The Give Team Blog

#thegiveteam15: Habits and Experiences

6/14/2018

Give Team Motto 05

Life is nothing but a series of habits and experiences, so make your habits intentional and your experiences amazing

Success is realized through small things done consistently on a daily basis. Habits. Most of our habits are unintentional and not aligned with a greater goal. as a result, unintentional habits IMPEDE our progress on the path to greatness.

Rituals are a key element of The Give Team Playbook. The first step is to align the ritual with something important; ideally something that truly resonates with you. The second step is to find a specific time when that ritual will be performed every day. The third step is to understand the things that WILL get in your way, and come up with a plan to address the obstacle that WILL come. The last step - JUST! DO! THE! WORK!

Arguably (and I will argue), the most important ritual you can establish is a commitment to HEALTH, which includes a commitment to MOVING every day. The scientific evidence is OVERWHELMING. MOVING EVERY DAY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU CAN DO. Specifically, moving in the morning will have a measurably positive impact on your entire day. Students get better grades. Professionals are more engaged at work. Blue collar workers are less likely be be injured. And on. And on. And on.

That's where #THEGIVETEAM15 comes into play.

The post earlier this week spelled out the different exercises. This post will dive a little deeper, since we've had significant feedback about HOW to perform the exercises. For starters, know two things. (1) It's going to suck and there will be times you won't want to do it; and (2) IT'S ONLY FIFTEEN MINUTES - keep telling yourself that. Remember :45 AMRAP ("as many reps as possible") followed by :15 rest. NOTE - there are many variations to these exercises. DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT FORM. We want to focus on the movement. As the 15 days progress, you'll get better and better. The exercises are as follows (with video links available by clicking on the name of the exercise):

Deep Squat: Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, toes pointing forward. Throw your hips back while you lower yourself down, engaging your core, bending your knees, keeping your weight on your heels (don't raise up on your toes), extending hands forward if you'd like for balance. Then explode up from your heels, tightening your glutes at the top. Make sure you keep weight on your heels and your knees don't extend over your toes. DROP DEEP.
Skater Lunges: From a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart, slowly step your left leg back diagonally behind your right leg. Lower into a lunge until your knee almost touches the floor. Launch / hop onto the left leg, stepping the right leg behind your left and lowering into the lunge. ALTERNATIVE: If you get tired, don't HOP, just step back and forth.
Lunge Jumps: From a standing position, step forward with your left leg keeping weight on your heel while you lower down until your right knee nearly touches the ground, then HOP UP and switch legs with your right leg stepping forward. ALTERNATIVE: Regular lunges.
1-Leg Bridge Kicks: Sitting on the ground, raise yourself so you're in a table position, with arms straight, feet flat on the ground, and core tight. Kick your left leg straight out, then push off with your right leg kicking the right foot out. Try to keep your butt high. ALTERNATIVE: Hold a crab plank where you tighten core with both feet on the ground, and squeeeeeeeze glutes.
Squat Jumps: Same as Deep Squat, except push off your heels and launch into the air, reaching high. Keep weight on heels as you lower. ALTERNATIVE: Regular squat.
Arm Extender / Chain Breaker: Bend arms 90 degrees and hold parallel to ground. Keeping arms bent, reach back with elbows as if you're trying to touch elbows behind your back and feel the squeeze, then extend in front so hands touch, then repeat.
Dips: Use a bench or chair or coffee table. Hold your body up with straightened arms, hands on bench. Lower body with arms bending elbows so they're close to you're body until they're bent 90 degrees, then straighten arms. Make it more difficult by EXPLODING up.
Push Ups: Hands under shoulders, keep core tight and elbows close to body, lowering until chin touches the ground. If chin or chest don't touch, it doesn't count. Then raise body. KEEP BACK FLAT - don't dip hips or raise hips. ALTERNATIVE: Go to knees. DO NOT QUIT. Worst case would be to hold a plank position.
Pike Push Ups: Same as push ups, except bring hands closer to feet, hips raised in the air. Lower head between hands. Hold shoulders solid. ALTERNATIVE: Hold firmly as an A-frame plank. Squeeze shoulders.
Standing Bicycle Crunch: Standing with hands behind head, raise left knee while lowering head to touch right elbow to the knee. Keep core tight, including the glute of your planted foot. Lower leg and stand straight, raising opposite leg to opposite elbow. KEEP CORE TIGHT.
1-Arm V-Ups: Laying flat on the ground with hands over head, hold feet 6 inches off the ground, raise your upper body off the ground reaching with your right arm straight while you raise your left leg, and touch your left toes, lower (don't let foot touch the ground), then repeat with the opposite leg and hand. KEEP CORE TIGHT. (video example shows both arms). ALTERNATIVE: Lay back with leg extended, back flat on ground and feet 6" off the ground. THE GROUND IS LAVA - feet don't touch.
Russian Twist: Sit on the ground with feet flat on the ground, then raise feet 6" off the ground, keeping core tight, holding hands together, twist core until your right hand touches the ground next to your left hip, then rotate to the other side touching your left hand next to your right hip. THE GROUND IS LAVA - feet don't touch. ALTERNATIVE: Sit with feet off ground.
Mountain Climber: Plank position on your hands, back flat and core tight, pull left knee toward your chest (do not touch left foot to ground), then replace left foot, pulling right knee toward chest, and alternate.
Ranger Crawl / Spiderman Plank: Plank position on hands (or you can hold on elbows, as on video), with hands under shoulders, core contracted, raise right knee laterally and bring it to right elbow, then replace leg on ground. Repeat with the left knee to the left elbow.
Burpees: Yeah. That's right. The only time you're happy to do burpees is during #thegiveteam15 because IT'S THE LAST EXERCISE. Standing, drop to the ground touching chest, then push up with hands and use core to pop up, bringing feet by hands, and jump from heels with hands in air, and repeat.

