Standard Jiu-Jitsu Academy’s Greg Souders has been named as the coach for the Americas Misfits team at the upcoming CJI 2.
Souders, who has been making waves with his team in recent years, expressed his enthusiasm about the opportunity. “It feels great. We’ve made a lot of noise in the last couple years as a team and getting the invite to coach a bunch of guys that I’ve never coached before is an exciting prospect and I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Souders said in interview with Wendling.
In a significant announcement, Souders confirmed the first team member: DeAndre Corbe will represent the 66kg weight class. This marks the beginning of what promises to be a formidable roster for the Americas Misfits.
Unlike some other regional teams, Souders indicated he doesn’t plan to hold trials for team selection. “We have so many strong American prospects. I don’t think we need to make them fight each other,” he explained. “We have a long history of what the Americans are capable of at the highest level of competition.”
His selection process will focus on analyzing historical performances. “I probably would look historically for the interactions in each of those weight classes… seeing the athletes that are already selected and then looking back at how those athletes have interacted with other athletes in that same weight category,” Souders detailed.
Souders emphasized that he’s open to athletes reaching out for consideration. “Athletes that are motivated, they want an opportunity to show what they’re capable of. They want to represent. Of course, that’s a critical part of it,” he noted.
The Americas team coach acknowledged the challenge of bringing together athletes who may not know each other. “Convincing everyone that we’re a team, like we have to do this together… no individual is as important as the other,” will be crucial to their success, according to Souders.
To address this challenge, Souders plans to invite team members to train together at Standard Jiu-Jitsu Academy. “Once we make our selection and we know who’s going to be on the team, I’m going to put a call out. Get to the gym, stay with us as long as you can and let’s work together,” he said.
As a coach at CJI 2, Souders will have significant responsibilities, including determining the order of competitors. His strategy will incorporate three key elements: understanding his athletes’ capabilities, knowing the strengths of opponents, and considering the preferences of his team members.
Having attended the inaugural CJI event while supporting DeAndre at the adjacent ADCC competition, Souders is excited to take a more active role this time. “It was very cool to be part of it, was very cool to watch, and it’s even more cool now to be part of it again,” he said.
With the first team member now confirmed, fans will be eagerly awaiting further announcements as Greg Souders assembles his Americas Misfits team for what promises to be an electrifying CJI 2 tournament.
