It is a time-tested proverb that a healthy body carries a healthy mind. People with better physical fitness tend to have more mental alertness leading them to make worthy choices in whatever field they want to excel.
Will Burgess, strength and conditioning coach, takes the concept of physical fitness to another level. His vision enshrines the idea of providing physical training to young children not simply to be fit but to be able to make tough decisions in their lives.
The US national runs a gym with the name of Weightroom that is Qatar’s first private, sports performance training facility. He founded it in July 2018 with the simple mission of developing physically strong and mentally tough individuals to achieve success in sports and in life.
“Our approach to athletic development and performance is systematic, utilising the same techniques that prepare elite athletes at the highest levels of sports. We focus on building power, strength and conditioning, with the highest attention to quality of movement. By training in this way, we improve performance and decrease the prevalence of injury. Our professional coaching staff has the knowledge and experience to assist athletes in achieving their goals and realising potential,” said Will who has been training young and professional athletes in Qatar for 13 years.
Besides being a player of American football and strength trainer in the US, Will has so far worked with Qatar Olympic Committee, Qatar Superstock Motorcycle Champions, Qatar Volleyball National Team, and Qatar Basketball National Team. “I have the university degree in sociology with my deep interest in psychology. However, I have always been in athletics and sports as young boy,” said Will while talking to Community.
The unavailability of professional training to Will as a young athlete has actually led him to become a coach and focus on training the young minds and bodies. “I focus on kids as young as 10. I really want to mentor the young minds through the training. I believe whatever the young children learn they tend to remember and practice it when they grow up. I try to build a relationship with the young athletes. I motivate them. Physical training is in just one part of the process.”
Will’s practice focuses on functional training and rehabilitation. The training follows how body movies and how its joints function. “I follow joint by joint approach. How the athletes can avoid injuries in different sports. We follow three dimensional training – forward and backward, lateral, and rotational. We challenge these movements to reduce all sorts of injures in different sports and situations.”
The strength coach trusts the theory that a physically fit student can outperform others not only in academics but also in all fields. “I put kids as students versus athlete students. You will find statistics on Internet to support the theory that the athlete students tend to excel in whatever field they chose in their lives. They are more disciplined, focused and mentally strong.”
Will’s training mechanism aims at inculcating certain qualities among the kids that help them become successful individuals. “I think as an American trainer. I take training as an art. I work to create discipline, time management, dedication and determination. I give them little challenges. I try to break their fears, especially the fear of failure. Do not worry about your image. Often I train Qatari athletes. I create hunger in the athletes for success. I make them ready to accept all kinds of challenges that life can throw. They can take tough decision.”
Will set up the first private physical training facility in Qatar because he felt the need to focus on young kids. He said that owing to the ever-increasing sport activities in the country, there is need to train the young children in early age.
The coach took the opportunity to highlight the need for both physical and mental strength during the current international crisis – outbreak of coronavirus. “The situation may be precarious but if you are physically fit, there are more chances that you can fight the virus. Further, the mental strength will help you cope with the unprecedented restrictions being placed on social interaction and mobility.”
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