams, although I would love to win- as I’m super competitive. The first person I would pick was one of the kids, who most of the time - would be last in. Why?
Think about it, you gonna end up with one of the weaker persons of the group anyway. So in my head it made sense to pick the weakest first so they feel like they matter and if someone believes they matter they will give 100% effort.
If your weakest person on the team gives it there best then that will lift the whole team!
Did we win every time? Probably not, but that’s not what really matters. What matters is that every one in the team felt like they were important.
The year 2016 was the first time I was part of a professional team. The competition was called “GRID league”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pro_Grid_League if you want to look into it, as you probably never heard of it as it was only up and running for three years.
I got picked by the "Phoenix Rise” who ended up winning that year for the first time.
Here is why I believe our team won the title.
We Spend Time Together
We lived in the same hotel for 8 weeks, we literally were 24/7 together. If we were not training we would hang out. The town Provo in Utah were we lived wasn’t much to do so we would find ways to keep ourself entertained. The girls would rehearse dances from MTV video clips and convince one of the guys to play along and learn the dance moves. We spend weeks on getting the steps right and the best part was to see Danny ( the biggest guy on the team) do the same moves.
In the evenings we would all go for dinner and after we would hang out and play games. The best game was to read out loud your DM’s or when we would challenge one of the team members to do something stupid like eating a teaspoon of cinnamon or snorting chili peppers for a few bucks.
Point being, we had fun together and didn’t take things to serious when we were not training. Spending time together creates bonds and the best relations are made in my opinion when you are laughing and having fun!
We Hold Each Other Accountable
Showing up for training twice a day wasn’t the problem, everyone loved to workout. We would keep each other accountable on doing the extra’s the coach gave us that we didn’t like to do. The boring stuff. Most of the time there was someone who had the same weaknesses so than we would team up in smaller groups and help each other out.
When someone wasn’t preforming well in training we would call them out. This brought some tension between certain teammates but the coach always made sure that it would be resolved before we left the gym. It’s important for the team that you can tell them straight what’s the problem is without them getting upset.
We Were Transparent With Each Other
Knowing your strength and weaknesses and paring up with a team mate that is strong where you are weak, so the team can make it through the other side as fast as possible. But sometimes it would also be stepping aside and letting someone else take your place because that was the best for the team. Even if that meant you couldn’t play that day.
Objective : Win the Championship
Strategy : End your life to win every game
Teamwork is useless if no one knows the goal or vision they are working toward.
Set those goals during each session or match.
Share them with the team.
Talk about them
Check in after each match
We Trusted Each Other
There's nothing else as important as trust in a team. Knowing that your team mate will hold on to the bar until all the work is done. A lot of the movements were synchronized so you had to trust one another to do the required work in the tempo we practiced. Or knowing when someone is close to their end and tagging in to finish the set without loosing time. Being efficient in transitions, trusting that they will catch the bar that is popped off your shoulders.
Trust allows you to be honest with each other without worrying that feelings will be hurt, allows you to be open to feedback without feeling attacked and in this case - when competing, it prevents you to not get injured.

As a kid I never played any team sports, I was into gymnastics.
The earliest memories I have from being part of a team is during PE in school and we had to pick teams.
The teacher would point out two kids of the class and they could pick a team member alternating until the group was divided into two. We all been there and no one wants to be that kid that is last to get pushed into the group just because there is nobody else left.
Luckily I was never that kid, but I always felt bad for them to get picked last. I would have hated it, the fact that they just don’t believe in you being a good addition to the team is what makes it worse.
My confidence would drop, even if it would be something I might be good at.
So keeping that in mind whenever I would be the person to pick the teams, although I would love to win- as I’m super competitive. The first person I would pick was one of the kids, who most of the time - would be last in. Why?
Think about it, you gonna end up with one of the weaker persons of the group anyway. So in my head it made sense to pick the weakest first so they feel like they matter and if someone believes they matter they will give 100% effort.
If your weakest person on the team gives it there best then that will lift the whole team!
Did we win every time? Probably not, but that’s not what really matters. What matters is that every one in the team felt like they were important.
The year 2016 was the first time I was part of a professional team. The competition was called “GRID league”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pro_Grid_League if you want to look into it, as you probably never heard of it as it was only up and running for three years.
I got picked by the "Phoenix Rise” who ended up winning that year for the first time.
Here is why I believe our team won the title.
We Spend Time Together
We lived in the same hotel for 8 weeks, we literally were 24/7 together. If we were not training we would hang out. The town Provo in Utah were we lived wasn’t much to do so we would find ways to keep ourself entertained. The girls would rehearse dances from MTV video clips and convince one of the guys to play along and learn the dance moves. We spend weeks on getting the steps right and the best part was to see Danny ( the biggest guy on the team) do the same moves.
In the evenings we would all go for dinner and after we would hang out and play games. The best game was to read out loud your DM’s or when we would challenge one of the team members to do something stupid like eating a teaspoon of cinnamon or snorting chili peppers for a few bucks.
Point being, we had fun together and didn’t take things to serious when we were not training. Spending time together creates bonds and the best relations are made in my opinion when you are laughing and having fun!
We Hold Each Other Accountable
Showing up for training twice a day wasn’t the problem, everyone loved to workout. We would keep each other accountable on doing the extra’s the coach gave us that we didn’t like to do. The boring stuff. Most of the time there was someone who had the same weaknesses so than we would team up in smaller groups and help each other out.
When someone wasn’t preforming well in training we would call them out. This brought some tension between certain teammates but the coach always made sure that it would be resolved before we left the gym. It’s important for the team that you can tell them straight what’s the problem is without them getting upset.
We Were Transparent With Each Other
Knowing your strength and weaknesses and paring up with a team mate that is strong where you are weak, so the team can make it through the other side as fast as possible. But sometimes it would also be stepping aside and letting someone else take your place because that was the best for the team. Even if that meant you couldn’t play that day.
Objective : Win the Championship
Strategy : End your life to win every game
Teamwork is useless if no one knows the goal or vision they are working toward.
Set those goals during each session or match.
Share them with the team.
Talk about them
Check in after each match
We Trusted Each Other
There's nothing else as important as trust in a team. Knowing that your team mate will hold on to the bar until all the work is done. A lot of the movements were synchronized so you had to trust one another to do the required work in the tempo we practiced. Or knowing when someone is close to their end and tagging in to finish the set without loosing time. Being efficient in transitions, trusting that they will catch the bar that is popped off your shoulders.
Trust allows you to be honest with each other without worrying that feelings will be hurt, allows you to be open to feedback without feeling attacked and in this case - when competing, it prevents you to not get injured.

One-Hour Workout: Revving Your Swim Engine
