Explore the thrilling world of Grid, a unique team sport combining the excitement of American Ninja Warrior, football strategy, and CrossFit intensity. Joined by Gainesville Wild’s owner and head coach, we unravel the sport’s captivating universe. From adrenaline-pumping races to the delicate balance of strength, utility, and body weight movements, Grid provides a lively platform for athletes to showcase their strengths. Constructing a formidable Grid League team goes beyond assembling superb athletes; it’s about building a family. Dan’s journey, as the head coach and owner, reflects the rollercoaster of investing time, money, and energy into a venture without guaranteed returns. Yet, the reward lies in the team’s growth and unity, emphasizing our values of communication and mutual support.
Leadership in a team demands assertiveness, trust, and effective communication, topics I’ll explore with Dan. Looking into the future, we discuss plans for the upcoming season, tryouts, and sponsorships. Our journey doesn’t end here; as we prepare for the FGL/AGL and Grid’s overall growth, Dan shares his experiences as a player and leader, offering an enticing glimpse into the community, competition, and excitement that grid brings. Get ready for this episode to redefine your perception of fitness and competition!
——— EPISODE CHAPTERS ———
(0:00:01) – Grid League Introduction and Season Recap (19 Minutes)
The world of grid, a team sport that combines elements of American Ninja Warrior, football, and CrossFit. Our guest, the head coach and owner of Gainesville Wilde, explains the structure of grid and how it differs from other team sports. He also discusses the various races and challenges that make up a grid match, including partner forward the mirror, ringer points, and sprint relays. The unique aspect of grid is that athletes can specialize in their strengths, whether it be body weight movements, strength, or utility skills. Our guest shares his experience as a coach and owner in this exciting and dynamic sport.
(0:19:09) – Building a Strong Grid League Team (15 Minutes)
The story of how the host became the head coach and owner of a team in the grid league. They discuss the process of finding and selecting athletes for the team, with a focus on creating a strong family dynamic. The host also mentions investing a significant amount of money into the team, despite not receiving any return on investment. They believe the risk was worth it for the potential growth of the grid league. The conversation ends with a summary of the team’s values and the importance of communication and support among team members.
(0:34:03) – Building Trust and Effective Communication (8 Minutes)
The challenges of leadership and the importance of being a strong leader. The hosts share their experiences leading teams and coaching individuals who were more skilled than them. They also discuss the significance of assertiveness and achieving the best results. A guest joins the conversation to provide insights on leading a team of elite athletes and the role of trust and communication. Overall, this chapter delves into the complexities of leadership and the lessons learned from navigating these challenges.
(0:41:38) – Next Season Tryouts and Sponsorships (16 Minutes)
The world of sports and strategic communication as we speak with a guest who shares their experience as the owner of a sports team. We discuss the importance of actions over words and how showing love and commitment to one’s team is more impactful than just saying it. The conversation also touches on the upcoming season and our plans for tryouts and sponsorships. Our guest expresses their excitement for the future and their determination to continue building a strong team.
(0:57:34) – Growing the AGL and the Grid (3 Minutes)
The world of GRID, a competitive fitness league that combines the intensity of CrossFit with the excitement of team sports. We speak with a passionate guest who shares their personal experience as a player and leader in the league. We discuss the unique community and competitive atmosphere of GRID, highlighting how it offers a fun and challenging alternative to traditional fitness routines. The guest encourages listeners to give GRID a try and emphasizes the importance of finding a fitness goal that is enjoyable and fulfilling. We express gratitude for the guest’s contributions to the league and their personal growth through the experience.
Dan Jackson
Instagram: @danejack61612
Born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana; being surrounded by health, fitness, and sport blossomed a great interest in everything the body was/is capable of accomplishing. My life began with integration into all sports; which eventually led to pursuing swimming in college. I swam at the University of Evansville for my first couple of years of undergraduate work until I transferred to Indiana University in my Junior year (I was not fast enough to swim for them). This began a great interest in coaching, and I worked as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach with Bloomington High School South Boy’s Swimming and Diving for the remainder of my undergraduate years.
In 2013, my wife began active duty with the United States Army, and we began a life of moving frequently (Indiana to Texas to Florida (me) to South Carolina to Georgia), which forced my swim coaching career to come to a brief conclusion; however, I picked up a significant level of experience coaching within the CrossFit world. During the years 2013 to 2017, we moved 4 times as a family (6 times for myself as I established a short three-month CrossFit coaching job in Lake Mary, Florida). My wife gave birth to three healthy girls while I was able to finish my Masters in Coach Education and Athlete Development from Xavier University. Since I am a masochist, I have begun another Masters in Education program with Mizzou (Positive Coaching and Athletic Leadership), and am concurrently pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership: Health and Human Performance from Concordia University-Chicago. Needless to say, I am offensively busy; however, it is 100% by choice as this is what I need to pursue anything within the spectrum of sports psychology. Subjectively, sports psychology is a magnificent field that I hope to one day thrive within.
We now reside in Canton, Georgia (a suburb of Atlanta). Here I currently work as a swim coach to help teach elite-level CrossFit athletes how to swim, coach a local swim team, Head Coach/Owner for the Gainesville Wild, professor in Health Promotion and Physical Education at Kennesaw State University, Head Coach of the Kennesaw State Masters Swim Team, a part-time lifeguard and instructor, and Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game collector and seller. To keep busy, the majority of my time is spent having philosophical, theoretical, and applicable conversations on how to improve the physiological parameters and psychological well-being of athletes.
@gainesvillewild Owner/Head Coach
@flgridleague
@atlanticgridleague Co-Founder
CSCS
www.atlanticgridleague.com
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