Rich Froning (00:00):
And, uh, basically just, you know, at the games, just grinding that thing into oblivion.
Sevan Matossian (00:05):
Bam. We’re live. They would bam never start a show without me in 600 shows. And now Rich is here and it’s like, fucking i’ll in here, hanging out. It’s
Rich Froning (00:14):
Mine, bro.
Sevan Matossian (00:14):
Could’ve just let him hang.
Rich Froning (00:15):
Could’ve just
Sevan Matossian (00:16):
Let him. Absurd. Absurd. I had to chat with him.
Rich Froning (00:21):
Just, just anarchy around here.
Sevan Matossian (00:23):
Well, what did you tear? You tore your taint. Yeah,
Rich Froning (00:26):
My tats gone just ripped it off the bone.
Sevan Matossian (00:28):
I’m so sorry. <laugh>. So sorry. Uh, Rich, have you ever met Kayla before?
Rich Froning (00:35):
Uh, maybe not in person, but, uh,
Sevan Matossian (00:38):
That’s the do yellow a long time ago though. Yellow
Rich Froning (00:41):
Sweatshirt. Sorry. Sorry. I’m the worst.
Sevan Matossian (00:43):
Uh, JR. Howell fellow, uh, CrossFit Affiliate owner. Yep. Um, fellow event org. Event organizer. Like yourself. It’s a former games athlete, like
Rich Froning (00:51):
Won your, uh, won your competition. Did he?
JR Howell (00:54):
He did. He did. Third time back
Rich Froning (00:55):
And, uh, It’s awesome. Yeah, it wasn’t really Third times in charm
JR Howell (00:58):
Wasn’t really close. Yeah, he was after day one. Could kind of tell he was the fittest.
Rich Froning (01:03):
Yeah, he’s, he’s made some leaps and bounds over the last probably, uh, I mean he’s always been pretty fit. Had the motor of it, but getting the skill stuff down and, um, at volume as well.
Sevan Matossian (01:14):
Uh, is he going individual? Is he going individual this year?
Rich Froning (01:18):
That’s the rumor. Well, Chevon, you need your sixth booster. You got that yet
Sevan Matossian (01:23):
<laugh>. I was just reading that only 7% of the population in Los Angeles has their fifth booster. It really strikes a nerve with me.
Rich Froning (01:31):
Hurts you, Huh? Hurts that heart. I
Sevan Matossian (01:33):
Just want everyone to be working for the same goal.
Rich Froning (01:36):
The plan is Luke, uh, says he is going individual, so we’ll support him and hope he makes it. Angelo’s pretty perturbed. Angelo wanted to make a team and Luke was like, Nah, peace dude. I’m out onto bigger and better things, you know.
Sevan Matossian (01:49):
Um, where is, is that your middle name? Lyle.
Rich Froning (01:51):
Lyle, Yep. I don’t know why I put that whole thing on there, but I felt it sounded right.
Sevan Matossian (01:57):
<laugh>.
Rich Froning (01:57):
I think I’ve had a different name every time I’ve been on the show.
Sevan Matossian (02:01):
Um, Where, where is Angelo? I know that, um, we really wanted him to come on. We bugged him. He didn’t, he wouldn’t even reply in the thread, What’s going on? Do me and him have a beef? Do I need to fuck him up or
Rich Froning (02:11):
What? Nah, he’s at his real job. He’s the only one that has a real job in the, in our group around here.
Sevan Matossian (02:18):
And that’s putting out fires.
Rich Froning (02:19):
Yep. Putting out fires.
Sevan Matossian (02:21):
Awesome.
Rich Froning (02:22):
He’s over, He’s actually probably like 800 yards that way, but can’t get out.
Sevan Matossian (02:28):
Where are you?
Rich Froning (02:29):
I’m at the gym upstairs in the, uh, the room that we host. Level ones
Sevan Matossian (02:35):
And the firehouse. Is that close to you?
Rich Froning (02:37):
Yeah. Yeah. There’s Station four is just at the end of the road here. Uh, there’s four stations in Cookville, so there’s, I mean, really there? No, no. Station is technically that far from us, but that’s the closest one.
Sevan Matossian (02:49):
Uh, have they ever had to come to your gym for any, uh, services?
