The term Tactical Athlete is still relatively unknown in the Netherlands. Wrongly, we think at The Fortitude Company. There are also many Tactical Athletes in the Netherlands. Not everyone who belongs to this group probably realizes this, which is why I explain in this article what a Tactical Athlete is and who in the Netherlands belongs to this group.
As you have already seen above, I write it in English. So Tactical Athlete and not Tactical Athlete . I do this because this is an international term. Deviating from this only creates confusion instead of clarification. In the Netherlands, nobody says 'air cushion' when they talk about the 'airbag' in the car… right? Tactical athlete.
What is the difference between a Tactical Athlete and a Sports Athlete?
The word athlete or in Dutch athlete is a clear concept for most people. If you look at the literature, you will find different descriptions that all point to the same thing. At The Fortitude Company we use the following definition:
Athlete = Person who trains physically and mentally for performance.
That there is such a thing as a Tactical Athlete suggests that the definition of Athlete alone does not suffice here. And that's right. Just look at the following table:
As you can see, Tactical Athletes rarely have the resources, nutrition and conditions that (professional) sports athletes do. In addition, the outcome of the performance delivered may have completely different consequences than winning or losing. In extreme cases, it is even about life or death.
Tactical Athletes share many traits with recreational, professional and even Olympic athletes such as the need for physical fitness and teamwork. The differences are therefore not black and white and not every sports athlete has the luxury as described in the table above. But the differences in circumstances, resources, predictability and, above all, possible outcome are so great that making a distinction is not only logical but also necessary.
What is a Tactical Athlete?
We now know that a Tactical Athlete differs from a Sports Athlete. In the next paragraph I provide a description of the Tactical Athlete based on the literature of the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Tactical Athletes use their bodies and minds to serve and protect individuals, communities, nations, and themselves. This can be as an employee or volunteer at local or national organizations whose mission is to protect against various threats. In addition, they can be the first to respond to emergencies, accidents, natural disasters and terrorist threats. A Tactical Athlete must be ready to deal with threats—physical, psychological and environmental. It is precisely for this reason that physical employability and mental strength are essential. When Tactical Athletes are not performing optimally physically and mentally, it reduces their ability to serve and protect others.
At The Fortitude Company we believe that serving and protecting is not limited to (groups of) people, but that it is about the earth and everything that lives on it. People, animals and nature in itself. As far as we are concerned, people who are committed to preserving the earth and protecting vulnerable species and who venture into hazardous environments are also Tactical Athletes . Think of the crew aboard Sea Shepherd 's ships or the people at Lead Ranger fighting against poaching in Africa's parks.
Where does a Tactical Athlete work?
Most people who fall into the category of Tactical Athletes work for large organizations such as the Ministry of Defense , the Police , the Fire Brigade , the Coast Guard or the KNRM . But not everyone who works for these organizations is a Tactical Athlete . It depends on the position and the operational deployment. As mentioned earlier, there are also less obvious groups of people who risk their own safety for the protection of others in the form of nature conservation.
Train your Fortitude
It is quite a difference whether you have to deliver a performance under controlled and often optimal conditions with a possible outcome of profit or loss or whether you have to deliver this performance under uncontrolled and often unfavorable conditions where the consequences of 'loss' are also much greater. can have.
This not only requires a specific personality and optimal physical employability, but also a trained mind with the tools to deal with these situations.
At The Fortitude Company we create training programs specifically for Tactical Athletes . Our programs are a combination of Tactical Strength & Conditioning (TSAC) and Mental Strength . All our coaches have a background as an operator in the Dutch Special Forces and therefore know what they are talking about.
Even if you are not yet working for one of the aforementioned organizations, but you aspire to a job that requires the characteristics of a Tactical Athlete , you can contact us. We regularly start with a Tactical Athlete Introduction Course in which we teach you the basic principles of physical and mental training. This is your first step towards your own personalized training program.
