Working Hard

It is incredible what can happen when you work hard. During my second wrestling season I worked hard enough on the wrestling mat that I occasionally would come close to losing consciousness. I learned to fight through the pain of injuries that would sideline most athletes. I was learning what it took to be a successful wrestler. I was still a young competitor but I was beating far more experienced opponents and I lost only to the top tier wrestlers.

It was refreshing to see results after so much time and effort. I qualified for the Masters Tournament (Regionals) and traveled to the Frosh/Soph State Championships where I took 6th place! A strong indicator of my potential. Little did I know that within a year I would be competing against opponents who's skill would dwarf the skill of the wrestlers I was accustomed to facing....

A Victory Flood

My first tournament of my sophomore year was a particular joy. As I stepped on the scale to weigh in I heard some snickering from the corner of the room. As I got dressed one of my teammates told me that several other wrestlers had been talking poorly about me. They were other men from my weight class who apparently knew one another. They had been describing to each other how they would each defeat me, along with the other wrestlers in our weight class.

Boasting is not uncommon in my sport but it still upsets me a great deal. I was lucky enough to face two of these snickering boys later in the tournament and pin them both. They had been seeded in the bracket while I had not been. Their looks of shock felt far more rewarding than the weight of the medal that hung around my neck as we drove home.

Anger

My second season of wrestling had barely begun when life threw my family a curve ball. My step-father was asked to step down as the head football coach. He is a man of honor and integrity. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of politics in California high school sports. These politics are filled with the type of people who take advantage of honorable people. They scheme in a language that my father refuses to speak.

He first announced the news to the football team before calling my mother. Teammates hugged me and sympathetically patted my back as I entered the locker room. I was steaming over what had happened but was managing to hold it in.

During wrestling practice that night we decided to play a game. It was Friday and we often ended the week by trying to have some fun. I was still holding in my anger. For one reason or another I found myself struggling against our senior heavyweight. I felt a sharp pain on my leg and realized he had either pinched me or bitten me. As if a switch had been pulled, I unleashed my frustration. I began throwing punches as hard and as fast as I could. Everyone of them connected with his head until another teammate pulled me away. The heavyweight stood up, shaking his head. He looked me in the eyes and stared apologizing profusely. I can only imagine the expression my face held to make this larger and older athlete apologize to me when it was I who was throwing the punches.

I later apologized and we remained friends the rest of the season but I somehow knew that night that it would be the last year I spent at that school. I would show them what kind of competitor they were going to lose.

Another Step

Sophomore year. For one reason or another I felt as if I was on top of the world. I was still dating Stefanie and I became recognized around school as a star athlete. Sadly, this wasn't saying much due to the fact that my high school was lacking in dedicates athletes.

I was enjoying my classes. Here and there I was lucky enough to come across talented teachers who's names I didn't put out of my mind as soon as a semester ended. Halfway through the football season I was brought up from the JV team to play middle linebacker on the varsity team. Football season ended without much success. We had plenty of athletic talent but completely lacked in heart, apart from a few select players who shared my determination.

My body continued to change and sculpt to the likeness of an ancient Greek statue. I was comfortable.
My comfort would not last.

Japanese Summer

My freshman year in high school was more intense than most students my age. With football, varsity wrestling, a girlfriend and advanced classes I was glad when summer finally rolled around.

During a break in my summer football schedule, I took as 3 week trip to Japan with my grandparents It was, and still is the only time I've been out of the United States. We traveled all over the main island visiting may points of  culture and famous cities like Tokyo and Kyoto. Near one of the more touristy areas a group of young Japanese girls asked me for my autograph! I supposed they though I was someone else.

Ultimately, the trip was a success and a wonderful moment in my life.

A Girl

I never considered myself the typical jock but I'm sure anyone who didn't know me would think I fit the profile. I began dating a cheerleader/dancer and our relationship would last nearly two years. At the time, I was still a young man with naive ideas about love. Most young men have the same ideas until their hearts are broken and become the stereotypical chauvinists women seem to hate but constantly date.

In the beginning Stefanie was a wonderful girlfriend. Any feelings I had for here were returned. She supported me and attended nearly everyone of my matches while I enjoyed seeing her dane. She cheered my name loud during football games. I was happy with sports, school, my family and my girlfriend. For a while, Life was good.

