Juggling and Autism? Is it a good combination?

I would like to share with all of you, a little bit what I am doing in my job. For a long time I have wanted to write about this.

As a personal trainer and sport coach I have constantly challenges within my clients (I love them, they make my work very interesting every day), although, one year ago, came to me a special challenge...

2013, one client, 14 years old, male, autism (not extreme Aspergen syndrome). For those who do not know exactly what is here some links:

- Autism
- Autism, what is?
- a good movie is: Adam (2009) Director: Max Mayer

Well, his English was perfect (still now), he wasn't able to get out his look from his shoes, coordination zero, lack of social skills and no emotional control, with an interesting way of thinking; connection between mind to mouth without filters (still now and this is something really good, he gives the honest feedback ever)

I had experienced in Spain with disabled people and what I learnt from the were:

Always we decide were is our limit. The difficulties to work with disabled people are not on them, they are already used to live like this, is in their reality, daily. Difficulties are on you (on us) and, until you accept this, do not expect to work and have any success with them.

So, I decided to put on practise my learnings:
- I asked him to give me some time to adapt me to him, he understood perfectly
- At first to rise his self esteem and self confidence and build the relation, he was sitting always higher than me, is very important the visual position between autistic person and non autistic person, with this we avoid dominant relations or positions.

Fire show, haloween Slovenske Konjice (Slovenija)

After a while I thought about my juggling, about the way that helped me to develop a strong self control of my thoughts and emotions, concentration, coordination, also every time that I got a new trick, I was feeling great and contrary to what everyone thinks, every child and adult can learn it.

So I went for it.

I needed few weeks to see some improvements, his eyes were out from the ground, he was just avoiding my look, turning his eyes to the side, he started to practise a "give me five" after the trainings more naturally. (as a note, also I need to say that he also is practising swimming and practises with me) Everything helps!

Still I am working with him, this year he is already inside a group with other kids, and the relation between them is very good, even they have good time making fun of me!

Maybe juggling and autism are a good combination.

Carlos
My challenge is your success

Do you want to win?

Let's take this picture:

A call in your phone, is the manager of the club of your dreams. You cannot believe, the club of your dreams, is offering to you: be their head coach. You say yes, of course. Take every chance.

Day of the meeting:

Wake up, actually you couldn't sleep, strong breakfast, this morning coffee tastes different. Shower and shave. You decide for your best suit, and some perfume. Yesterday you clean your car and today is not raining! Every time better and better. You had learnt the lasts months with your coach, every detail counts. 

Meeting time, the manager is waiting you, nice office, with good light, everything in order, (not like my table, full of books, papers and notes I will take care later, you think) (in some visualizations we accept to introduce some lawyers inside the scene.)

Manager is explaining you why they want to hire you, for how much, the training schedule... But the main idea that sticks in your head is: they expect to have the best of you (like always your are doing), and make the team win. (of course who doesn't like to win, right?) 

What a notice! Congrats! Everything for what you were fighting all this time, has arrived. Your are full of motivation and energy. And now what?

Back to your home:

The club wants to win and in your head appear some questions: 

"How can I win? Which is the situation of the team? Which kind of players do I have? Do I need new players? Strategy, will I need to make new? Is win so important?"

Suddenly appear in your mind another kind of thoughts: 

"Is win important for me? How I want to win? Is win the core of my work? Is win the object that I started this job? How much I want to win? What means win for me? What exists behind this desire of win? And once I win, What will I get?"

For the club, win might be the main goal, and for you?

For sure you know what the club expect from you but...

• What do you want from the club?
• What do you want?
• What is important for you?
• What is important for the players?
• What do you want (to get) from the players?
• What do the club want (to get) from the players?
• What do the players want (to get) from the club?
• What do the players want (to get) from you?

In any path to victory, there is a few things (if you know some other add please) that can happen and are not good:

1. Have the wrong people in the wrong seats
2. Do not know what is going on in the team
3. Be obsess with the wish of win
4. Be more focus on what other teams are doing than in their own
5. Cut motivation, creativity and feeling of belonging from the subjects of the team.
6. Do not know how your team members are feeling with their personal, professional and social life.
7. ...

Have a wish for win and succeed it is not necessary something bad, keeps you focus, motivated, original, authentic and aware of new resources and methods. As I understand win it is just a part of the journey.

Every supermen or superwomen, has its krypton and when it shows up they lose rhythm, control, they lose their super powers and irremediably yield. If this krypton is not taken away from them in the moment that appears, or their learn how to control their effects, your path and their path will be separated, and you will start to build a new chain in the opposite direction for what they hire you. 

Every part of the system is important for the global success, and any part of the system have sense without the others.

Jhon C. Maxwell said:

" Leaders become great,

not because of their power,

but because of their ability to empower others."

So that is you.
and now... how will you win?

My challenge is your succes

Carlos