In professional sports, success is often measured by numbers – points scored, trophies won, sponsorships secured. But in the United Grid League (UGL), a growing sport that blends CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, and gymnastics, one team is proving that culture can be a stronger currency.
The Florida Sharks, led by Concepcion Guzman and Francisco Gomez, are redefining what it means to build a professional sports franchise from the ground up. With a co-ed roster that includes some of the league’s strongest female athletes, known as the Lady Sharks, they’ve built a team where accountability, authenticity, and family come first.
For the Sharks, the foundation isn’t about hype or hierarchy. It’s about culture.
The Birth of a Modern Sports Family
When Guzman and his lifelong friend Francisco bought the Sharks, they weren’t thinking like traditional team owners. They were thinking like builders of a community.
“My partner played for the Sharks for six years,” Guzman says. “When we bought the team, he transitioned from player to coach. It was important to us that this team felt different – not like a business, but like a family.”
That mindset shaped the team’s simple but powerful code: Own your role. Trust the team.
“Our sport combines three different disciplines,” Gomez explains. “No single athlete can do it all. Every person has their specialty, their moment to shine. When we say ‘own your role,’ it means be accountable to your team, because when you’re on the floor, everyone else is behind you completely.”
It’s a philosophy that has created an unshakable trust system. No egos. No stars. Just collective excellence. “We don’t have one player carrying the team,” he says. “Everyone is the best at their job, and everyone is rooting for each other.”
From Fitness to Family
If the Sharks’ foundation is accountability, its heartbeat is family. The team’s structure blurs the line between sport and support network, with traditions that few professional organizations can match.
Every competition weekend, the Sharks rent a large house, one big enough to host thirty people. Players, coaches, media staff, and physical therapists all stay under one roof. They eat together, unwind together, and approach competition as one extended family.
“There’s one player, Kristen Bonitto, who wakes up at five in the morning on match days to cook breakfast for everyone,” Guzman says proudly. “She does it every time. We’ve got long tables, food everywhere, and laughter filling the room. It’s a ritual that brings us closer.”
Even the players’ partners are part of the tradition. “The plus-ones stay with us too,” Guzman says. “It’s just everyone supporting each other and making memories.”
That closeness is more than sentimental; it’s strategic. The team’s chemistry on the floor mirrors their relationships off it. “When we compete, we’re not just playing for points,” Gomez says. “We’re playing for each other.”
That level of cohesion hasn’t gone unnoticed around the league. “There’s a lot of respect for what we’ve built,” Guzman says. “It’s not about comparison, it’s admiration. Other players see our group and say, ‘I want to be part of that.’ And that’s something I’m incredibly proud of, because it means we’ve built something real.”
Playing for Purpose
For Guzman, that sense of connection didn’t start with ownership. It started with esteem.
Before taking over the team, he watched his friend Francisco and others compete in the league, fully committed to their craft, investing time, energy, and personal resources to compete at the highest level and help grow a sport they believed in.
“When I first saw the level of commitment these athletes brought to the floor, it really stuck with me,” Guzman says. “The travel, the preparation, the sacrifices, it all reflected how much pride they had in what they were building. I remember thinking, ‘That kind of dedication deserves to be honored.’”
That perspective shaped his sense of responsibility as an owner. “I felt a real obligation to do right by them,” he says. “If athletes are willing to give that much of themselves, my role is to make sure they’re supported, respected, and treated like the professionals they are.”
That mission, to elevate and protect the players, became the emotional center of the Florida Sharks. For Guzman, it’s not about building a team that wins, but one that matters.
Redefining Success in Modern Sports
When asked what most people get wrong about success in sports, Gomez doesn’t hesitate. “People focus too much on the outside,” he says. “They look at records, at money, at attention. Don’t get me wrong, we care about winning, but we are sure not to pay attention to what others are doing. Our focus is about what’s inside – the relationships, the work ethic, the respect – because when that’s aligned and protected, winning comes naturally.”
That inward focus has made the Sharks one of the most respected and successful teams in the UGL. Their players are known not only for their performance but for their character. “These are the most down-to-earth people you’ll ever meet,” Guzman says. “They’re competitive, but they’re humble. They’re not chasing fame – they’re chasing growth.”
That humility and heart have become the Sharks’ competitive advantage, driving a culture built on purpose, passion, and continuous growth.
A Movement Bigger Than the Scoreboard
Guzman describes what he’s building as more than a team. It’s a cultural movement. “This is about the story of the players,” he says. “These are people who balance jobs, families, and training. They come from all over the country, and they show up because they love the sport. That kind of passion deserves to be seen.”
The Florida Sharks’ model, built on shared purpose and family values, isn’t just refreshing; it’s revolutionary. It’s proof that the future of modern sports doesn’t have to be transactional. It can be transformational.
“We’re not doing this for hype,” Guzman says. “We’re doing it to honor what makes sports beautiful: purpose, teamwork, and belief.”
In a league that measures speed, strength, and skill, the Florida Sharks are showing that the most powerful force of all is connection.
“We’re building something bigger than the scoreboard,” Guzman says. “We’re building a new co-ed culture rooted in respect, shared purpose, and the belief that when men and women compete together as equals, the sport becomes stronger for everyone.”
To learn more about the Florida Sharks and the Lady Sharks, visit http://swflsharks.com