Finding My Strength

My First season ended on a mildly high note. I had won a few vasity matches and gained some experience. I won a few team awards including: "Rookie of the Year" and "Coach's Award". I felt vaguely satisfied.

With the conclusion of my winter sport I was left with a competitive emptiness during the spring. I briefly considered doing some throwing and jumping events in track but when I was told about club wrestling I quickly changed my mind. Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling was an opportunity for me to finally see how I compared to wrestlers my own age.

I placed in the top 3 in nearly every tournament I entered as well as 4th place finish at the Greco State Championships. I discovered that I preferred the more violent and explosive style of wrestling that the Olympic styles afforded. Most importantly, my "mat-time" had doubled and I was slowly catching up to more experienced wrestlers.

Nothing but Heart

Two weeks into my first wrestling season I earned the varsity spot at 140lbs. My very first match was against Pat Payne from Poway HS. He was ranked 4th in the nation at the time, was a senior and went on to wrestle for Arizona State University. The match ended 30 seconds after the opening whistle with me on my back. Interestingly, this short match may be the single most defining moment in my career. From the very first time I put on a singlet, I have known what it is like to wrestle the best.

But the fact remained that in my first year I was younger than every one of my opponents, weaker, less experienced, slower and unconditioned. Any success I found was through pure effort. It seemed the only advantage I could claim when comparing myself to my opponents was that I would try harder than them. This was not always good enough. In fact, I did not win my first varsity match until my first season was nearly finished. That first win was another turning point. It was proof that I was improving. Proof that I had the potential to find success in this sport. I was hungry for more.

Wagaman

Greg Wagaman is a retired marine with a great love for the greatest sport. Like so many military men, he was a hard-nosed mentor. He valued toughness and heart. And his own heart was bigger than his tough exterior would usually reveal. Never have I developed a more personal relationship with any coach. He taught me to respect the sport, love the sport, push myself to the edge of my abilities and beyond. He saw potential in me and did everything in his power to help me live up to it. The intensity in which he coached has been a blueprint I have used in my own career.

He continues to inspire young minds and so many young athletes are lucky to have him in their lives. I hope to be as inspirational to my wrestlers as he was to me.

My beginning...

I entered my freshman year of high school as a football player and nothing more. My soccer and basketball skills were old and rusty. Every individual sport I knew of seemed so unappealing to me due to the lack of violence. During my middle school years I realized that I relished the feeling of physically dominating an opponent rather than simply running faster or scoring more points. Pain was how I defined my victories.

At 5'6", 137lbs, I did not possess a very menacing presence at the linebacker position, but I hit hard and was intelligent enough to do my job and to find my way to the ball carrier as often as possible. My step-father was the head football coach at my high school and there was a great deal expected from of me. A lot to live up to.

The season was near its end and my freshman football team had suffered a sub-par season.  Before our last practice we were gathered around and introduced to a man with a mustache and closely cropped hair. He was obviously retired military. His name was Greg Wagaman and he was the head wrestling coach at the school, He was looking for new recruits. He spoke of "building a dynasty" and was looking for tough young athletes who weren't already playing a winter sport. There was a drama about the man and the way he romantically described the sport. Most of my teammates had no interest in his words and made it clear by dropping their eyes and murmuring to each other.

For whatever reason, I was committed right then and there. I felt an opportunity. A chance to pave my own path. As far as I knew, no one on either side of my family had ever been a wrestler. There were college and pro-football players, national record holders, dancers, nuclear scientists... but no wrestlers. I didn't know what I was getting into but I saw my opportunity to own something. A chance to build were no one I knew had built before. I would become a wrestler. At the time, it was still not as important to me as football but once I started, my priorities would change....

A Beginning...

Though I have been an avid internet surfer, the blogging community is new to me. For years I have been an observer and have recently found the inspiration to actually participate in this vast electronic world. Like anyone who blogs I am challenged with finding a subject to write about, I found the decision to be relatively easy. My passion in life has become the sport of wrestling. It will be the main focus of this blog but I will not be afraid to stray into other realms of cultural and personal relevance.
In my next post I will begin to tell my background story....