IN DEFENSE OF ELITISM

Anyone who knows me really well knows that I am a fan of Mark Twight. One of my favorite books and one of the few that I have read multiple times is

Kiss or Kill.

You also probably know that I don't believe that just because someone enters a race that it makes them a winner. Everyone is not a winner.

So you can imagine my glee when I read this on the Gym Jones website:

In Defense of Elitism

As if it requires defending …Gym Jones is exclusive. We exclude. It is not a question of elitism vs. egalitarianism because there can be no question; the black belt is elite, the white belt is not. The black belt is earned through long, difficult work, rigorous education, commitment, and persistence. Not everyone gets a black belt. It's not T-Ball. We invite elite performers to train here because they foster the environment we prefer. It is the rare athlete who improves despite training exclusively with less capable practitioners and such exceptions may not be used to prove a rule. Talented athletes surround themselves with others of a similar or higher caliber – both mental and physical – and improve by doing so.
The parallel motive has to do with choosing who we want to spend our limited time with: why would we open our arms to any and everyone? -Mark Twight

"It's not T-ball"

Classic