Author: Jeff McCall

WRESTLING NOTEBOOK
February 2, 2014 10:57 PM

By Ken Wunderley / Tri-State Sports & News Service

Kyle Snyder has not wrestled a high school match in the 2013-14 season, but was still chosen for the United States all-star team for the 40th annual Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic.

Snyder posted a 179-0 record and won Maryland state titles the past three years at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, but decided to skip his senior year to begin training for the Olympics in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“I’ve accomplished all I can at the high school level,” said Snyder, who won a Junior World Freestyle title in 2013. “My goal is to wrestle in the 2016 Olympics. With that in mind, I decided to start training at the Olympic Training Center.”

Snyder is now attending Coronado High School in Colorado Springs and will graduate in May, but is not allowed to compete at the high school level.

“I’ve been training and living here since July 21,” said Snyder, who accepted a scholarship to Ohio State University. “I live in dorms with eight others who are currently living and training here. We also have quite a few other wrestlers pop in at various times. I’ve met quite a few former and current Olympians. I’ve really enjoyed the experience.”

Area wrestling fans got a chance to see Snyder at the 2012 Powerade Christmas Tournament. He completely dominated the 220-pound weight class, capped by an impressive 16-6 win against Thomas Haines of Solanco (Pa.) in the title match. Haines, a three-time PIAA Class AAA champion, has moved up to the 285-pound weight class this year.

“I’ve wanted to wrestle in the Classic since I was a freshman,” Snyder said. “I was hoping the committee would pick me. I can’t wait. I have a ton of family and friends, even my coach, coming up from Maryland to see me wrestle. It will be the final match of my high school career.”

Snyder is one of 13 wrestlers chosen to represent the U.S. all-stars March 16 at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House. The U.S. team will face Pennsylvania’s all-star team in the feature match at 6 p.m. A team of WPIAL all-stars will face the Oklahoma all-stars in the preliminary match at 4 p.m.

Snyder is one of five three-time state champions on the U.S. squad. The others are: Josh Albers (134-0 at 132 pounds) of Illinois; Tyler Berger (152-3 at 145) of Oregon; Ryan Blees (141-5 at 160) of North Dakota; and Chip Ness (138-1 at 195) of Georgia.

The U.S. squad also features a three-time national prep school champion in Joe McKenna (115-7 at 138) of New Jersey.

The Classic is produced and sponsored by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Dapper Dan Charities and local volunteers. Proceeds support a youth wrestling program for inner-city children through the Dapper Dan Youth Sports Leagues at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania. The reserved seat ticket price is $15 and general admission is $10.

Tickets can be purchased at Wright Automotive Group on Route 19, Monroeville Chrysler Jeep, Canon-McMillan High School or by calling Dapper Dan Charities at 412-263-3850. For more information or to order tickets, visit www.wrestlingclassic.com.

PIAA qualifiers

Six teams from the WPIAL and one City League squad qualified for the 2014 PIAA team tournament with hopes of claiming one of the two titles.

Franklin Regional (19-1), Latrobe (12-2), North Allegheny (13-1) and Allderdice (9-5) qualified for the 20-team Class AAA bracket. Burrell (12-3), South Fayette (20-1) and Jefferson-Morgan (15-3) qualified for the Class AA bracket, which also has 20 teams.

Allderdice, the City League’s lone representative, qualified for the Class AAA bracket for the third consecutive year by winning the City League title. Allderdice will face North Allegheny at 7 p.m. today at Carrick, with the winner earning a trip to Hershey. North Allegheny is making its third consecutive PIAA appearance.

Jefferson-Morgan will make its second PIAA Class AA appearance in three years. The Rockets will face District 10 runner-up Fort LeBoeuf at 7 p.m. today on the road, with the winner going to Hershey.

Franklin Regional, Latrobe, Burrell and South Fayette receive a bye until the first round starts Thursday. The remainder of the tournament will be held at Giant Center in Hershey and will conclude Saturday.