Rich Froning (02:53):
Uh, we, not at this location. Um, at our previous location, we had one of, of our members during one of the open workouts had a heart attack and died, but brought him back to life.
Sevan Matossian (03:04):
<laugh>, No shit,
Rich Froning (03:05):
That’s Bob, you know, that we see, you see us swimming at his place and has that amazing spot on the lake. Uh, yeah, he sat down, ah, man, what year was it? He was, I think it was 13 maybe. He finished the workout. It was the, for individuals it was, or for Elite or whatever you wanna call it. At that time it was the power clean and handstand pushup that ascended in, uh, reps. And then the master’s version was a push press and a clean. And he finished the workout, sat down and luckily sat down to one next, to a nurse and a pa. Um, and he sat down and leaned over on her and she thought he was just kind of messing around. So she moved and he fell flat on his face, broke his nose, uh, but went into cardiac arrests and, uh, we had probably 200, 150 people in the gym at the time. We had to usher everybody out. And then the, the fire guys were coming in cuz they’ll dispatch fire and uh, EMS at the same time. And fire here can do everything but transport. And so if they can get there first, obviously, why not send them? So they get there and, you know, we’re kind of, they’re trying to like, Hey, how’s it going? I’m like, seriously, you guys need to get in there. It’s, it’s real this time. And so I went and grabbed the bags.
Sevan Matossian (04:17):
How many selfies did you take with the fire? Uh, with the <laugh>?
Rich Froning (04:21):
No,
Sevan Matossian (04:21):
Lucki before they fucking tended to Bob.
Rich Froning (04:24):
I was pretty fresh off of working there, so they didn’t give a shit about me. And, uh, luckily, uh, Don and, and Tim, uh, had CPR going and, and actually hooked up the AED to him and man, they had to, I think he flatlined twice, but he came back and has lived ever since. So pretty cool. And, and two, two, uh, good things about CrossFit. The doctor said had he not been doing CrossFit, he would’ve died. And had he not been at the gym, he would’ve died. So crazy.
Sevan Matossian (04:51):
Wow. Uh, and you were there?
Rich Froning (04:54):
I was there, Yep. Yep.
Sevan Matossian (04:55):
Scared.
Rich Froning (04:56):
No, I, you know, as bad as it sounds like you kind of not numb to that stuff, but I, I did it for so long that it was, it’s just kind of, you know, just do what you’re supposed to do.
Sevan Matossian (05:07):
But Rich, it was Bob.
Rich Froning (05:08):
It was Bob, it was Bob. That was the, I guess that was the scary part. Yeah. But, uh, he was in good hands.
Sevan Matossian (05:14):
Crazy. And he, Do you remember it? Your gym still
Rich Froning (05:17):
Still comes, I’d say four days a week? Uh, he was here this morning.
Sevan Matossian (05:21):
Oh. And, um, did he ever, did he have to have a bypass or something? What was his deal? Why did he have the heart attack?
Rich Froning (05:26):
I can’t remember. He was heavier, um, years before that and had lost a ton of weight, so I think the damage had been done. Um, but I, I wanna say they may have put a stint or two in or a bypass, um, but he’s cranking and still, like I said, working out four or five days a week.
Sevan Matossian (05:42):
Caleb, any thoughts As a medical professional?
Caleb Beaver (05:47):
Yeah, as you can see, my anatomy posters to note me as such. Um, it was pretty impressive. They flatlined twice and they still were able to ring ’em back.
Rich Froning (05:56):
Yeah. It doesn’t really happen very often. No, it was, it was crazy. It was, I mean, yeah, obviously a little numb to it at the time. Hadn’t hadn’t been in that, uh, situation in a long time, so you’re kind of like, forget, uh, some of the, the more important things, like stay calm. But, um, I think everybody, luckily, like I said, he was next to two of probably the best people he could have been next to. I think Tim was a, uh, he was in the military and was a, a, a paramedic, so, um, before he went to PA school, so,
Sevan Matossian (06:24):
And that’s physician’s assistant, right? That’s like, basically you’re a doctor,
Rich Froning (06:27):
You’re basically a doctor. You just writing underneath somebody, you
Sevan Matossian (06:31):
Just get paid less, which you do all the
Rich Froning (06:32):
Work. Do everything else.