Congratulations. If you can't see the sweat, you're doing it wrong.

When you're done, note how good you feel. You're done. Take a pic of your surroundings, or a selfie and post it to Instagram. Tag #thegiveteam15 and we'll share your post in The Give Team Instagram story.

BE STRONG! GIVE MORE!

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#THEGIVETEAM15

6/3/2018

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Spring has been phenomenal for The Give Team thanks to the people behind The Oscar Mike Foundation, The Green Beret Challenge, Spartan Race, Inc., The Travis Manion Foundation, and the many strong souls who have jumped in, stepped up and joined us for this incredible journey.

To express our thanks, we're following our motto: No matter how little you have, you always have something to give. BE STRONG! GIVE MORE! We're giving more by giving YOU the opportunity to participate in an UNFORGETTABLE experience. NOW you can JOIN THE GIVE TEAM for 15 days to play a role in our summer program. It ONLY takes 15 minutes a day. With that, we present #thegiveteam15.

What is #thegiveteam15?

It's how ANYONE can be part of The Give Team by doing fifteen exercises (see below) for a minute each for a total of fifteen minutes every day for fifteen days. We're all creatures of habit, and setting POSITIVE RITUALS is a central principle in The Give Team Playbook. This summer, #thegiveteam15 is the daily ritual each team member has adopted. And now YOU can share in the love.

When does #thegiveteam15 start and end?

15 June 2018 through 30 June 2018. That’s only FIFTEEN DAYS to perform FIFTEEN exercises for FIFTEEN minutes each day starting on the FIFTEENTH of June. Fifteens wild. Give Team members in Orlando will stick with #thegiveteam15 for the entire summer season which ends 31 July 2018. While you're free to stick

with the program through the entire summer, remote members will ONLY need to participate for TWO WEEKS. We don't want to take much of your time, and your involvement means a lot to each team member. Knowing others are doing the same work their doing inspires them to stick with their ritual.

What do I get for participating in #thegiveteam15?

Pride. After all, you'll be part of the ONLY inner-city OCR team in the country focused on building strength, leadership skills and goal achievement with military-inspired leadership principles and concepts rooted in Stoic philosophy.

Strength. This workout is no joke, and you WILL get stronger. Just keep telling yourself, "It's ONLY 15 minutes."

Purpose. You’ll be providing motivation to a group of guys living in a neighborhood named one of America’s most dangerous. If you've had an opportunity to meet the team, you understand this part deep in your soul.

How much does it COST to participate in #thegiveteam15?

Fifteen minutes of your day for fifteen days. That’s it. Perhaps a piece of your soul during every workout if you push yourself, but that’s up to you. No money.