Burrell will make its 10th PIAA appearance. The Buccaneers have a 19-14 record in PIAA matches and have been a top-four finisher four times. Franklin Regional and South Fayette are making their second PIAA appearances.

Hershey pains

The PIAA team tournament has not been kind to the WPIAL. Only three WPIAL teams have won a PIAA title since the tournament began in 1999.

* Canon-McMillan won back-to-back PIAA Class AAA titles in 2012 and 2013.

* Connellsville claimed the Class AAA title in 2005 after placing second in 2000 and 2004.

* Burrell captured the Class AA title in 2008.

Only three other WPIAL teams have made an appearance in the finals: Kiski Area (2003) and Trinity (2002) placed second in Class AAA, and Shady Side Academy was runner-up in 2001 and 2009.

Looking ahead

The WPIAL individual section tournaments in Class AA will be Feb. 15. Chartiers-Houston (Section 1), Charleroi (2), and Avonworth (3) will host the three qualifiers.

The section tournaments in Class AAA will be Feb. 22. The sites for the four tournaments are Gateway (Section 1), Baldwin (2), Fox Chapel (3) and Moon (4).

The top five finishers in each weight class from each section advance to the WPIAL championships. The WPIAL Class AA tournament will be Feb. 21-22 at Chartiers Valley. The Class AAA WPIAL/Southwest Regional will be Feb. 27-March 1 at Canon-McMillan.

The Class AA Southwest Region tournament will return to Cambria County’s War Memorial Arena Feb. 28-March 1. The PIAA tournament, Class AAA and AA, will be March 6-8 at Giant Center.

U.S. All-Star team

113 Brian Rossi, Lockport, Ill. (110-16)

120 Nathan Boston, Woodford County, Ky. (153-1, 2-time state champ)

126 Steve Micic, Hanover Central, Ind. (136-5, 2-time state champ)

132 Josh Albers, Dakota, Ill. (134-0, 3-time state champ)

138 Joe McKenna, Blair Academy, N.J. (115-7, 3-time national prep champ)

145 Tyler Berger, Crook County, Ore. (152-3, 3-time state champ)

152 Bryce Brill, Mount Carmel, Ill. (136-5, 2-time state champ)

160 Ryan Blees, Bismarck, N.D. (141-5, 3-time state champ)

170 Bo Nickal, Allen, Texas. (140-7, 2-time state champ)

182 Johnny Sebastian, Bergen Catholic, N.J. (110-16, 2-time state champ)

195 Chip Ness, Buford, Ga. (138-1, 3-time state champ)

220 Kyle Snyder, Good Counsel, Md. (179-0, 3-time state champ)

285 Nick Nevills, Clovis, Calif. (150-5, 2-time champ)

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/2014/02/03/Dapper-Dan-event-picks-U-S-all-stars/stories/201402030041#ixzz2sI46mRqP

By Pat Donghia Penn State Sports Information

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team handled No. 11 Michigan 32-9 in a Super Bowl Sunday showdown live on the Big Ten Network Sunday, in a battle between the conference’s final two unbeaten teams. By virtue of the win, Penn State clinched at least a share of the 2014 Big Ten regular season title, riding three straight technical falls to a lop-sided win. Head coach Cael Sanderson’s crew won eight of ten bouts in the victory.

With two-time All-American Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 125, not making the weekend trip due to illness, sophomore Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.) got the nod at 125 and controlled Conor Youtsey for a strong 9-4 win. 16th-ranked Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.) then silenced a raucous sell-out crowd with a strong 9-0 major over Rossi Bruno at 133. True freshman Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 141, remained unbeaten with a dominating 7-1 win over Steve Dutton, rolling up 2:20 in riding time in the process and putting Penn State up 10-0

At 149, junior Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) nearly pulled off an upset of No. 8 Eric Grajales. Alton bolted out to an 8-5 lead and led by two late. But a last second Grajales takedown ended with a Michigan fall at the 6:56 mark, briefly cutting into Penn State’s lead. But All-American Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 12 at 157, responded in fine fashion with a thrilling 3-1 (SV2) decision over No. 14 Brian Murphy, sending Penn State into halftime with a 13-6 lead.

