Scott Basinger

Q. What’s your day job?

A statistics professor at the University of Houston

Q. Who’s your family?

Wife (Beth, married 22 years); older son Chris (age 19, a sophomore at Auburn University); younger son Matthew (age 15, a sophomore at Cypress Woods HS); dog Maddie (age 12)

Q. How long have you done CrossFit?

My first on-ramp class was August 5, 2013.

Q. Why do you coach CrossFit?

Sarcastic answer: to pay for shoes and race entry fees. Serious answer: because it’s often the best part of my day. It gets me away from my desk, and I look forward to interacting with my athletes (even at 5 AM) and the other coaches.

Q. What motivates you the most?

Struggle. I’m a “growth mindset” person both at work and at play. I like to identify a weakness, work on it until it’s a strength, and then move on to the next weakness.

Q. What is your favorite quote?

Here are three: “Adversity has the effect of drawing out strength and qualities of a man that would have lain dormant in its absence” (Herodotus). “Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then” (John Wooden). “Those who understand others are clever; those who understand themselves are wise. Those who control others are strong; those who control themselves are mighty” (Lao Tzu).

Q. What is your favorite workout?

The hero WOD “DVB” combines three of my favorite things: running, wall-balls, and rope climbs.