If you’re interested in contributing toward our fall season (the team budget for fall 2018 events - between $5,734 and $13,700, depending on number of events and team members included), feel free to donate via PayPal (http://www.paypal.me/giveteam). For those interested in sponsoring The Give Team’s participation in OCR events you can check out our sponsorship levels on our Donate / Sponsor, and you can always reach out to Head Coach Brad Mason at brad.mason@justkeeppouring.com or 407.920.3674.

What are the RULES for PARTICIPATION?

Plan on performing FIFTEEN EXERCISES (listed below) dedicating a minute for each. Each exercise is to be performed for 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of recovery.
Take a photo of yourself immediately before, during or after doing #thegiveteam15. For those camera shy, the photo doesn’t have to be of you - it can be of where you’re performing the routine. If you're on Instagram, post your pic and tag #thegiveteam15. If you're on Facebook, you can post your pic our Give Team Facebook group.
Go hard, go easy. We don’t care. JUST DO THE WORK! If you want to track the number of reps for each exercise to measure improvement between the beginning and end, bonus points will be awarded.
RITUAL RECOMMENDATION: Plan to do these exercises at THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY.
RITUAL RECOMMENDATION: Plan do these exercises IN THE MORNING. Science shows the overall benefit of working out is stronger if done in the morning. Also, if you miss your planned time to do #thegiveteam15, you'll have more time to RECOVER and keep your streak alive if you plan it in the morning
RECOMMENDATION: Download a workout timer app. I use Seconds on my iPhone. Set it for 45 seconds of activity and 15 seconds of rest for fifteen rounds. I programmed mine with each exercise (listed below) spelled out.

Where did the idea for #thegiveteam15 come from?

The routine is modeled after a fitness program I followed last year while training to climb Mt. Rainier. It was very effective. It's designed to be done ANYWHERE without equipment, and will energize ANYONE for the day.

The idea of the “ritual” came from Give Team Motto 05: Life is nothing but a series of habits and experiences, so make your habits intentional and your experiences amazing.

Greatness happens in the small things done consistently, with focus and with purpose. To that end, we need to be MINDFUL of our habits, and align them with our goals. The beauty of a physical goal is there is nothing more honest. If you put in the work, you get the results.

Alright already. What are the exercises in #thegiveteam15 program?

As stated earlier, the routine is to perform each exercise for 45 seconds followed by 15 seconds of rest.

A description of some of the exercises is provided below. If you have questions about how to perform these, look them up on YouTube, or you can ask in the comments below.

Deep Squat - feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, throw your butt back and down, touch behind your heels with your fingertips, then drive up through your heels.
Skater Lunges - side-to-side, LAUNCH off the planted leg, lower your butt when you land and touch the other side of your foot with your opposite hand, then LAUNCH back the other way.
Lunge Jumps
1-Leg Bridge Kicks
Squat Jumps - feet a bit wider than shoulder width, stay on your heels, lower your butt, touch the ground in front of your toes, then LAUNCH UP through your heels.
Arm Extender (a/k/a Chain Breaker)
Dips - use a bench or chair if you don’t have a dip station.
Push Ups
Pike Push Ups - throw your hips into the air and lower the top of your head between your hands.
Standing Bicycle Crunch - touch elbow to opposite knee
1-Arm V-Ups
Russian Twist (a/k/a Cherry Pickers)
Mountain Climber
Ranger Crawl (a/k/a Spiderman Plank)
Burpees

Don’t forget to post your pic and if on Instagram, tag #thegiveteam15.

Remember the central Give Team Motto: No matter how little you have, you ALWAYS have something to give. BE STRONG! GIVE MORE!

Thanks for playing!

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First NinjaFit Gym Workout. The Power of Story and Voice.

1/21/2018

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Mornings on Saturday are an adventure. The adventure starts when I leave the driveway. Nearly every Saturday morning for the past year, I've left at 7:00 am to pick up a group of boys from Parramore in Orlando. Not long ago, Parramore was named one of America's 25 most dangerous neighborhoods. The question every Saturday is, how many boys will I be getting? I'll send a text the night before asking who's in and sometimes I'll get a response. This week, I know I'll be picking up Jeff and Paul. Not sure about Jean or Chris. And I know Akim won't make it because he committed to help his mother at her shop. And while Jeff will be present, he's about eight weeks removed from ACL surgery so won't be fully participating.

