Weekly Recap 5/31-6/6/2020

It has been a heavy week and it is hard to find the right words to say regarding systematic racism in our country. We are working on educating ourselves about racism and are committed to standing with the black community and helping to dismantle the systems and structures that are racist in America. The week’s recap has 2 articles written by people of color, a moving video from Ryan Doris about making the long-term commitment to making racial changes in America, and an Instagram post about a new group that was formed with the goal to “educate white and non-black persons on the effects of racial inequality & injustices and encourage diversity, inclusion & equality within the fitness industry.”

Articles of the Week

Managing Your Doctor’s Appointment by Greg Hawthorne

This is a quick read but it is a great reminder for us all. The scenario that he describes in the beginning is one that I think every single one of us can relate to. Greg reminds us that your doctor’s appointment is about you and your doctor is being paid for the appointment and to treat you. Therefore, if you have questions, ask them! You may feel like your doctor is rushing through the appointment or that you should just trust the tests they are doing and not worry, but it is important to understand what is going on with your body and why a doctor orders such tests. Greg lists some questions that are helpful to be prepared with for your next appointment. At your next appointment, don’t be too shy or too polite to ask anything. If you have a question, ask it!

GI Joe Fallacy by Denzel Allen

This was a great article from Denzel about having knowledge about something is only a small piece to making changes or learning a new skill or habit. We know learning and educating ourselves is important, but if you do nothing with that knowledge, then no changes or growth will occur. Change takes practice and time. I think this is important to know in the health and fitness industry; however, I think it is even more important to know this when it come to the racial injustice movement. It is crucial to educate yourself about the racial injustices that are present in our society; but if don’t do anything with that knowledge and just continue going about your every day life, then what use is that knowledge? If you just let that knowledge sit, then you will be doing nothing to help promote change that needs to happen.

Instagram Post of the Week

We were excited to see this group form in light of the events from the past week. The fitness industry needs to be part of the change of racial injustices. This group has formed as a way to stand with the black community and help to promote diversity and inclusion in the fitness industry. We recommend everyone in the health and fitness industry to follow this page and be part of the change. Check out the post for information on what this group is about and what their goals are for the future.

View this post on Instagram

Coaches Creating Change (CCC) is a group of coaches who have made the conscious decision to dedicate their efforts towards addressing racial injustices and promoting social equality. Born out of necessity, the goal of CCC is to educate white and non-black persons on the effects of racial inequality & injustices and encourage diversity, inclusion & equality within the fitness industry. . Given our abilities as coaches to facilitate mental and behavior change, it is our goal to transition that skillset to the setting of social activism and bring about needed change in order to provide a better quality of life for our Black brothers and sisters. . In other words: we’re a group of coaches who believe shit needs to change NOW and we have the skills needed to do so. . To our Black brothers and sisters, our fellow Black coaches & leaders in the fitness industry and the Black clients we serve… . We see you. We hear you. We are with you. . . . . . . . #performance #inspiration #wanderlust #worldtravel #travelgram #athlete #fit #fitness #functionalfitness #crossfit #athleticperformance #fitspo #fitspiration #wod #strength #strengthandconditioning #quarantine

A post shared by Coaches Creating Change (@coachescreatingchange) on Jun 8, 2020 at 7:06am PDT

Youtube Video of the Week

Ryan Doris, aka The Natty Pro, put out a video about the importance of continuing to stand up against racial injustices for the long-term. This can’t be something that everyone works towards for a few weeks or even months but then lets it dwindle. As a country, we need to fight until changes are made. This means we stand together and fight month after month and year after year. Changes don’t happen overnight and we need to remain committed until systematic racism is ended. Watch this video to hear what Ryan has to say to everyone that is part of this movement against racism.