Don’t Take Your Knowledge for Granted

This is a public service announcement and something that I think is very important to think about and realize. All of you as students are well educated individuals, not only in your own lives, professions and hobbies, but also in what you learn here. We as coaches take pride in what we do and want to share as much of it as we can to help you be as successful and healthy as you can be. Don’t take that knowledge for granted.

Please, when you read this, don’t look it as Coach Adam saying “you guys don’t listen to a word I say so cut it out and just listen and do as I say” or me thinking I’m so high and mighty that what I say is gospel, because neither are the case. What I mean is that you guys have invested your time and hard earned money in us in order to learn about health. Not only to come to classes, but to also grow your own knowledge base and learn how to live a healthier life. Not everyone has the same opportunity, which is really unfortunate.

This post was born out of me shopping at Hannaford recently. I often find myself looking into people’s carts out of reflex from time to time, and I honestly feel bad for others. I feel bad for them because I remember what it was like for me, to be overweight, thinking I’m doing the right things, but not being successful. I mean, everyone knows that ice cream and pizza every day will lead to problems, but how many of us remember hearing how bad fat was for you? Or how 60%+ of your diet needs to be made up of carbs or grains? You all have learned that this is not necessarily the case, and more often than not in today’s America, it is absolutely not the case. I feel bad because these people often don’t know any better. They do what they have been told is right, but it doesn’t work so they think “forget it I’m just going to do whatever I want”. Or they haven’t been educated at all. I see more and more young adults with carts full of exclusively junk - there is no way they have been told just how much of a problem this will cause or they would throw a couple vegetables in here or there.

Here is the main difference I think - you as students, and us as coaches as well, realize these things are harmful to us in large quantities. We make informed decisions, we indulge every once in a while, but know what will happen if we don’t stop. Others don’t have that knowledge and because of it we see problems all over the country. It’s not about nutrition anymore, it’s about selling more boxes of sugary breakfast cereal and pushing exercise, exercise, exercise on the masses because it shines the light away from the real issue.

So don’t take it for granted, you guys have worked hard and made a conscious decision to educate yourself. Use that to your advantage, and if you know someone who is in that circumstance, a friend colleague, ask them some small questions, they may not know any better. If you can educate them, even in a small way, you can make a big difference in their life. Don’t take that knowledge for granted, use it, and use what you learn to help others. Together we can all help affect people’s lives in a positive way, not just our own. Coach Adam out.