Sevan Matossian (06:34):
Yeah. Crazy. Um, what, what’s the deal with, you have, you are, do you know what you’re doing with your, um, CrossFit My career, athletic career?
Rich Froning (06:44):
Um,
Sevan Matossian (06:45):
I haven’t, Let’s talk it out. If you don’t, let’s talk it out. Yep. Let’s make it five minute piece of this. I
Rich Froning (06:50):
Don’t want to commit to anything or decommit to anything. Um, we, before you hopped on, we were talking about, I’ve got a shoulder issue that has been a long time coming. I mean, it’s just 14 years of abusing my body and probably not taking care of it in the last couple years. Like I should have, um, with kids. And, you know, the stuff that the mobility or the extra accessory kind of gets pushed to the side at times when you’re like, the kids are, you know, trying to get you out and, and you know, you’re trying to fit in different things.
Sevan Matossian (07:20):
You’d rather be out with the kids than go to the doctor. Yes. And there’s no fucking way Doctor appointment go out, the kids, you’re going out with the kids. Am
Rich Froning (07:26):
I getting out? Yep, yep. Or even doing mobility or anything like that. So, um, luckily I’ve gotten by as long as I have with pretty decent movement and, and, uh, genetic mobility. So I’ve got a little shoulder issue that’s been probably two years nagging and then two weeks before the games got real, I wouldn’t say serious, but got, you know, very unpleasant to, uh, compete on, That’s for sure. And so, um, I’m gonna take the next, I’m gonna take about six to eight weeks and make sure it’s rehabbed right other than rogue this weekend doing the legends competition,
Sevan Matossian (07:58):
Other van.
Rich Froning (07:59):
And if it feels like, um, if it feels like I can bypass doing surgery, which I would like to do by, you know, if you talk to a pt, Oh yeah, we can rehab that. If you talk to a a surgeon, they’re like, Oh, nope, only way we’re gonna fix that is if we cut on it. So, um, I would like to do my due diligence for once and actually try to rehab it. I’ve, I’ve been pretty successful with that and it’s improving. Um, so if I can get that back to good and, and feel like I can still compete at a level I want to, um, I’ll definitely do the open, do the age, age group online, qualifiers, mouthful, and then, uh, whatever, I guess semi-finals for masters. And then if I feel like it’s not gonna take away from the summer with the kids and, and doing some fun stuff, then year to year, uh, I’ll decide if I’m gonna compete or not.
(08:42):
And so, I mean, I’m gonna be working out. I enjoy working out, I enjoy competing. I’m gonna be around all these guys, girls crushing themselves and I’m gonna have, uh, fomo. So I might as well, uh, participate. But that being said, if it’s taken away from something family wise, kids wise, um, I won’t be there that year, but I’ll, I’ll try to do as much as I can. I mean, I was looking at the schedule next year and basically for masters it’s February to end of March, beginning of April, and then you have May Jalo, Major Jalo May, June, July before you have to compete. So we’ll
Sevan Matossian (09:19):
See. Okay. So a couple things to unpack here. I was thinking of my next question and wasn’t listening 100% honest. I got it. Love it. But here we go. Uh, first of all, can you, for my mom who’s listening, can you tell her what fomo answer for
Rich Froning (09:29):
Fear of Missing Out?
Sevan Matossian (09:30):
Okay, there you go, Mom. Uh, to So am I hearing that? I I didn’t hear you mention teams at all. So Teams is done. Yeah,
Rich Froning (09:40):
I’ve, uh, I’ve, I’ve exhausted that point in my career. Um, doing teams, you know, I, I enjoyed it, loved it, um, every minute of it, but it was, you know, you know how I am, I’m about six years in on doing something that I, I quit.
Sevan Matossian (09:54):
Um, if, so let’s say this is your life, this pen right here? Yep. We’ll take the cap off so it’s not confusing. And then, and then your life was consumed by the games as individual. Yep. And then you move the needle this way, let’s say to, um, make room for family and kids. And then, and then would you say that not doing teams is to move the needle more this way?
