FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK
In Honor of a Fallen Friend BY FRANK SILVERMAN
MAIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“When I was tasked with helping launch the Martial Arts Industry Association, one of the first people I asked to come on board — in this case, as a legal consultant — was Phil Goss.”
T
he martial arts industry has lost a dedicated servant, and I have lost a dear friend. After a 19-year courageous battle against cancer, longtime MASuccess columnist Phil Goss passed away. Phil was so much to so many: father, husband, lawyer and son. To me and the community of martial arts professionals that he served, he stood out as a great friend and a talented educator. I first met Phil, along with his wife Mary and their children, on the KICK USA tournament circuit more than 25 years ago. I was serving as a judge, and Phil had children who were competing. In addition, he was volunteering as a score keeper and a runner — basically, doing anything he could to help. Eventually, the Goss family and mine became friends and had a monthly tradition of dining together after the tournaments. Fast-forward five years. When I was tasked with helping launch the Martial Arts Industry Association, one of the first people I asked to come on board — in this case, as a legal consultant — was Phil Goss. He went on to become our legal eagle in the magazine, as well as a frequent speaker and roundtable guest at the Martial Arts SuperShow. He served in that role from MAIA’s inception until the end of his life. Phil reached countless martial arts professionals through his columns in MASuccess. His essays helped school owners and instructors better understand parts of the business that normally we wouldn’t pay attention to. He explained everything in a manner that enabled us all to comprehend the details. Much more than an attorney, he was a true educator. Through the years, Phil spoke at many MAIA Elite and MAIA Wealth seminars, and never once did he asked to be paid. He would say, “Just let me know if the participants get anything from my presentation.”
Yes, Phil, they got a lot. They — and I — learned more from you than you could ever imagine, and we will be eternally grateful for this. Most of us have noticed that as the years pass, we don’t find as much time to talk with our friends as we would like, but that is not an indication of a waning friendship. It’s a reminder to make an extra effort to stay in touch and speak every few months, which I did with Phil. Of course, I enjoyed spending face time with him at the annual SuperShow. When we learned that Phil had a relapse of his cancer, David Wahl, Century Martial Arts’ Senior Vice President, and I began biweekly calls with him in an effort to keep up to date. The three of us would chat for 20 or 30 minutes, not about the martial arts per se but about life. Phil made sure we knew how well his wife Mary was taking care of him and how he planned to be at the “next” SuperShow. On one of our calls, we asked him if he was afraid of dying. Without hesitation, he said, “Not at all. I’ve lived a wonderful life surrounded by people I love and who love me. I’m a blessed man!” Every call ended the exact same way. David and I would say, “Talk to you in a couple of weeks, Phil.” And Phil would reply, “I love you both.” We would say the same to him. I’ll close with a final message to Phil: You bravely fought the good fight and were a role model for all of us because of your grace, strength, humility and courage. On behalf of the martial arts industry, I would like to say that we love you and will miss you. Peace be with you, my friend.
To contact Frank Silverman, MAIA’s executive director, send an email to teamcfck@aol.com. Find him on Twitter and Facebook at @franksilverman.
CHE
MA ORLA Open to
Event is owners,
MA
ASHV
Open to
member building
your futu
MA
LAS V
The indu tracks,
opportu
much m
and staf
10 MASUCCESS
STAY OPP