After intermission, three-time All-American David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 1 at 165, posted yet another impressive win over a top-ten opponent, rolling through No. 6 Dan Yates on his way to a 17-2 tech fall at the 5:13 mark. All-American Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 3 at 174, posted a tech fall of his own, notching a 21-6 win at the 5:35 mark over UM’s Collin Zeerip. At 184, three-time All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 3 nationally, made it three straight tech falls, rolling to a 17-2 win over Domenic Abounader at the 5:39 mark to put Penn State up 28-6.
Sixth-ranked sophomore Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.) continued the bonus point parade at 197, majoring Chris Heald 17-1. Junior Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.) nearly upset No. 2 Adam Coon, but the Wolverine heavyweight fought off a late Gingrich shot to escape with a 2-1 win. Still, the Lions’ eight wins led to a 32-9 victory and kept Penn State unbeaten on the year.

Penn State won the takedown battle with a 31-5 edge. Taylor improves to 23-0 on the year with 11 pins, seven tech falls and five majors. He his 123-3 all-time, seventh on Penn State’s career wins list. He moves to 31-0 in Big Ten duals and is 52-0 all-time against Big Ten competition. Ruth is now 22-1 on the year with eight pins, eight tech falls and six majors. He is 124-3 on the year, fifth all-time at Penn State. Ruth improves to 31-0 in Big Ten duals and is 53-0 all-time against Big Ten competition.

Retherford remains unbeaten on the year with a 23-0 record, including four pins, two tech falls and seven majors. Dylan Alton is also unbeaten at 15-0 with three pins and a major. Brown moves to 23-1 with six pins, four tech falls and seven majors while McIntosh improves to 22-2 with four pins and ten majors.

Penn State is now 13-0 on the year, 7-0 in Big Ten duals, clinching at least a share of the Big Ten regular season (dual meet) crown. Michigan moves to 9-3, 5-1 B1G. The Nittany Lions continue a three-game Big Ten road swing when they trek to Minneapolis on Sunday, Feb. 9, for a 2 p.m. (Eastern) match-up with No. 3 Minnesota. The dual will also air live on the Big Ten Network.

With the full season of Rec Hall duals sold out prior to the start of the campaign, a very limited number of standing room only tickets are available to a few of the remaining Rec Hall duals. People may purchase tickets by calling 1-800-NITTANY or by visiting the Penn State Athletics ticket office located in the BJC. Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstateWREST and on Penn State Wrestling’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2013-14 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.

#1 Penn State 32, #11 Michigan 9
February 2, 2014 – Ann Arbor, Mich.

125: Jordan Conaway PSU dec. Conor Youtsey MICH, 9-4 – 3-0
133: #16 Jimmy Gulibon PSU maj. dec. #17 Rossi Bruno MICH, 9-0 – 7-0
141: #2 Zain Retherford PSU dec. Steve Dutton MICH, 7-1 – 10-0
149: #8 Eric Grajales MICH pinned Andrew Alton PSU, WBF (6:56) – 10-6
157: #12 Dylan Alton PSU dec. #14 Brian Murphy MICH, 3-1 (SV2) – 13-6
165: #1 David Taylor PSU tech fall #6 Dan Yates MICH, 17-2 (TF; 5:13)– 18-6
174: #3 Matt Brown PSU tech fall Collin Zeerip MICH, 21-6 (TF; 5:35) – 23-6
184: #3 Ed Ruth PSU tech fall Domenic Abounader MICH, 17-2 (TF; 5:39)– 28-6
197: #6 Morgan McIntosh PSU maj. dec. Chris Heald MICH, 17-7 – 32-6
285: #2 Adam Coon MICH dec. Jon Gingrich PSU, 2-1 – 32-9
Attendance: 1,504
Records: Penn State 13-0, 7-0 B1G; Michigan 9-3, 5-1 B1G
Up Next for Penn State: at No. 3 Minnesota, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2 p.m. (Eastern)/1 p.m. (Central)

By Craig Sesker USA Wrestling | Feb. 01, 2014, 8:noon (ET)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Randi Miller used her power and strength to win an Olympic bronze medal in 2008.