Rich Froning (10:16):
Uh,
Sevan Matossian (10:17):
Yeah, because Masters is even you think will be even less all encompassing than teams?
Rich Froning (10:21):
No, I feel like I can work on my own schedule. Um, you know, instead of having four people that you have to work around their schedule, and I can kind of go back to doing, you know, if, if it’s, I get here a little bit earlier cause I’m dropping off Lakeland or the kids at school, uh, I can hop right into something instead of waiting for three or four people their schedule. Um, you know, it’s just different. It’s a different point. New challenge, I guess. Different challenge. Um, I don’t know. Yeah, I, I probably still train. I will probably train similar amount, you know, just depends on time of the year. And like I said, I’m trying to right now, um, take care of some of those things that I probably let, um, go to the wayside as far as body stuff goes.
Sevan Matossian (11:07):
Um, 10 years ago, would you not have talked about this, um, shoulder injury as an individual? Would you have kept that close to the hip?
Rich Froning (11:17):
Um, I don’t know. Um, I think it’s important to, for, for people to, I guess hear that, hey, we go through a lot of the same stuff that you guys go through and, and while I, I definitely think, uh, I
Sevan Matossian (11:29):
Just feel like you would’ve kept it a secret 10 years ago. You wouldn’t have, you wouldn’t let it out.
Rich Froning (11:32):
I wouldn’t have before the games for sure. I don’t want any type of crutch or anybody to be like, Oh, that’s, that’s why it was, that’s why they did so bad, or that’s why he performed so bad. Maybe, you know, down the road we would, uh, cross that bridge if we came to it. But, um, you know, I just, I think it’s important to kind of talk, talk about some of that stuff as an athlete. You know, I think CrossFit for health and, and for actual fitness, um, members go that it’s, it’s incredibly safe and it’s, it’s good. But, um, any, anytime you do anything as a profession, uh, to the degree that we do, you know, stuff happens. So, but I would or also argue 14 years or however many years I’ve been training, the only major things I’ve had is a, a meniscus tear, slight meniscus tear, and then shoulders just kind of, um, kind of ag aggravated.
Sevan Matossian (12:21):
Yeah. That, that, that girl who was playing, um, uh, collegiate level volleyball the other day, did you see that footage?
Rich Froning (12:29):
No. She break something.
Sevan Matossian (12:30):
Well, just at that high level, um, someone spiked the ball and hit her in the face from the opposing team and it fucked her neck up and her head up. You didn’t see, you didn’t see that?
Rich Froning (12:41):
I didn’t see it.
Sevan Matossian (12:42):
It, it happened to be a man playing on the other woman’s team, but Oh.
Rich Froning (12:46):
But I thought they were equal and that was fair.
Sevan Matossian (12:48):
Small details, but you’re absolutely right. Everything at the highest level there, there becomes a component, a serious component of danger, whether it’s hockey, whether it’s tennis, they’re asking these big body, it’s basically Formula One, right? Um, these cars are not made to hit, these might be the fastest, most technologically advanced cars in the world. If they hit one pothole on my street, they’re done. They have a very narrow lane that they have to, uh, do their, well, their, their tricks
Rich Froning (13:15):
In. Absolutely. It’s like, you know, we talk about it that level where people talk about it level one seminars, you know, um, when you start pushing the limits, you’re gonna have to touch the wall every once in a while. And if you keep nicking that wall and keep hitting it and keep hitting it, even if you’re barely touching it, eventually you’re gonna rub a tire and something’s gonna go flat. Just is what it is. It’s the nature of what we do. And, uh, I think we take that risk or assume that risk when we decide this is what we’re gonna do.
Sevan Matossian (13:39):
JR Howell, uh, what happens to the Master’s competition? Uh, when Rich Froning enters it, is that gonna be the, is that, you know how like the, the old, when the old people play golf, like people still give a shit. It’s like one of those weird sports.
JR Howell (13:56):
Are you asking, are you, are you asking me if I’m gonna go for it again next year? If
Sevan Matossian (13:59):
He comes next? That’s the follow, that’s the follow of questions. Um, um, is, is, is Rich gonna supercharge that? Like, is even CrossFit media gonna make a a, a shift when Rich goes, goes to masters if he goes to Masters?