Chris is a wildcard because his phone is unreliable and it's anyone's guess when he'll be checking his Snapchat account on his sister's phone. Jean is an unknown because he doesn't respond regularly. Sometimes he responds via Snapchat and sometimes via text. Sometimes not at all. The Give Team has two primary channels where we communicate as a team - a group text thread and a Snapchat group. We've flirted with other channels like Instagram and Facebook (which we use to communicate to the community) but Snapchat and the text thread get the most consistent response.

If I knew where Chris and Jean were, I'd show up and pull them out of bed myself. Chris' family just moved to a different unit in the same apartment complex, and I don't know which apartment is his. Jean sleeps in a different place every Friday night, and I don't know where he'll be found on this particular Saturday.

The sky was brightening to blue with an edge in the air as I called Jeff letting him know I was in the driveway. As he climbed into the seat and buckled his seat belt, he told me Chris would be joining. We drove to get Chris at his new home, which is a two bedroom apartment across the parking lot from where his family used to live. We then picked up Paul who informed us Jean was attending a volleyball clinic. Looks like it's four of us this week. Jeff won't be at full capacity since he's still recovering from his ACL surgery in November, and bronchitis relegated me to the role of cameraman and cheerleader.

This week was the first workout at NinjaFit Gym in Orlando, Florida. Last spring our workouts were intense, utilizing nothing but the ground and park benches. The reason? YOU determine your strength. You don't need a gym to get strong. All you need is your body, a little creativity and a will to build strength. While that's true, following The Green Beret Challenge last July we realized we need to be more creative. Without training grip strength, we weren't as prepared for ropes, wall climbs and net climbs as we needed to be. That's where NinjaFit Gym comes into play.

NinjaFit is the only gym in Central Florida focused on obstacle course training. They have all the equipment and obstacles to train strength and learn the skills to conquer any obstacle. On top of that, their trainers are Spartan OCR certified, and that showed in the direction given during Saturday's workout. Late last year, I connected with Dan at NinjaFit and arranged to have The Give Team work out at the gym on the third Saturday every month. The NinjaFit workouts Dan put us through combined with more creativity on our regular workouts should give us the grip strength, endurance and overall skills to nail the Green Beret Challenge in May. Overall it's a great facility with an impressive community of gym members there to help while they also work to get stronger

Chris and Paul completed the workout, which included a 400M run, a climb up a 20' rope, a climb over an 8' wall, 10 runs up their Goliath ramp, 20 burpees, Holy Sheet (a sheet wound tied to two 15' rigs ten feet off the ground - you need to climb across hand-over-hand, or otherwise shimmying our way across without falling), 30 pull-ups, 40 sit ups, 50 walking lunges, battering ram (three segments of 15' where a 2.5' strip of PVC pipe is over a narrower pipe, creating a sliding / rotating obstacle - where you need to hang on and shimmy the PVC pipe across the 15' section and transfer to the next pipe), 40 sit ups, 30 pull ups, peg board traverse (cross a 30' peg board section, one peg at a time, 10' off the ground), 20 burpees, 10 more runs up the Goliath ramp, one more climb over the 8' wall and 1 more climb up the rope.

It was a wake up call. Paul almost threw up after the last run up and down the Goliath ramp. Chris struggled a bit also, needing an assistance band on his pull ups. I reminded both of them we haven't done a tough workout since the spring, so the struggle should be expected. The good news? We don't have to run The Green Beret Challenge today. We run it on May 5th.

It was also a wake up call for me. I haven't pushed myself since the beginning of December, thanks to an intense year end at work and a sickness I've been fighting in my chest since January 1. Those are excuses. There is work to be done, and we're grateful to have Dan and the NinjaFit Gym team to help us along the path to GBC.

Following the workout we usually have breakfast to discuss the topic of the week. The topic this week was THE POWER OF STORY AND VOICE, borrowing heavily from concepts in The Corporate Athlete Program, the book by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz titled The Power of Full Engagement and the book by Jim Loehr titled The Power of Story. The stories we tell ourselves determine the trajectory of our path. The story of where we're from explains the beginning, and colors why you are where you are and perhaps how you got here. The story where you're going should define what you do day-by-day, moment-by-moment, and how you do it.

