Daily Inspiration: Meet John Mason

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s never a smooth road when building from scratch, but we have managed to understand our long-term goals. I think the biggest struggle I’ve dealt with is understanding that not everyone is going to agree with or be happy with tough decisions. Coaches will always have difficult decisions to make. Parents and students may not understand the “why.”

It’s important to not feed into negativity and surround yourself with a great team that is honest with you. Expecting everyone to be happy with your decisions is impossible. You can’t please everyone. I’m not perfect; nowhere close. Mistakes will be made; we have to learn to make adjustments and learn from previous incidents. “Stay Humble-Stay Focused-Work Harder”

I also believe that self-evaluation is very important as well.  Taking time to reflect on the past, helps with future decisions. After two years of back-to-back seasons and summer camps, I finally took some time off during August.  Rest is an important process in growth.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m extremely proud of our Monroe Elite coaching staff. Coach McIntosh, Coach Gary, Coach McFadden, & Coach Mator lead the way this past summer. Volunteering their time away from their own families to help others is always tough. Our program is like a family. We truly want the kids in our program to learn core values that they can use in their everyday lives. 

The family-oriented team atmosphere is what separates us. Our coaches are not just there to coach their kids but to care for and help develop everyone in the program. 

We are just hitting the surface with our program.  Beginning our 3rd year this fall, we can’t wait to expand the brand with more youth camps, personal training and new coaches.