JR Howell (14:12):
Well, I mean, as bad as this sounds, I think a lot of it might have to do with the scheduling. I mean, what does that do to the schedule of the whole week?
Sevan Matossian (14:18):
If they, I mean, I could see them changing the schedule to be honest,
JR Howell (14:21):
Right, exactly. To make it more accessible. So where people can watch Rich compete and still watch teams and individuals and I mean, I think just the sign ups alone in the 35 to 39 would triple quadruple
Sevan Matossian (14:34):
Because people wanna take their shot at him for
Rich Froning (14:36):
Sure. Always
Sevan Matossian (14:38):
<laugh>. Ah, so will the T RT supplementation <laugh>. So will the TRT supplementation
Rich Froning (14:48):
Tue therapeutic usage exemption? I think that’s what it is. Yes.
Sevan Matossian (14:51):
Let, let me tell you something about these guys in the, the Masters, they do not, I, I don’t know enough to talk shit, but these guys
Rich Froning (15:00):
Have old man strength
Sevan Matossian (15:02):
<laugh>, they are fucking more vascular. They, um, if if there’s anywhere like you, like it seems like it’s almost better to stay an individual, like those guys, for some reason, those guys have figured something out.
Rich Froning (15:17):
They get stronger somehow where I’m somehow getting weaker, you know, like maybe it’s the less emphasis on strength, but still I’m like, dang, my body can’t handle that. Well,
JR Howell (15:25):
You heard from
Sevan Matossian (15:25):
Hanging out with, from hanging out with Hill. Go ahead J
JR Howell (15:28):
You heard Hillary say this week on your review show, he said he was talking to a, a games athlete that shouldn’t be named and they were all looking over at the 40 to 44 and said, Is that how we’re, we’re gonna look in four years?
Sevan Matossian (15:39):
<laugh> like,
JR Howell (15:41):
You get, you get more vascular and and more jacked as you get older. Is that how it works?
Rich Froning (15:46):
Man, I wish I keep, I can’t keep weight on and I’m, I’m losing weight and I
Sevan Matossian (15:51):
Don’t know. Um, uh, just from hanging out with Hiller so much, he basically told me you can do human growth hormone and if you stop it, it, they don’t test for it, you’re good to go. You just, you just stop for a few days and you’re good to go.
Rich Froning (16:04):
Good to go, huh?
Sevan Matossian (16:05):
Good
Rich Froning (16:06):
To go. Is that not what the blood test does? I don’t, I’m not ever looked into the testing that much, but
Sevan Matossian (16:10):
I don’t think so, so, no, no, I don’t think so. I think that
Rich Froning (16:13):
I guarantee somebody in the comments who’s a, you know, a professional and knows exactly about all this stuff will tell us how wrong we are or how right you are.
Sevan Matossian (16:24):
Will Branstetter, I heard California Hormones is the official sponsor, the master’s division, uh, use a code seven on for, uh, for, to get the free gifts. It,
Rich Froning (16:34):
I think they’re testing some of that at Vanderbilt down the road, right?
Sevan Matossian (16:38):
What the, uh,
Rich Froning (16:39):
Hormone stuff. Have you not checked the news lately?
Sevan Matossian (16:42):
No. What happened over
Rich Froning (16:43):
There? That’s the whole giving kids, uh, puberty blockers. Oh, geez. Stuff geez. Going on in Vanderbilt.
Sevan Matossian (16:49):
Well, you know what is interesting? I
Rich Froning (16:51):
Thought you’d get that one. Come
Sevan Matossian (16:52):
On. I, sorry. Sorry. I’m preparing for a few podcasts and I, and I’m, I’m a little behind, um, the, uh, the ma So if, if you go, if you go masters, then in in Rich Froning style, you will be there to win the Masters and don’t they do half as many events? They do half as many events.
Rich Froning (17:15):
Uh, I feel like they did two or three a day for three days this year. Um, I, I feel like the load, the workload for masters this year was pretty decent. I feel like they, um, most of the time are kind of swept under the rug as kind of, um, secondary, but I feel like this year they got a little bit more emphasis, got to be in the big stage on a couple of the events is set back in the old, uh, Ag barn. And, uh, so that was pretty cool to see.