Are the stories we tell - and the words and voice we use - empowering, strong and motivating? Or are they something different? Many times our stories are told from habit. Perhaps they're stories we heard our parents tell. Or our teachers. Or our friends. Sometimes they're good stories, but in writing these stories we need to make sure of three main things:

FIRST, understand life is nothing but a series of habits and experiences, so make your habits intentional and your experiences amazing. That means be INTENTIONAL about telling your story and controlling the message it sends to YOU and to those around you. Make the story you tell part of a NEW habit focused on intention. And take STRONG action to create amazing experiences aligned with who you are and how you define yourself. Inspire others not only by what you do, but how you do it.

SECOND, make them YOUR stories. Make them factual, but YOU'RE the one controlling the message. You're not a victim. You're a product of your thoughts and actions. So own your stories.

THIRD, we are NOT the product of our environment, or the stories we tell, but of the ACTIONS we take. Ensure the actions you take are aligned with the story you tell about where you're going. Understand every action is made from strength or weakness. ALWAYS choose strength. Choose strong thoughts. Choose strong actions. Build from there.

Next week we continue workouts at the northeast corner of Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. In the event there's a conflicting event, the backup location is Audubon Park Elementary School.

The topic next week is The Power of Why.

Be strong. Give more.

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The Power in ENGAGING and GIVING BACK

1/20/2018

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In November, my good friend Chris Goyzueta asked to get together and talk about motivation and engagement for his podcast Making It with Chris G. I agreed, and we sat down for a fun talk about some of the key principles behind The Give Team program, and what we’re all about. Take a listen, and hopefully you’ll find some helpful nuggets to help YOU find the benefit in GIVING MORE.

CLICK HERE to hear Coach Brad Mason with Chris Goyzueta on Making It with Chris G!

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Kicking Off 2018

1/7/2018

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Members of The Give Team with Shay of IHOP. Shay is an honorary member of The Give Team, giving her best effort whenever she works with The Give Team. Thank you, Shay!

We all want to give more, because it's in the act of giving that we find strength. That's what The Give Team is all about. As a team we look to live our motto every day: No matter how little you have, you always have something to give. What we give might be a smile, a compliment, assistance, or a pat on the back. It might be discipline or effort on the path to realize greatness. Over the past year, our efforts have inspired others to give more, and for that we're honored.

We welcome the opportunities and challenges 2018 will bring, and are grateful to those who inspire us on our journey. We look forward to meeting and engaging others around the country as we realize our potential as individuals, as a team, as a community and as a country in our pursuit of strength through engagement, empathy, effort and compassion.

Yesterday was our first workout of 2018.

I picked up Jeff at 9:30 am for our Saturday workout. It was two hours later than usual, but for the first workout of the year I decided to let the day warm a bit. I didn't know how cold it was but with the bright sun shining, it was warmer than the 38 degrees I saw on the weather report when I woke up at 7:00.

As we pulled into Chris' complex, the first thing I noticed was the repaved parking lot and the speed bump that ruined cars was gone. Nice work. As we parked in front of Chris' building I thought it odd all the spots were open except one. Chris' home was a two bedroom apartment for him, his four siblings and both parents. That's seven people in a two bedroom apartment. Chris is the oldest, and he consistently earns straight As as an eighth grader, despite the less-than-ideal studying conditions. I called Chris to let him know we were waiting in front. The call went straight to voice mail. I was about to ask Jeff to knock on Chris' front door when I noticed an orange piece of paper on the window. In large print it read, "Notice of Vacant Unit," with smaller print below. There wasn't any of the usual clutter in the front door window. Their place was empty.

I called Shanta to see if she knew anything. Shanta Barton-Stubbs is the founder and Executive Director of New Image Youth Center in Orlando, Florida, the best kept secret in Orlando where each of the boys on The Give Team grew up. She hadn't heard anything about Chris' family and gave me the phone number for Chris' father. When I called, it also went straight to voice mail.

My last text exchange with Chris was now colored with concern. Two nights before, Chris let me know he didn't know if he'd be able to join the team call at 7:00 pm on Sunday. I asked if I it'd be easier if I moved the call to 8:00 pm. He wasn't sure if he'd have access to his phone.

