GAIN 2019 is in the books. I am already going through GAIN withdrawal. GAIN is always special, but this year was even more special. It was an incredible mix of people who were willing to share and question. It is this interaction coupled with the highest quality of presentations that make GAIN very special. My goal when we started GAIN was to make it different. To establish a network for professionals to connect and share ideas to make themselves better. It has become a community that stretches worldwide. Even though the G in GAIN is Gambetta, it is not about me, all I am is the facilitator, facilitating a culture of sharing in an intellectually challenging environment.
The faculty all have skin in the game, they live what they teach, they are willing to share successes and failures. Diverse ideas are encouraged, no BS is tolerated. The strength is in the network as a learning community. We are all highly motivated professionals eager to challenge conventional wisdom, generate new ideas and take a different look at old ideas, all in pursuit of excellence. It is an electric and exciting atmosphere because it is not something that is normally done in sport, physical education athletic medicine and sport science.
GAIN is designed to meet the 21st century reality that demands adaptability to rapid change by fostering teamwork, a multi-disciplinary approach to address all dimensions of sports performance. The emphasis is on innovation not imitation, to see the world with new eyes by offering different perspectives. We go beyond the what, how and when and delve deep into the why. We learn to use new tools and different application of old tools, all with the goal of producing an adaptable, robust athlete who will thrive in the competitive environment. In has been career changing for me. I can’t wait for next year. My challenge is to make each year the best experience possible, the group this year set the bar high.