Sevan Matossian (17:41):
There was a, um, at, at the end of the games last year, excuse me, um, Sean Woodland, from my understanding was told by some of the people on Tia’s team that she was retiring. He double check, triple check. They said yes, he announced she was retiring. Then they asked her in the post fight interview, uh, are you retiring? And she goes, That’s the big question. And there, there became a little bit of like a controversy there, right. About, about that. Um, do you have an opinion on that of, of how she handled that?
Rich Froning (18:09):
Uh, you, do you, you know, um, I mean, what, Tom Brady was retired for 40 days and so now he’s back, you know, it’s, it, Hillary was, uh, very angered by the fact that I, I didn’t want any type of announcement or anything like that because I didn’t wanna commit to that or really know. Um, there’s a ton of emotions leading up to the games and you say things or think things and, and have an idea and then, uh, yeah. Yeah, I mean, things happen and so, um, you know, you, I I’m not that type that needs the, I don’t, I don’t want, um, I didn’t want some big announcement or some big, you know, I, I don’t need any of that. So she was very angry. She was like, You deserve that. Um,
Sevan Matossian (18:54):
You do deserve it.
Rich Froning (18:55):
I, I don’t want it. Um, you know, I just kind of ride off into the sunset and do my thing or you know, hey, I might be back next year. I might not. Um, I might do one master’s, you know, competition every five years in each category just to say I did it, uh, more personally selfishly than for, sorry, for anybody else, you know, it’s just, uh, it gives me something to, to shoot for. It gives me something to do, but, you know, I’m, I’m enjoying doing what I’m doing and, um, you know, maybe try some different things. Mountain biking stuff, really enjoy mountain biking. So doing some events like that. Got super into hunting, uh, the last couple years and finally got an elk. So I’m now all consumed with that, actually going out for another hunt in a couple weeks. Um, so there’s just new challenges and, and as long as I can do those new challenges and, and kind of push my limits in different areas, um, I’ll still, still be around and compete and stay fit.
JR Howell (19:46):
Yeah. And you know, if you do that thing where you compete every time you age up, so you’re always the youngest one in
Rich Froning (19:50):
That division. Youngest one. That’s right. That’s the game.
JR Howell (19:52):
You age up, you compete, you wait three or four years. Does coaching of any kind come into play there and you know, if, so before you answer, you know, they asked Jordan when he retired, they said, you know, would you ever coach? And his, his response was, I have no patience for coaching. And then he, and then he went on to say, for me to ask an individual to focus on the game the way that I did would be unfair to that
Rich Froning (20:15):
Person. Right.
JR Howell (20:16):
How do you feel about that? And is is coaching aside from like being at Mac, I mean, I could see how jacked up you were watching Yeah. You know, the team’s going, everything outside of that, like coaching someone one on one, is that something you’re interested in at all or do you just cannot see yourself doing?
Rich Froning (20:32):
Oh man, you know, I, I learned early on in CrossFit, Darren, my cousin, um, is incredible at meeting people, kind of where they’re at in, you know, their fitness, you know, movement, that type of stuff. I’m more of like, Hey, let’s go work out and maybe in the middle of the workout I might tell you something or see if I see something. Um, that’s more where I’m at. I was never the, you know, I wasn’t the greatest coach like he was, like, I would put Darren up as with any, uh, CrossFit coach that I’ve ever seen, just with, uh, knowing how to handle people, how to motivate different types of people. Some people need to be loved on, some need to be pushed. Uh, he’s incredible with that. I’m, I’m more of a, a mentor, you know, I’ll, I’ll answer questions. I’m not gonna probably tell you how you should do anything, but, you know, if you ask me a question, I’ll try to help.
(21:19):
Um, I’m kind of a glorified training partner, but just the one-on-one coach sitting there with a clipboard, you know, Matt’s done an incredible job Fraser, um, with these athletes and, and does a really good job with that. I just, that’s not where my passion is. I like, like I said, I, Hey, you wanna do a workout? I’ll jump in. If I see something, I might help out. But, uh, to sit there with a clipboard and, and do all those types of things, I just, I, it’s, it’s hard for me, you know, I’m, Hey, how do I, how do I mentally get more competitive? I’m like, You just be competitive. I, I, it’s hard for me to, to, to do that. So, Um,
JR Howell (21:55):
What about like, your kids working on it? Like, I’m sure your kids are already getting into sports. Are you, do you want to coach them like in like ball sports or are you the guy that is either like behind the, uh, you know, behind left field, like standing there, like you trying to be invisible? Or are you the guy like yelling at the amp to like baseball?