She used those same qualities to earn a championship at the Dave Schultz Memorial International on Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Miller overcame an early deficit, scoring on two pushouts to down World champion Elena Pirozhkova 2-1 in the women’s freestyle finals at 69 kg/152 lbs.

Miller, 30, competing for the U.S. Army, earned her second Schultz title after winning here in 2007. She stepped away from wrestling after the 2008 Olympics before returning to the mat this season.

Pirozhkova, a 2012 Olympian, has won this event three times.

Miller was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

“Elena’s a tough competitor and it was a good match,” Miller said. “I’m out here to learn and I’m trying to figure out how to beat everyone. I’m just focused on doing the things I need to do to get better.”

World champion Jessica MacDonald of Canada rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to down two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe of the U.S. 14-4 in the finals at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. MacDonald won her second Schultz title.

MacDonald trailed 4-0 late in the first period before scoring a takedown just before time ran out. She stormed out strong in the second period, scoring on a succession of turns to clinch the win.

World silver medalist Helen Maroulis of the U.S. downed University World champion Katherine Fulp Allen 8-0 in the finals at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. Maroulis won her second straight Schultz title.

“I just focus on my style and myself,” Maroulis said. “I wasn’t really happy with the way I wrestled today, but I really want to wrestle at 53 for the World Cup so I moved down for this tournament.”

China captured the team title with Canada finishing second and India third.

India’s Sakshi Malik defeated Junior World bronze medalist Jennifer Page of the U.S. 14-4 in the finals at 60 kg/132 lbs.

World champion Lan Zhang of China recorded a first-period fall over Junior World silver medalist Braxton Stone-Papadopulous of Canada in the finals at 58 kg/127 lbs.

China’s Zhangting Zhou won by forfeit over World champion teammate Luozhuoma Xi to gain the crown at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

University World medalist Erica Wiebe of Canada knocked off World champion Fengliu Zhang of China 6-2 in the finals at 75 kg/165 lbs.

China’s Xuechun Zhong won the title at 55 kg/121 lbs. with a first-period fall over India’s Babita Kumari.

This is the final day of the three-day Schultz event. This tournament has been held annually since 1999. It honors the late Dave Schultz, an Olympic and World champion for the U.S.

By Jason Bryant NWCA | Feb. 03, 2014, 12:01 p.m. (ET)

Manheim, Pa. — The National Wrestling Coaches Association will hold the EAS Sports Nutrition NWCA National Duals presented by Hibiclens and the United States Marine Corps in honor of Cliff Keen on February 16-17 at Ohio State University’s St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

The competition will feature 14 top NCAA Division I wrestling programs in a dual meet advancement tournament to crown a national dual champion. This year’s field includes Bloomsburg, Central Michigan, Chattanooga, Cornell, Hofstra, Illinois, Iowa State, Kent State, Minnesota, North Dakota State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon State and Virginia Tech.

“We are excited about the pool of teams in this year’s field,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “We have diverse programs from all across Division I. And by holding the event at a campus like Ohio State, we can engage not only the local wrestling fan base, but also students and faculty who are new to wrestling.”

EAS is this year’s title sponsor for the event. The brand develops sports nutrition products that help athletes and fitness enthusiasts at any level play hard and recover strong. Through protein powders, nutrition bars, ready-to-drink shakes and an energy beverage, EAS offers a diverse line-up of products backed by science and certified as safe and clean.

“Proper nutrition is critical for athletes to perform at their best,” said Keith Wheeler, Ph.D., global director of Performance Nutrition Research at Abbott, a health care company that makes EAS products. “By partnering with NWCA, we’re able to work directly with the wrestling community and help athletes and coaches use nutrition to improve three major areas: training, competition and recovery.”

