Friday, June 2, 2023 | Ta-Ha-Zouka Park AO | The Armory | 5:30 AM | Sunny and humid – 69 degrees
PAX: Slow Clap, Magellan, Schnitzel, Cutting Edge, Mulligan, Vandelay, TC, Gator, Ozark, Cradle, Long Neck, Steeple, Speed Bump, Back Country, Hemi, Johnny 5, Bubbles, Armando, Billboard, Tea Party, Bogi, Haymaker, The Plague, Truly, Yodel, Vespa and Wait Time.
QIC: Wait Time
YHC welcomed the PAX to the Armory. Several PAX members were visiting the Armory for the first time. We covered the mission statement, the five principles and the disclaimer (including “I am not your friend for the next 45 minutes”). The PAX moseyed towards downtown Elkhorn and stopped at the football field for Warm-A-Rama.
WARM-A-RAMA
SSH x 15 IC | Inch Worm | Shoulder Taps x 15 IC | Downward Dog | Nolan Ryans x 10 IC | Reverse Plank Shoulder Stretch | Nolan Ryans x 10 IC | Half Pigeon | Half Pigeon | Inch Worm | Monkey Humpers x 10 IC | Garland Pose
PAX moseyed to Main Street.
PRE-THANG: THE STEINL
Plank x 30 | Chilcutt x 30 | Merkins x 10 | Amazing Spiderman x 10 IC | Merkins x 10 | Plank x 30 | Chilcutt x 30 | Merkins x 10 | Amazing Spiderman x 10 IC | Merkins x 10
THE THANG: FOUR CORNER VICTORY FORMATION
Legendary college basketball coach John Wooden would employ a four corners offense when his UCLA Bruins had the game in hand. This tactic was used before the creation of the shot clock, and UCLA could bleed out the clock and shorten the game by spreading the floor and holding the ball. Today, we are going to employ a four corner pain station that will certainly cause us to bleed out a clock.
PAX ran a city block in old Elkhorn. Station #1 was located on the corner of an alley and Main Street. PAX ran up the hill along the alley to 205th Street for station 2. PAX ran north on 205th to Corby Street for Station 3. PAX ran down the hill (West) to Main Street for Station 4. The city block continued on rinse and repeat with these exercises at each station:
STATION 1: Burpees x 5
STATION 2: Machtar Ndgiaye x 10 IC
STATION 3: Monkey Humpers x 15 IC
STATION 4: Squats x 20
At 6:03 AM, we called “OMAHA!” The PAX formed two chain gangs for a chain run to the shovel flag. Jail break happened in the final 150 yards.
6MOM: Box cutters x 15 IC | American Hammer x 27 IC (Rancid Style)
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SHOVEL PASSES. Multiple shovel passes and new AOs will be opening over the next month. On Monday, Armando takes over Red Wing. Please come out and support the leadership transition. F3 is not possible without strong Site Q leadership.
HEARTLAND HOPE VOLUNTEER DAY. We need volunteers at Heartland Hope on Saturday June 24. See Vandelay for details.
BBQ AT KHAKIS. Khakis is kindly hosting a BBQ this evening to celebrate tomorrow’s Brickbuilder. It is a family friendly event from 6p – 8p. Please RSVP with Sparty before 12 noon today.
BRICKBUILDER EVENT. Tomorrow is Brickbuilder Event at Boys Town. Still time to register. Workout begins at 8 AM.
PRAYERS: Mulligan friend (Don), Mulligan son (Xavier), Oahu’s family and friends, Armando’s friend and his friend’s family.
CIRCLE OF TRUST: THE DIAMOND DOGS and SHIELD LOCKS
Many guys have watched Ted Lasso over the past three years. If you are like me, Ted Lasso was a show that helped me survive COVID. During the darkest times of the pandemic, Ted Lasso created a positive message and uplifted my spirit. The show brought positive messages and focus around mental health. It was a show focused on personal growth.
[SMALL SPOILER ALERT]
During the final episode, there was a memorable scene involving the “Diamond Dogs.” Throughout the series, the Diamond Dogs was a recurring plot line in which Lasso’s staff met to provide a personal “Shieldlock” to other male staff members. Diamond Dog members could go to their peer group and seek help and direction around life’s challenges. Until the final episode, it really hadn’t dawned on me that the Diamond Dogs were what F3 calls a “Shieldlock.”
There are many parallels to Ted Lasso and F3. Most of the similarities, are around the team’s culture and the fellowship that exists amongst all the players and coaching staff. It is brilliantly written. There are characters who seem like villains or terrible people – only to be revealed as humans simply trying to figure out life. Suddenly, these villainous characters demonstrate vulnerability and become beloved by the audience.
Roy Kent, an assistant coach. A man’s man. Throughout the show, Roy Kent resists vulnerability. He avoids his feelings. During the final season, Roy seems to be enlightened, and discovers that he is his own worst enemy. He commits to changing. He moves closer to Jamie Tart (a former adversary) and they form a friendship through rigorous training sessions (sound familiar?)
Back to the final episode. Roy has resisted becoming a member of the Diamond Dogs. F3Omaha has a number of PAX members who view Shieldlocks the same way that Roy views the Diamond Dogs. Finally, Roy asks if he can join the Diamond Dogs. This is a moment that the Diamond Dogs have been waiting for. The DDs welcome him with open arms.
Roy tells his Diamond Dog Shieldlock, “I have busted my fucking ass to change for the past year, but I’m still me. I wanted to be someone better.” He then asked, “Can people change?“
The Diamond Dogs begin to answer. One person said, “I don’t think people can change. They can only learn to accept who they truly are.”
Another Diamond Dog disagreed. “I think people can change. Some people change for the better. Others change for the worse.”
Another joined the discussion by saying, “People are not perfect. Change is not about being perfect. There is perfect food. There is perfect art. Human beings are never going to be perfect.”
Higgins, a Diamond Dog, tied the conversation together with this profound insight. “Human beings are never going to be perfect. The best we can do is to keep asking for help and accepting it when we can. And if you keep on doing that, you’ll always be moving towards better.”
That is what I see men doing in F3. It is inspiring to see men movings towards better. Perfection is never the goal. It is simply to be better tomorrow than you are today. Lean into our Shieldlocks. Ask for help and accept the help when you can.
We ended our time in prayer.
Grace & Peace,
Wait Time