Rich Froning (22:14):
No, I, I’ll probably be a mix of that. My dad was the kind of stand behind first base, uh, dugout and, and just quiet. Um, but you know, if you get motivated enough, I’ll say something and at home, you know, if they want to like me and tri the last, I don’t know, week or so, he’s gotten super into playing baseball. So for about 45 minutes to an hour, uh, I’ll go out there and just throw him balls and I’m trying to help. My main thing right now is, um, I make him, uh, hit lefthanded every three swings. He gets three swings right-handed and SW hitting three swings lefthanded. He is actually come a long way, lefthanded. It’s pretty impressive. I mean, he’s five. Um, but I don’t think I’ll ever, like, if they wanna do something, I want them to do something. I don’t want to push ’em in a certain area.
(22:58):
Lakeland’s super into, um, tumbling, uh, she wants to do the competitive cheer, and I said, Absolutely not. Not until you get to high school. I’ll support you. You can go, I’ll pay for you to go to these tumbling lessons so you’re ready when you get to, to high school if that’s something you want to do or college. But, um, I can’t do competition cheer. I’m just not, I’m not cheer dad. Um, and so, you know, I’ll go with her and watch her and help her and, and, and do all that stuff and support her. Same with tri. Um, but I don’t think I could be the, the head coach making the decisions. I don’t ever want my kids or people, other people to think, Oh, he’s just playing because he’s yeah, the coach’s son, that type of deal. So, um, I love playing sports. That’s kind of, kind of my deal outside of CrossFit. So anytime TRI is like, Hey, let’s go play baseball or Lake one’s, like, Hey, come throw me the football. She’s super into throwing the football and catching the football. So, um, it’s pretty awesome to be a part of that. I will always be there and, and help push them. Um, but I don’t think I can be, you know, the head coach ever.
Sevan Matossian (23:58):
Uh, JR what do you think is, is, um, I don’t like the answer. No, no, no.
JR Howell (24:05):
I,
Sevan Matossian (24:05):
I want someone, I want someone to come into the gym and be like, uh, you know, uh, in five years or, or whenever and be like, Rich, I, I, I, I wanna, I wanna win the games.
JR Howell (24:17):
Yeah. But
Sevan Matossian (24:17):
Like there’s, and Rich and Rich walks out and like picks up Buffalo shit with the shovel and ignores him and the guy falls him around and then Rich shuts the front door, you know, like in the movies and the kid sleeps on the, on the wraparound deck, and then Rich wakes up in the morning, they’re still there.
Rich Froning (24:29):
It’s where Falkowski is at, right.
Sevan Matossian (24:31):
<laugh>, right. That’s exactly where he’s at. He’s still waiting for your coaching. Uh, what can he be pushed into this jr? I mean, it seems, it, it seems like, um, like he’s a hard drive and if he doesn’t coach, um, he’s throwing it away.
JR Howell (24:50):
I think you, I think, you know, if you’re a coach or a, I would even say more so a teacher. Yeah. Like, you kind of know that’s just how you are. You, you look for situations to help people out, and you’ve probably been doing that since you were a little kid. It’s not something you can decide to do. And you know, sometimes when you have naturals, like I’d probably put Rich in that category where like the first time someone showed him how to snatch, he did it, it probably looked right. Or the first time someone showed him a pair of rings, he probably got on top of ’em and did a bust up. A lot of times those are the worst coaches because they can’t explain to you what they’re doing, they just do it. Yeah. And you say, How do you, how do you, how do you rest less, like going from toes to bar to thrusters? He’s like, Well, what do you mean you just, you just do the 20 and then you take two breaths, you jump back up and do 15. Like, I don’t know what else to tell you. Like, and why, why can’t you understand how
Rich Froning (25:38):
To do that
JR Howell (25:39):
<laugh>? Yeah. And it’s almost like you, you just get frustrated because you know, that’s not, that’s not your thing. So no, I think it’s a legit answer.