First-round action begins at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 17, followed by consolation matches at 5 p.m. and quarterfinals at 7 p.m. The championship semifinals will start at 1 p.m. on Monday, February 17 with the finals set for 4 p.m.

For more information, visit www.nwcaonline.com and select National Duals under the Events Menu.

About the NWCA

Founded in 1928, the NWCA strives to promote and provide leadership for the advancement of amateur wrestling, primarily at the scholastic and collegiate levels. The association is headquartered in Manheim, Pa. The three core competencies are coaching development, student-wrestler welfare, and promotion/advocacy. The NWCA has 10,000 members and educational programs that serve 230,000 students each year.

About EAS Sports Nutrition

Abbott, a global health care company and maker of EAS products, has more than 85 years of innovation in leading-edge nutritional science. Whether you are an elite athlete, fitness enthusiast or weekend warrior, EAS develops performance nutrition products that can help you play hard and recover strong. A brand you can trust, EAS and its team of scientists, researchers and all-around fitness enthusiasts take pride in making products that are impactful, clean and safe – so you can keep pushing yourself to the next level. Visit EAS.com or facebook.com/EASbrand.

About the United States Marine Corps

On November 10, 1775, the Marine Corps was established by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since then, the Marine Corps, through service on land, in air, and at sea, have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term “Marine” has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue. Whether facing our nation’s foes or conducting humanitarian relief and disaster recovery operations at home or abroad, today’s Marine Corps stands ready to continue in the same proud tradition of faithful service to the United States. For more information, visit http://www.Marines.com.

About Hibiclens

Hibiclens is an antiseptic antimicrobial skin cleanser possessing bactericidal properties that can be part of an effective defense for preventing the spread of skin infections. Its active ingredient works in a unique way — it kills germs on contact and bonds to the skin to keep killing microorganisms up to 6 hours after washing. Hibiclens® has been proven to kill MRSA (in vitro) and other staph infections

Why Penn State is Outgrowing Its 86-Year-Old, No-Frills, All-Thrills Wrestling Venue

Justin Zackal, Yahoo Contributor Network
Jan 27, 2014 “Share your voice on Yahoo websites. Start Here.”

If there’s a Fenway Park of college wrestling, that venue is the Recreation Building at Penn State University, more commonly known as “Rec Hall.”

Sell-out crowds cram these primitive facilities to watch athletes who are the best at what they do. Sure, it would make sense to upgrade to a building with a larger seating capacity, but the intimacy is part of what attracts spectators. Nostalgia is also a factor, but that’s where similarities between the homes of the Nittany Lion wrestlers and the Red Sox begin to diverge. Rec Hall should be even more appealing to sports purists rather than a destination to cross off a bucket list.

The name Rec Hall is simply stated, just like the no-frills spectator experience, making it one of the last vestiges where watching the sport at its highest level is enough. Places like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are flypaper to beer-swilling tourists. At collegiate mainstays like Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium, the antics of the face-painted partisans are just as part of the basketball games as the players. And could you imagine 100,000 college football fans enjoying a game without the enhancement of heckling, tailgate parties and stopgap cues from video boards and marching bands?

If you’re looking for a temple to worship a sport, Rec Hall is cleansed from the Persian bazaars found at many sporting events.

The facility has undergone many renovations since it was built in 1928, but the architecture remains consistent with academic buildings of its time, and the narrow hallways act as time portals for those who enter. Two large HD video scoreboards were added to Rec Hall in recent years, but even the 102-year-old Fenway Park has given way to this technology.

Penn State wrestling fans almost literally fill the place to the rafters with sell-out crowds in excess of 6,600. The standing-room only crowd stands along the track that rings the upper section like a halo.

The hold that wrestlers have on their competitors is as strong as the hold the action has on the audience. The suspense builds during bouts with fans internalizing every maneuver and occasionally shouting “TWO!” for the points awarded for a takedown. The eruption of the crowd when a visiting wrestler is pinned is ignited by the official’s slap of the mat. That sudden roar is like no other in sports.

