Renato Migliaccio is a BJJ black belt under Ryan Gracie and a Judo black belt. He is a former European and Pan American Champion in BJJ, and has also competed in MMA amassing a 6-1 record. He runs Sampa BJJ in California.
I believe good coaching starts at home. Today’s society is in a fast pace, folks looking to pay the bills and forgetting their most important treasure at home. Which are their kids. Nevertheless to say that many people are even forgetting about themselves.
With that you leave your child to be Influenced by untrained people, untrained coaches and teachers. And they are out there, they exist but you don’t know how much they are either helping or breaking your child’s confidence. Well, maybe you (parent) were that child whose confidence was broken by an untrained coach. Now, when I say untrained coach it doesn’t mean only knowledge in a given sport. It means knowledge in child development (physical and cognitive), child psychology, cardiac arrest, coach misconduct and many other aspects. A coach must be a role model and if you are not one then you are an untrained coach. The conversation can go on and on and includes teachers in the school system that have no passion towards our kids and are just there because it is a secure job with benefits.
Well, parents, our kids will stumble upon those folks at least once in their life time. And, if you are not around to tell them that the world is full of different people and their lack of love towards your children has nothing to do with your children but the way those coaches unfortunately see life (for whatever reasons). If you are not around those coaches will break your child confidence and when you realize it is too late. Next thing you know they are getting bullied and scared to ask for help and you still not around.
Ok let’s say that you finally got to know that your child is being bullied and you decide to take action and maybe be more present in their lives or maybe enroll them in jiu jitsu or both. But let me tell you, grabbing the phone and calling gyms around and ask for their price and not coming to see who will teach/influence your child because you are too busy, is again another mistake.
We understand that costs can be a burden, but there is always a way. One can help cleaning, coaching, volunteering, etc, but you need to show up, you need to commit! Commit to your child’s healthy growth.
We don’t know how much other gyms charge and we could care less, we don’t know their books, their overhead. We can speak for ourselves. We have 80% of our staff as full time employees, individuals that are adults not teens and deserve to get paid to make a living! Again, adults not teens! Teens in many gyms are there just as volunteers or doing community service for their high schools. Coaches here are trained on a weekly basis and held accountable and always called out if they lack in leadership, role model and responsibility.
Now if you are a parent or an adult looking for a place to train here is the recipe:
1. Look for a place where the coach is respectful and has no misconduct actions.
2. Look for the most knowledge coaches (all aspects knowledge).
3. How is the environment? Do you like the people you or your child will be surrounded?
4. Can you afford it? Can you volunteer? Can you show up? Can you commit?
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