Message to Team Mash Mafia
You guys are spread all over this country for the holidays, so I thought that I would just put a few words on here. I know that I don’t always tell you guys how I feel, so I am going to do my best to do it right now. This team is more than just family to me. You guys and gals are a part of me. You are part of my life’s work.
I believe with all my heart that we have the best team in the United States. You guys are an incredible assembly of athleticism, determination, and drive. Some of you came here as middle of the road athletes, and now you are fighting for world team spots in less than a year. Some of you are on the brink of turning the corner. Some of you are simply incredible. However you all have one thing in common. You are all willing to put in more work than anyone in this country to reach your goals.
Don and I throw workouts at you that I don’t even believe are possible, and you guys and gals find a way. You stay after practice every day to work on weaknesses without anyone making you. However you are so much more than this.
At the American Open you guys became a family. You supported each other, and hung out the entire time. We have grown as a team, and for that I feel very blessed. We are turning into a team that people will talk about for generations after we are all gone, and that’s something that we should all be proud of.
I know that sometimes I get on you guys. Sometimes I can seem pretty hard on you. Some of you have mentioned that you don’t feel like I am happy with you unless you are setting records. It’s not true. I might get excited when you guys are crushing numbers, but I love you all the time. Right now one of you is hurt really badly, and one of you is on the mend. My heart belongs to these two athletes as they make their climb back onto the platform.
I set out to build a team that would one day produce Olympic champions. I wanted to create an environment that would support those goals. I wanted to give athletes as many advantages as possible, so they could focus on training. In one year, we have made massive strides towards those original goals. We are entering 2017 well on our way with lots of new ventures ready to be released.
I am proud of what we are building together. This team is made up of a bunch of pioneers. We are not only reaching our goals now, but we are blazing a path for those that will come after us. I want you all to think about that really hard. It’s not just about our goals and our plans. It’s about the ones that will come after us.
Well that’s what I wanted to tell you all. I love you guys. I love all of you. I am proud of this team each and every one of you. I promise that in 2017 that I will work harder than ever to give all of you everything that you could possibly need to succeed. Merry Christmas Team! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!