There are no choreographed celebrations by the wrestler — he is often too exhausted — aside from the official signaling victory by grabbing the winner’s wrist and hoisting his arm into the air. Attention is singularly directed to the singlet-wearing athlete. Hard work is recognized. That reward is enough.

You’re likely to see three generations of wrestling fans at Rec Hall seated side-by-side-by-side, passing commentary about the match in a father/son telephone game where soup cans are replaced by cauliflower ears.

Grandpa is usually most determined but least agile to win another game: beat the traffic. Across the street from Rec Hall is a parking lot with only one exit that bottlenecks traffic from White Course Drive onto busy North Atherton Street. Once the final bout ends so begins the race to the cars and the escape from the narrow passages of Rec Hall.

The Penn State wrestling team itself may soon escape from Rec Hall, which the Nittany Lion basketball teams did when the 15,000-seat Bryce Jordan Center was built across campus in 1995.

After winning three straight NCAA championships and selling out Rec Hall for 12 straight dual matches, the Nittany Lion wrestlers gave the Bryce Jordan Center a try. They attracted more spectators there than any Penn State basketball team could ever draw. Penn State broke the NCAA attendance record for a dual match as 15,996 wrestling fans filled the arena, nearly three times the capacity at Rec Hall, to see the Nittany Lions beat intrastate-rival Pitt, 28-9, on Dec. 8, 2013.

Head coach Cael Sanderson told the Centre Daily Times that he doesn’t know if there are plans to hold matches at the arena in the future, but Penn State continued its sellout streak when the team returned to Rec Hall for dual matches in January 2014.

Pennsylvanians are loyal stewards of the sport and they deserve a space large enough for their support of wrestling to grow. Even if popularity begets the distractions of fan entitlement at sporting events, Penn State wrestling fans are unselfish enough not the limit the following inside the hallowed walls of Rec Hall.

There could never be enough fans who couldn’t be happier.

NCAA Releases Wrestling Coaches’ Panel Rankings

1/23/2014 | Wrestling
BLOOMSBURG- The NCAA released Thursday the first of three coaches’ panel rankings for the 2013-14 wrestling season. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. This year’s event is March 20-22 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Ok. Bloomsburg University has six wrestlers ranked in the initial coaches’ panel rankings.
At 133 pounds Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) is ranked 22nd, while at 149 pounds Bryce Busler (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley) is 18th; and Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) is 16th at 165 pounds. Also, Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) is 25th at 174 pounds with Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) the Huskies highest ranked wrestler at 197 pounds, while Justin Grant(Easton/Easton) is ranked 14th at 285 pounds.
Four Bloomsburg wrestlers, Veltre, Dessino, Perry and Grant are the highest ranked EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) wrestlers in the rankings.
Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches’ rankings to earn spots in their qualifying tournaments for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches’ rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. In order to be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days.
The Huskies will be back in action on Saturday at 7 p.m. visiting Edinboro starting at 7 p.m.
The full rankings of each weight class are available atNCAA.com.

What I Have Learned
by Tom Brands, World and Olympic Champion

I have learned that whether you think you will succeed or fail, you have to rise to the challenge with courage.
I have learned that fear can make you go back, when you should go forward; it is better to go forward.
I have learned that you can go HUNGRY and still be tough enough to continue… and that few people really know what HUNGER is!!!
I have learned that if you want something bad enough, you make it first and foremost in your thoughts and deeds.
I have learned that your body can be tired and hurting, but you always have more to give.
I have learned that if you must face an adversary, do your homework, know his moves, plan your strategy.
I have learned that once you quit, it is over!!!
I have learned that pain passes.
I have learned that victory, after working hard for something is a high to which nothing else compares.
I have learned that you can lose and keep your dignity; but it is so much better to WIN!!!
I have learned that you can go through all the correct moves in life, but for it to really be great, you must have passion…eye of the tiger!!!
Lastly, I have learned from my brothers Frank and Carl, as well as all the rest, go out into the circle come what may, and return, tired, battered, whether in victory or defeat, that in this life, you must proceed with fearlessness. Plan and work hard, take the lumps, expect to win, live with passion, you are always stronger than you think, and most of all never give up!!!
When the next whistle blows, the true champion of life is ready to go another round!!!

