Lessons From My Coach

On October 28^th there will be a helluva birthday celebration and I can guarantee a couple of things, first, there will be a lot of Crown Royal, Hennessey and MGD at that party and after that, a horde of friends and family will be there to spend time with a man that many know as Shorty, or that I know as Coach. Throughout my years in athletics I’ve had a lot of coaches in my day, none as influential and as close to me as the man that I refer to as Coach. Personally, I take a great deal of pleasuring writing this post and while most of my posts are business focused, here I’ll walk you through how Coach has taught me a lot of life’s great lessons.

Coach, is Nelson Luyando Sr., the head coach of the Luyando Boxing gym in Champaign, Illinois, a gym that has produced countless champions and more importantly, has impacted the lives of hundreds of members throughout the years. The Luyando Boxing Gym is unique and unlike many boxing gyms, you have such a mixture of people that come through. You have your members that come in just to get in shape, and then you have your fighters, you have kids that come off the street or those that come from rich families, those that have no schooling, or those that attend the University of Illinois. Coach treats everybody the same, and in this melting pot of a gym, he has inspired and touched the lives of so many.

If you’ve ever spent time with him, you’ve probably heard stories of his days back in boxing, how he won nationals back when amateur boxing was in its height, or how it was he and several friends that actually started the b-boy movement back in the 70’s in Bronx, New York. Then there is what I feel his personal favorite, when he talks about his boxers and the epic wars we’ve all been through. You can see that coaching is his passion, and needless to say, he’s done such a fine job at it.

Now most of Coach’s fighters never have any thoughts of turning professional or even competing at a very high level. What I’ve found inspiring about the work that Coach does is that there is never any motive behind his coaching, he simply loves to coach, he loves boxing, and he takes a tremendous amount of pleasure in helping young athletes reach whatever goals they aspire too. Most of his fighters started as members trying to get in shape, they found a love for the sport and had a couple of fights and through that experience, win or lose, took away memories they will always cherish, led by a man that doesn’t care about money or glory, but just to see the excitement and satisfaction in the eyes of his boxers.

Here are some life’s principles that Coach has taught me

1. Have fun!

This is probably the number one lesson I learned from Coach. If you’ve ever boxed before, it can be very nerve wrecking, especially in your first several fights, the person across the ring from you wants to hurt you, and if you slip up, he will. There aren’t many things more chaotic than being in the boxing ring, but I always remember what Coach tells me when I’m in there, “Joe, have fun!”. After every round he asks me that question and I love it, I have fun no matter what I do, and whether I won the round or not, I had fun. This principle applies to life, too often we let minor details or even major obstacles get in the way of having fun, appreciating life and smiling, even in the midst of absolute chaos.

 2. Be real and develop trust

You will never have people follow you into battle without trust. I remember when I was just getting started, Coach would put me in with very experienced and tough fighters, sometimes my opponent would back out and Coach would have me fight a heavy weight or a super heavy weight. It pushed me to be my best and we were successful, but I would have never had the confidence to take such fights if I didn’t trust that Coach had my best interests in mind. How does Coach develop that level of trust? I believe it’s in his understanding that boxing to many is not their number one priority, it’s a passion and it’s fun but he understands that people have a life outside of boxing and respects that. He also cares for his fighters past boxing, I’ve seen him take tremendous steps to make sure his boxers are safe outside of the ring as much as inside. He takes a great interest in making sure his boxers follow the right path in life even inviting his boxers to his home to watch fights are to go to church with him. In order to lead you must develop trust otherwise your troops will never be fully committed. This applies to leadership, parenting, and relationships with friends and family; trust is critical, and without it, people will never fully follow you.

3. Focus on the task at hand

Coach like everybody in this world has had life’s share of ups and downs. This is normal, but most people don’t have the ability to focus on the task at hand and they eventually let life’s problems affect them so much that everything spirals downward. The gym is a sanctuary for a lot of people and it is exactly that for me. When I’m there, nothing else matters and I am at peace. Coach is that way and he doesn’t let whatever might be going on the outside affect his passion and coaching toward his fighters. We depend on him and he puts aside life’s problem to focus on us.

4. Everybody deserves a second chance

I’ve seen boxers come and go in the gym, some have even been critical to coach and dare place blame on him when they themselves didn’t do the work they needed to be prepared. I’ve seen boxers leave the gym and then come back and coach always welcomes them with open arms. I think this is incredible because nobody is perfect and people make mistakes, yet he is always committed to the success of his boxers and those around him no matter how many times they’ve disappointed him. I believe he does this because he believes people deserve the opportunity to be great and he takes great satisfaction in helping people achieve that.

In closing, I’ve learned a great deal from Coach and the sport of boxing. Without athletics I would not be where I am today and while I do not fight as often as I’d like, it is welcoming to know that I always have a home at the Luyando Boxing Gym and that Coach is always there to welcome me with open arms. Coach, thank you for everything that you do, and on behalf of everyone that has ever come through the gym, we thank you for the unforgettable memories and life lessons you have given us. Happy Birthday Coach.

Regards
Tianyi Joe Zhu