We pulled away to pick up Paul with thoughts rattling between my ears about Chris and his family with the temperature hovering in the lower 40s.

We started the Spring 2018 season with a small crew, and performed an abbreviated workout. It was a slow start on our path to develop strength in what will be a phenomenal season. Compared to a year ago, The Give Team OCR program is coming together well. As a team, we have four coaches - me (Coach Mason) and Akim (an alumnus of, and current staff member at, NIYC) in Orlando, Florida, Greg who recently moved to south Florida, and Rob (also an alumnus of NIYC). We have four team members in Orlando with Jean, Paul, Jeff and Chris. And as of January 7th, we have two remote team members - Steve in Gainesville, Florida (an alumnus of NIYC) and Ryan in Des Moines, Iowa (a 20 year Marine Corps veteran, recently retired). During January we'll seek to grow the team here in Orlando and extend it to other parts of the country.

On Sunday, each team member will set two goals to accomplish by May 31 - (1) a physical goal; and (2) an academic or professional goal. Each team member will also set a DAILY RITUAL they'll perform for the entire month of January. That ritual will be aligned with one of the two goals for the season. It must be something done daily that isn't already being done. A new ritual will be selected for each month of the season.

We'll hold our team call Sunday night to discuss expectations for the season - what they should expect and what the team expects of them. We'll discuss what we have lined up for the spring 2018 season. It's going to be a powerful season, and we're thankful to all those who are taking part in our Give Team effort.

In 2018, we're honored to have the support of NinjaFit Gym (the team will participate in their workout program the third Saturday of every month), Garage Mama Fitness (our workout facility when available), Coach Pain (named Most Influential OCR Personality of 2017 by Mud Run Guide, and meeting with him at a warm up OCR on April 9th two weeks before our participation at Green Beret Challenge), members of the Orlando Police Department, and the Travis Manion Foundation (participation of an ambassador as guest coach and others potentially joining as members to run The Green Beret Challenge with us in Atlanta). We continue to seek sponsors and donors to fund the 2018 season, and be a part of the journey. We also continue to seek guest coaches to join us on any Saturday to share their stories of overcoming challenges.

In the meantime, know there are others dealing with significant challenges on their path to greatness. Some seek those challenges while some deal with unexpected challenges. We're proud of the members on our team and work with them every day to ensure they make decisions from a position of strength and address any challenge as opportunities to become even stronger. Thanks so much for the support of The Give Team community in those efforts.

I'll update you - the "Extended Give Team" - as I learn about Chris' family.

Be strong. Give more.

8 January 2018 UPDATE: I spoke with Chris. His cell phone isn't working, so he called me from his father's phone. They temporarily moved to another unit in the same complex. Not really sure what that means, or if anyone really knows. I guess everything we do is temporary, isn't it?

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What Is The Give Team?

1/1/2018

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Who are We?

We are The Give Team.

What's The Give Team?

We're an inner-city obstacle course racing team based in a neighborhood named one of America's 25 most dangerous in 2010. The Parramore neighborhood of Orlando, Florida is home to poverty, gangs, violence, drugs, high crime rates, and many say lost hope. But not here. Not with The Give Team. We know life is full of obstacles and while many avoid them, we seek them. Then we conquer them.

While millions travel to Orlando every year, few have heard of Parramore. Even fewer have visited. Based in the Parramore neighborhood, New Image Youth Center has played an important role in the development of each Give Team member. Two of the four coaches are alumni of the Center. One is a certified personal trainer and also serves as a staff member working with elementary school students. The other attends Auburn University as the youngest member of the PhD program in Computer Science. A third team member is currently a sophomore on a full academic scholarship to the University of Florida. Four more are currently in high school, with our youngest team member in eighth grade. We're looking to add five more for the spring of 2018.

Why are we a team?

Because life is a team sport. Draft accordingly.

If there's someone on your team who is getting in the way of your goals, kick them off. Conversely, seek those who have traveled the path you want to travel, learn how you can give value to them, introduce yourself, and learn from them.

Why are we the GIVE Team?

