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....