Be ready to go another round!

A Coal-Hearted Lesson

By Robbie Waller

In 1949, my father was born in Iaeger, West Virginia in the heart of coal country. The coalmines were a way of life but they also taught those tough-minded and thick-skinned people like my father valuable lessons along the way.

Although my hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania was hundreds of miles away from Iaeger, I would come to learn those same lessons taught in the mines of the West Virginia Mountains.

In my pre-teen years, a coal furnace heated our house. Anyone who has had a coal-burning furnace will testify to the relentless and unending work it takes in the Pennsylvania winter months to keep the house warm.

A large truck would arrive periodically and dump in front of our garage door what could only be seen as a black mountain to an eight-year-old boy.

As the only boy in the house (yes I had four sisters), I was charged with bringing the coal from outside and into the furnace room under the house. This seemingly simple task would become one of the staples in the development of what I refer to as lessons through life.

My father handed me two five gallon buckets and a small shovel. “Fill these buckets up and carry them into the furnace room. Unload them into the coal bin until the bin is full.” he would demand. These were simple instructions for a simple boy.

Little did I know that this chore and these instructions would linger with me long after our coal furnace was replaced by oil heat. I decided at some point (maybe ten or eleven years old) that it would generally be a good idea to move the coal on my snow sled rather than in the buckets. I would shovel the coal onto my orange sled and drag it into the furnace room and simply tip it over into the coal bin. Reason you ask? Well, it hauled more coal per trip, and was easier than carrying the two five gallon buckets, which along with shoveling can fatigue an eight year old’s arms pretty quickly.

But my father had other ideas. One day he observed me initiating my new coal moving method and promptly halted my ingenious idea. “That’s not the way I want you to move that coal. Get the buckets out and fill them up and bring the coal in like I showed you.” At eight, you don’t question your father aloud. With head down and lower lip protruding I made my way over to the buckets and began the task of filling and dumping as originally “coached” to do.

What does this have to do with wrestling you ask? Nothing. But it has everything to do with what this experience taught me. Throughout your life, you will be asked to do things both on and off the mat that will test you. They will test your willingness to listen to detail, your intelligence and your intestinal fortitude.

In today’s society, children have begun to ‘grow up’ faster than in recent decades. At fifteen, they know it all. Most people, adults even, deceivingly convince themselves at some point in their life, that they know what actions will bring what results. Especially when it comes to athletics. It’s simply not true.

One crucial ingredient to success on the mat and in life is the ability to be “coachable”. This means being able to follow instructions and demands given by someone else to the best of your ability without knowing the ultimate outcome. Some may call it a bind-faith. You will often hear coaches describe their best wrestlers as “very coachable” along with a myriad of other characteristics.

Finding someone who can help you achieve your goals means finding someone who has already achieved that goal or helped others to achieve that same success you desire. But in the end, it is your willingness to adhere to that individual’s instructions with great detail and without hesitation that ultimately determines your progress and success.

At ten years old, I didn’t know why the process of carrying coal in buckets was important. But my father (and coach) did. A relentless and unending work ethic is a vital component to success on the mat. He knew that then. I do now. And I’m sure glad I listened.

DURING THE LATE 80s I was wrestling for Oklahoma State University and running the security staff at a place called The Fox in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The guys who owned The Fox were pretty industrious guys, and eventually they bought a club down in Norman [Oklahoma] and called it “The Fox” as well.

The University of Oklahoma was down there, and their football team was on fire — I believe they played Penn State for the national title that year. Barry Switzer was running things, and they had Keith Jackson, Brian Bosworth, Jamelle Holieway, Charles Thompson… they had a whole crew down there. Needless to say, that town REALLY catered to their football players.http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/440520/When-We-Were-Bouncers-Tom-Erikson/