I’m not sure that I was born an optimist but I’ve definitely become adept at finding the positive in things over the years. So although I am heartbroken that I don’t get to take my annual trip to some far off location to see friends and colleagues, I’m still able to find some good things about this situation.
5. Less walking/traveling – It varies year to year based on where my hotel is but I never need to worry about getting my steps in during the Convention. The second to last time in Baltimore, I averaged over 6 miles per day. Sometimes the traveling isn’t so bad when I carpool with my friend Anson (Not that Anson, a different Anson but we met THAT Anson last year). However I do not mind at all being able to roll out of bed or not, to catch a session.
4. Exhibit Hall Precision – This year I’m only having conversations/meetings with vendors that I really want to be talking to. It’s not particularly a bad thing to do small talk in the exhibit hall. I like to be social but I usually end up talking to a few vendors about a products that I have zero interest in. Here’s a video of my buddy, DJ Diveny, doing some skills. Since no one is coming to juggle in your living room, this will have to do.
3. Chat Feature – Although you’re not guaranteed to get your question answered, the chances are higher than they would be in a large auditorium where they pass around the foam microphone cube. This is something that they may want to consider doing for the live Convention in the future. Not exactly a chat but having a number to text in questions and the moderators can choose interesting ones. Just a thought.
2. Access to Recorded Sessions – I missed the Gregg Berhalter session last night. Luckily I don’t need to worry about it because I can watch it at some other point. At the live Convention, I usually need to choose between about 2 or 3 sessions that I want to attend. This year I can hit them all if I want.
- Guests that Normally Can’t Present – This is probably the best thing going for the Virtual Convention. Most of the “dream” guests that people would want to see, can’t ever attend due to coaching responsibilities. While Jose Mourinho may not be on everyone’s wish list, he is a presenter that is not usually available. Depending on how this goes, it may be another change to consider for future live events. Having notable coaches speak from a distance could be an interesting concept. We’ll see.
Don’t get me wrong, I know that none of this is ideal but under the circumstances I’ll take it. As coaches, it is our job to breakdown the opponent in order to move forward. That’s exactly what needs to be done here. This pandemic is a bunkered defense (almost literally). Pick it apart and do what you can to reach your goals!
Enjoy! And see you in KC!
Pete
Huryk Unlimited 