Rich Froning (25:47):
I think it’s something over the years, you know, like if years ago I wouldn’t have seen myself in the position I’m in with kind of having these young
Sevan Matossian (25:57):
Perfect time to a,
Rich Froning (25:59):
Sorry. Um, you know, I, I wouldn’t have seen myself where I’m at now, so it, it might be something that I can grow into and, and as it, it, life slows down or, you know, my, I guess training slows down where I, I might be in that position. And so, um, you know, having Haley back and, and some of these younger athletes, it’s um, they want a little bit of that. And so I’m trying to give that where I can, but they also know the under have the understanding of like, um, you know, Jake, who, who runs our Mahe athlete, he, he helps out with a lot of that type of stuff. I’m not really good with emotion. Um, we joke that it’s, it’s been basically programmed out of me. So, um, when people get upset about something, it’s, it’s hard for me to, um, you know, like on any team that I was on, luckily we had guys that could, with the girls when they would cry, I, I’d just walk away. I can’t handle it. It’s not that I’m mad, I’m, I just get super awkward and, and walk away. So emotions are, are, are hard for me to process at times. Um, and so that’s, that’s the, the key piece I guess that I’m missing.
Sevan Matossian (27:04):
Uh, how, how do they approach you, these, these athletes around you that want more from you? How, how do they, how do they express that to you?
Rich Froning (27:11):
Right, just asking questions. Um, you know, Haley’s been a little bit more vocal about, Hey, I want somebody that is gonna be, you know, in my corner where we’re always in her corner, but she wants to be, you know, um, coached and somebody to watch her and stuff like that. And so, um, we’ve come up with a, with a plan for this off season of like aj who’s an ata, atc, um, athletic trainer, um, myself and Jake, kind of a little three-headed monster. And then she’s working with, um, uh, Chad Bond, I think and his group with some strength stuff. So, you know, there’s gonna be a little committee and, and I hope she doesn’t mind me telling that, but yeah, we’re gonna, um, help her out that way. So that’s kind of the plan moving forward is, um, more of like a team team effort instead of just one person. Um, there all the time.
Sevan Matossian (27:59):
Are are you excited about that? Do you like that? Are you like, Oh, this is gonna be new, this is gonna be fun? Yeah,
Rich Froning (28:04):
Absolutely. I think, uh, it’s always good to get a different perspective. Um, you know, Chad’s super knowledgeable on strength and that type of stuff and, and having some of these other guys that are, um, you know, AJ’s an incredible ATC and, you know, seeing things and, and fixing and balances Jake’s the same way. And um, you know, I get so caught up in, you know, what I think works is fitness and, and programming and, um, it’s good to have somebody else kind of checking that and making sure we’re all hitting the necessary things we need to do.
Sevan Matossian (28:34):
Uh, Jeremy Eat World Rich, did you do the legends, masters championship programming yet? Has JR said a word yet, what is the, what is the Legends Master’s Champ? Is that the thing in Nove? December.
Rich Froning (28:47):
December, Yeah, it’s a competition. We’re hosting it, um, working with those guys with, uh, with Legends. Yeah. Um, we had a heavy hand in programming. Um, they have like a number of athletes they want in the space, a number of events that they wanted. And timelines were the big thing that we kind of had to adjust, You know, if I was to have complete control over programming, um, it might look just a touch different. I think we’ve done a pretty good job of, of compromising on a couple things and trying to make sure that, um, movements are hit, time domains are hit. Um, it’s a lot of volume, um, I think, but, uh, just my opinion,
JR Howell (29:25):
It’s funny, it’s, it’s, it’s funny that you say if you had com had complete control, cuz at one time, three years ago you did. And one of the things I always have wondered in 2019 when they kind of gave it to everyone to do with Sanctional and you guys decide who makes it to the games and Mayhem Classic was arguably the most well ran, the best programmed, um, you know, et cetera competition out there, you know, as someone who does ’em their self. After you did that, was there any part of you or can you see yourself.
The above transcript is generated using AI technology and therefore may contain errors.
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