Name: Class:

Training the GOAT

By Jacqueline Pratt-Tuke
2022

Tom Brady is a famous American football quarterback for the National Football
League (NFL). In this text, Jacqueline Pratt-Tuke describes the job of Alex Guerrero,
Tom Brady's athletic trainer. As you read, take notes on people’s opinions about
Alex Guerrero.

[1] Mention Tom Brady's name and

people's reactions range from cheering
to choking. Patriots and Buccaneers
fans adore him. Competitors abhor him.
Despite wide-ranging opinions, it is
difficult to deny that Brady is the GOAT,
the greatest quarterback of all time.
Seven Super Bowl championships with
two teams. Five-time Super Bowl MVP.
Over 600 career passing touchdowns.
The oldest player in the NFL.

To whom does Brady give credit for his

success and long career as a
quarterback? His athletic trainer, Alex "Tom Brady in his last practice as a New
Guerrero. England Patriot The GOAT getting ready
for a NFL game" by Cian Leach is licensed
From high school sports practices, under CC0.
college games, to pro matches, trainers
maintain athletes' strength and treat their injuries. On the field, they quickly assess1
and attend to injuries, staying calm in stressful situations. Off the field, athletic
trainers help athletes recover from injuries and achieve maximum physical
performance. They encourage athletes and stay optimistic2 when coaching athletes

1. to examine and try to discover the extent, quality, or nature of something

2. expecting or tending to expect positive outcomes

1
 towards recovery.

Brady's long-time trainer, Guerrero, has unconventional training methods — he's

definitely not the typical trainer. For his approaches to training, Guerrero is both
praised and critiqued.

Early Influences

[5] Guerrero grew up in California, the fourth of six children raised by immigrants from
Argentina. His family spoke Spanish and attended the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. This belief system continues to influence his values today.

After watching his father-in-law suffer from skin cancer which caused sores on his
arms, neck, and shoulders, Guerrero decided to study traditional3 Chinese
medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine focuses not only on treating diseases but
also on preventing them. Traditional Chinese medicine prioritizes4 balance in the
body and holistic approaches to health — medicine alongside alternative
approaches like massage, acupuncture, and mediation. His studies of Chinese
medicine have guided his training methods.

In 1996, Guerrero opened a rehabilitation center and worked with track athletes in
Los Angeles. When Guerrero noticed runner after runner suffering from the same
hamstring injury, he decided to observe their training. He wanted to understand
why they were getting injured. He noticed that runners built bulky muscles during
training and then tried to be light and nimble during races. Influenced by his
training of runners, Guerrero supports athletes to build soft, flexible5 muscles. He
calls this pliability.

An Out-Of-The-Box Approach

Over the course of his career, Guerrero developed a training program that
combines nutrition, hydration, mental strength, exercise, and massage. While most
athletic trainers spend their time treating athletes, Guerrero prioritizes injury

3. Traditional (adjective) ways of doing things that are passed down over time
4. to put or do something first; to prefer something
5. easily bent or able to bend without breaking

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 prevention. He aims for athletes that are mentally strong and injury resistant.

Most athletic trainers work alongside doctors to help athletes bounce back after an
injury. With doctors, they develop and carry out injury recovery plans. In contrast,
Guerrero mostly trains solo, according to his belief about how bodies recover. He
believes in using the brain to relieve injuries. For example, rather than elevating6 a
broken foot, Guerrero encourages “re-educating” injured parts to work properly
using massage, meditation, and exercising them far sooner than doctor-
recommended.

Credited and Critiqued

[10] But, like Brady, Guerrero has plenty of critics. Some medical professionals say that
his focus on pliable muscles is not scientifically-based and has no proven results.
They critique Guerrero for pitting western medical treatment against more holistic
practices. Others say he overpromises what his training methods and products can
achieve.

In addition, critics call into question Guerrero’s schooling. Athletes’ trainers typically
hold a bachelor's degree and study human anatomy, physiology, and nutrition.
According to the National Athletic Trainers Association, more than half of athletic
trainers earn masters or doctoral degrees. Some critics claim that Guerrero is not
appropriately qualified as a trainer. SAMRA University, where he studied, is a school
of Chinese traditional medicine, with little priority on the hard sciences, western
medicine, and modern technology.

But with Brady's career as proof, many regard Guerrero as a top trainer. Brady has
worked with Guerrero, who he calls his “body coach,” since 2006. Brady was sold on
his approach to training after a 2008 ACL injury where Guerrero helped him recover
and get back on the football field.

Describing Brady and Guerrero's relationship, a New York Times Magazine author
wrote, “While Guerrero is known as Brady's 'body coach,' that label significantly
understates his exhaustive reach into Brady's life... He accompanies Brady to
almost every Patriots game, home and away, and stands on the sidelines. He works

6. Elevate (verb) to raise or lift up to a higher physical position

3
with Brady's personal chef to put together optimally healthful menus; he plans
Brady's training schedule months in advance. Above all, during the football season,
he works on Brady seven days a week, usually twice a day.”

Brady and Guerrero opened a training center called TB12, focused on holistic
approaches to health and wellness for athletes. The goal of TB12 is to focus on “pre-
hab” or proactively building physical and mental health to prevent injuries and
perform at peak levels. Both professional athletes and everyday people seek the
TB12 method to recover from injuries or increase their athletic performance.

"Training the Goat" by Jacqueline Pratt-Tuke. Copyright © 2022 by CommonLit, Inc. This
text is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

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 Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in
complete sentences.

1. What would be an alternative title for the text?

A. Alex Guerrero: Unconventional Training for Great Results
B. Tom Brady: The Man, The Myth, The Legend
C. Traditional Chinese Healing Practices
D. How to Heal Your Injuries Like a Pro

2. Why does the author choose to introduce the text by sharing information
about Tom Brady?
A. to help the reader understand the physical strain that football
players are under
B. to prove to the reader that Tom Brady is the greatest
quarterback of all time
C. to share information about how difficult it is to be a star football
player
D. to connect Tom Brady's success to the methods of his athletic
trainer

3. In paragraph 3, the word "maximum" most closely means —

A. easiest
B. hardest
C. peak
D. strong

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4. Which line from the text shows that Alex Guerrero is different from a
typical athletic trainer?
A. "From high school sports practices, college games, to pro
matches, trainers maintain athletes' strength and treat their
injuries." (Paragraph 3)
B. "His family spoke Spanish and attended the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints." (Paragraph 5)
C. "While most athletic trainers spend their time treating athletes,
Guerrero prioritizes injury prevention." (Paragraph 8)
D. "Most athletic trainers work alongside doctors to help athletes
bounce back after an injury." (Paragraph 9)

5. Why are some people critical of Alex Guerrero?

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 Discussion Questions

Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space

provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. Both Alex Guerrero and Tom Brady are controversial figures, or people
about whom others have strong opinions. Why do you think they are
controversial? Who are some other well-known people you can think of
who are controversial? Why are they controversial?

2. Alex Guerrero noticed that many runners were getting injured because of
their training routine and was inspired to help these athletes build more
flexible muscles. How can "out-of-the-box" solutions help to solve difficult
problems? Think of an "out-of-the-box" solution that you have thought of
for a tricky problem. Describe the problem and solution. How was your
solution "out-of-the-box"? Did it work?

3. Think about the skills and characteristics that someone would need to be
an athletic trainer. Is this a career you would be interested in? Why or why
not?

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4. The author explains that Tom Brady is the GOAT for football quarterbacks.
Think of a sport or hobby that you love. Who is the GOAT of this sport or
hobby? Why?