I have heard quite a few reports lately about camps questioning loyalty and frankly getting butt hurt when fighters want to go to other camps for cross training. We have always followed the practice of helping other camps as well as other camps helping us. It's great for the fighters to use other bodies for sparring or see other coaches techniques and training methods. I think a lot of this is perspective - as a team we want to win, we want our fighters to be the best athletes they can possibly be. In order to do that you have to take advantage of all the quality training and people you can.
If your looking at it as a gym the same rule applies. You want the best team you can possibly have to represent your gym. Now the problem arises when fighters on your team want to leave you and your team for the team you crossed trained with or the fighter wants to leave your gym for the gym you might have partnered with. Bottom line - this happens. Personally for me - if a fighter wants to leave - let him leave. If he is not the right fit for your team or gym - your both better off. If the fighter is just thinking the grass is greener on the other side. It is not - and that fighter will more than likely not amount to much or a guy who is really going to go far. Lack of loyality is a sign of lack of character and the best fighters have the best character.
I have had this happen to me and usually the fighter ends up coming back and wanting his old position back. Many times somebody else spent a lot of the time and money finding out that this is not the fighter we want to be spending our valuable time and resources on anyway. Sometimes the fighter comes back very humble and an even closer bond is developed - and loyality is possible behind the trial the fighter experienced. Sometimes the fighter does do better at another gym or team and there should be no hard feelings because he is the one getting punched in the face and you can still enjoy being a part of his career and development as a fighter and some dogs just aren't worth feeding - let them be somebody else's headache.
Not all athletes are cut out to be DogBoxers and I have found that if I lose guys in the process of cross training it is a cheap way for me to weed out guys who are not a fit anyway and get my guys some good training in the process. So when I run across coaches or gym owners that freak out any time somebody wants to cross train I immediately think they do not have much confidence in the training and managing being offered - why else would it be such a problem for your fighter or fighters to get extra training and knowledge???? A fighter can always be signed to a Managment contract with your team or gym, and you can be an asset to him no matter where or with who he trains with.
All this being said if you as a gym and /or team owner are professional in your gym business - in the training being offered and your managing a fighter to the best of your ability then there is nothing to worry about whn it comes to cross training with other gyms or camps. The fighters who are supposed to be part of your endeavors will be and the ones who are not - wont be. We as the non athletes need to put into our jobs as much as the fighter puts into theirs. This is a Tuff sport and we are in the hurt business and its not for everybody. Now there are times when camps we have made alliances with - we will be offered fights with some of the very people we have crossed trained with - that's a good thing. We put our skills - pitted against their skills and the best team or man wins - that's what the fans pay to see! Then there are camps or gyms that are pure and simple - rivals. Well that's the fight game as well - beat them down in the cage every chance you get - again that's what the fans pay to see.
It is our job to be the best we can be which we learn thru loss and victory - that should never stop if you decide to be in Combat Sports Entertainment. I know for me its about winning not being right - I will do whats best for the DogBoxing team as long as its not cheating or doing somebody dirty. It's not about me its about them and I am honored if they want to be DogBoxers. At the same time I am not dishonored if they don't want to be DogBoxers - it's their mistake not mine!!!!
If your looking at it as a gym the same rule applies. You want the best team you can possibly have to represent your gym. Now the problem arises when fighters on your team want to leave you and your team for the team you crossed trained with or the fighter wants to leave your gym for the gym you might have partnered with. Bottom line - this happens. Personally for me - if a fighter wants to leave - let him leave. If he is not the right fit for your team or gym - your both better off. If the fighter is just thinking the grass is greener on the other side. It is not - and that fighter will more than likely not amount to much or a guy who is really going to go far. Lack of loyality is a sign of lack of character and the best fighters have the best character.
I have had this happen to me and usually the fighter ends up coming back and wanting his old position back. Many times somebody else spent a lot of the time and money finding out that this is not the fighter we want to be spending our valuable time and resources on anyway. Sometimes the fighter comes back very humble and an even closer bond is developed - and loyality is possible behind the trial the fighter experienced. Sometimes the fighter does do better at another gym or team and there should be no hard feelings because he is the one getting punched in the face and you can still enjoy being a part of his career and development as a fighter and some dogs just aren't worth feeding - let them be somebody else's headache.
Not all athletes are cut out to be DogBoxers and I have found that if I lose guys in the process of cross training it is a cheap way for me to weed out guys who are not a fit anyway and get my guys some good training in the process. So when I run across coaches or gym owners that freak out any time somebody wants to cross train I immediately think they do not have much confidence in the training and managing being offered - why else would it be such a problem for your fighter or fighters to get extra training and knowledge???? A fighter can always be signed to a Managment contract with your team or gym, and you can be an asset to him no matter where or with who he trains with.
All this being said if you as a gym and /or team owner are professional in your gym business - in the training being offered and your managing a fighter to the best of your ability then there is nothing to worry about whn it comes to cross training with other gyms or camps. The fighters who are supposed to be part of your endeavors will be and the ones who are not - wont be. We as the non athletes need to put into our jobs as much as the fighter puts into theirs. This is a Tuff sport and we are in the hurt business and its not for everybody. Now there are times when camps we have made alliances with - we will be offered fights with some of the very people we have crossed trained with - that's a good thing. We put our skills - pitted against their skills and the best team or man wins - that's what the fans pay to see! Then there are camps or gyms that are pure and simple - rivals. Well that's the fight game as well - beat them down in the cage every chance you get - again that's what the fans pay to see.
It is our job to be the best we can be which we learn thru loss and victory - that should never stop if you decide to be in Combat Sports Entertainment. I know for me its about winning not being right - I will do whats best for the DogBoxing team as long as its not cheating or doing somebody dirty. It's not about me its about them and I am honored if they want to be DogBoxers. At the same time I am not dishonored if they don't want to be DogBoxers - it's their mistake not mine!!!!
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