Shanta Barton-Stubbs, Founder and Executive Director of New Image Youth Center works with kids from elementary school through high school (and beyond), reinforcing key principles to guide their way. One principle is focused on gratitude and giving back. She teaches the kids, "No matter how little you have, you always have something to give." On our team, we take that to a personal level. If you think you've given everything you have, think again. You have more. If you're on the fourth mile of a five mile run and you're doing burpees every 1/4 mile, you might think you're done. But you're not done until you've finished that fifth mile. Give more.

No matter how little you think you have, you ALWAYS have something to give. So give more. Give a smile. Give a compliment. Give assistance. Give more focus. Give more effort. But whatever you do, give more.

The Give Team is about leadership, and you can't lead others until you master the ability to lead yourself. That's why EVERYONE participates in all events (goal setting, workouts and competitions), including the coaches. Members of the community are encouraged to participate. At the beginning of the season, each team member sets two goals: (1) A physical goal, because nothing is more honest than a physical goal. If you put in the work, you get the results; and (2) An academic or professional goal, since the greatest influence on the trajectory of lives (along with attitude and effort) is academic and / or professional performance. Every month, each team member will also select a new ritual to adopt aligned with their goals. The selected ritual will be performed every day that month.

We meet every Saturday at 7:30 am to participate in an intense workout. The workout is followed by breakfast where we address the leadership topic of the week, and discuss opportunities and challenges in the week ahead. At that time, the Workout of the Week is given to the team. The team is encouraged to perform the workout AT LEAST three times before the next Saturday, with extra recognition for those completing it every day. The Workout of the Week is intended to compliment any other planned workouts the team member has, whether for football, basketball, volleyball, the chess team, or the debate team. Give more.

To hold ourselves accountable, the team communicates daily via text message, Snapchat, and GroupMe. We also communicate monthly via conference call. The Give Team communicates to the extended team - the community - via blog posts on our website (http://www.giveteam.net), our Facebook page (@giveteam), Instagram account (@thegiveteam) and Twitter account (@keepgivingmore). Remote team members are welcome to join each season. For the Spring 2018 season, remote Give Team members reside in Auburn, AL, Gainesville, FL and Des Moines, IA. Monthly conference calls will be held with remote and local Give Team members.

The Give Team is proud to partner with Garage Mama Fitness in Winter Garden, Florida and NinjaFit Gym in Apopka, FL, where we'll be attending workouts at different points throughout the season. We also welcome guest coaches to participate in either the workout or breakfast (or both), and share their story of overcoming challenges or achieving greatness. This past fall, we welcomed Marine Corps veteran Larry Johns who has continued to be a valuable part of the New Image Youth Center family. In 2018, we look forward to working with ambassadors from The Travis Manion Foundation, fitness coach and motivational speaker Coach Pain (recently named The Most Influential Person in Obstacle Course Racing by Mud Run Guide), fitness athlete Marissa Herring, former NFL and NCAA defensive back Andre Martin and former Major League Baseball All Star and World Series Champion Johnny Damon.

Each season ends with an obstacle course race. At those races, we seek to expand the team by engaging with other race participants; a community that seeks obstacles, understanding pain is inevitable and it's the pain we seek that strengthens us. This season, we continue our relationship with The Green Beret Challenge where The Give Team will compete in Atlanta on May 5th.

Interested in learning more? Interested in participating? Interested in SPONSORING (we already have a $100 sponsor and $35 sponsor for the 2018, thanks to a couple December donations - and in return they will be receiving a GIVE TEAM WATER BOTTLE and WORKOUT SHIRT). Know someone who'd benefit or who could help our team along the path to greatness? Contact us at http://www.giveteam.net/contact.html and come join us for an amazing experience in 2018. As much as you give us, we'll give back in return. Give more.

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Green Beret Challenge - 22 Jul 2017

12/2/2017

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After working together nearly every Saturday morning between January and July, The Give Team participated in The Green Beret Challenge in Perry, Georgia on July 22nd. It was a weekend everyone will remember for years to come.

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#thegiveteam15: Habits and Experiences

#THEGIVETEAM15

First NinjaFit Gym Workout. The Power of Story and Voice.

The Power in ENGAGING and GIVING BACK

Kicking Off 2018

What Is The Give Team?

Green Beret Challenge - 22 Jul 2017

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