Caymanian businessman Eckerd McField is the owner and managing director of X Factor Fitness Cayman. The “start-up,” providing professional coaching and fitness services to athletes for several years, seeks to expand its reach to clients and positively impact the fitness and coaching community. To learn more about his plans, along with some of the challenges he experienced to date, Loop News sat down with Mr McField recently.

Unlike some other coaches, McField explained that he is “an athlete,” having “played every sport” available to him and high school and later excelling in “competition level play.”

While raising his game, he explained how he also used his time to develop his coaching skills.

He explained:

I’ve also been coaching basketball since I was 16 years old, so I’ve had some training and experience, through different courses, with different training methods and techniques for different sports. 

My experience, to the moment, is coaching the Under-15 Boys Basketball National Team to which I am Coach Daniel Augustine’s assistant.

I was also his assistant in 2011 for the Natwest Island Games for the Men’s Basketball National Team.

He added: “The Cayman Islands Basketball Association acquired my services… just this year, to prepare the Women’s National Basketball team for this year’s Island Games to which the women achieved the Silver Medal. The services I provided was a basic strength and conditioning program which was tailored to their needs as basketball players.”

I’m also the kids’ football coach for the FBCS after-school program,” and “I also assist when and where I can with the Sports Department and Cayman Islands Basketball Association,” he continued.

Eckerd McField seen in front left, along with Nelson Isley (Center) and other local coaches for the WABC FIBA Level 1 Coaching Competency certification course

This experience and the skills acquired are reflected in how he does business and help him develop a sharp focus when setting goals.

Concerning this, he said:

My longterm goal as a coach and fitness professional is to build a brand that:

 1. Promotes positive workethics and attitudes within young athletes.

2. Expand[s] the Brand into heath and wellness for the community outside of sports.

3. Create[s] an environment/facility for youth development in not only sports and academics, but also set a foundation for wellness on a whole in the Cayman Islands.

When it comes to upskilling Caymanians in this sector, he said that part of his “long-term goals is to incorporate “training services” that allow Caymanians to become certified and qualified to prepare themselves for the professional world of Sports and Fitness Training.”

He added that, outside his professional capacity, he wants to “promote Caymanian History, learning our ancestors’ ways to give the youth a sense of direction.”

As to who his long-term goals target, McField said his focus has been on working “with children, up to elderly.” He also wants to take on more corporate clients for whom he can tailor fitness and development services.

Regarding his professional approach to clients, McField explained:

I start all my clients out with a consult to gather info on their needs and wants in terms of their goals.

I then formulate a few “testing sessions” to check their capabilities and proceed with the ta[i]lored programs from that.

He said he used an athlete tracking application to track their progress. 

He also uses “visuals on their physical transformation progression.”

As with any business, however, while the process is sound, there are challenges.

He explained:

[One] example of a challenging situation was having to separate [two] athletes in a physical altercation.

I separated the athletes and explained to them how the situation could have potentially ended and why I WILL NOT accept such behaviours in any programs I am affiliated with.

In addition, he said he “stopped the session to have a stern few words with the entire team, explaining to them that this type of behaviour is not accepted in society and will result in them losing many opportunities to become respectful members in any society.”

By doing this, other young athletes understood that he took the matter seriously and realised that they must be accountable for their actions, which could have unintended consequences in other aspects of their lives.

In situations where there is no conflict, he said that he tries to” make everything an enlightening learning experience.”

“Their safety and well-being is my number [one] priority,” He added.

Matter of fact, that’s exactly what I teach all my clients. “How to get it right” and make sure things are done properly for the most efficiency, and the best possible results as to prevent injury or unnecessary burnout,

He continued.

When asked where he thought the fitness and coaching profession was headed, he said, “The field of Fitness and Coaching Services is rapidly growing all around the World.”

“I do believe this should be among the categories exclusively and legally reserved for Caymanians,” He concluded. 

Anyone interested in getting in touch with Mr McField to learn more about X Factor Fitness Cayman may contact him by email at xfactorfitness03@gmail.com or by telephone at 345-939-8800.