Sunday July 25,2010

As I suspected, my internet connection DID run out before I could get this posted.  So, this is coming to you from somewhere down the road.  There's a story to be worked on in that statement.

First, wrestling.  You know by now that our freestyle men brought home another bronze medal.  Chris Perry looked good throughout the tournament.  I thought all our guys wrestled well, today.  Russia dominated, but not as totally as Saturday.

If this relates back to my description of our early Coach Education goals, that'll be a good thing.  Here's my point: We've got to get past this attitude we're bringing to this level of event.  It appears like what I would call a "Sense of Entitlement".  After a few years discussing this at matside, I'm positive I'm not the only one seeing it.

I'll tell you, up front, I don't claim to have the magic wand.  I'm not even sure how  and when this thing developed.  I know, simply, that the wrestling world changed along a parallel course with the political and economic world over the last two decades.

When the Soviet Union first split, we enjoyed a period of prosperity, on the mat and off.  Now, all of the Republics formed by the split are up and running.  They are maturing, quickly and well. 

I'm not the guy to comment, intelligently, on the impact this has had on global economic flow.  There's a chance I'm not the guy to comment on the impact on the flow of World and Olympic Wrestling medals.  But, I am convinced that I see the latter.

I can't tell if our solution lies in being more innovative, technically, or in a return to some kind of ‘good old days' work ethic.  I do know the problem is complex and the solution might be, as well.

But... it might not be.  I pay attention to the performance of the Russian athletes and those of the former Republics.  I can't see their preparation, but it can't be Rocket Science.  Their kids, male and female, junior and senior, put their singlet on one leg at a time, just like we do.

I'm going to continue to look for simplicity in this.  You look, too.  If we can write a successful recipe, we'll all be heroes.

Ciao

Monday July 26, 2010

Yesterday, I promised you a travel story, then wandered off (pun intended) into solving wrestling's problems.  I'll get back to the story.

As I told you on day one of this adventure, my flight from the U.S. ended in Frankfurt.  On the way home, I fly out of Berlin.  This was intentional, as was the trip inside it.

My inside trip started in Frankfurt, went to Baku for the Golden Grand Prix, then ended in Budapest.  Now, I have until Thursday to get to Berlin.

Today, while our other guys are flying back to the states, I will go to the train station and end up in Bratislava, Slovakia.  Tuesday morning I do the same thing and end up in Prague, Czech Republic.  Wednesday morning's train takes me to Berlin where I will catch my flight on Thursday.

You are certainly not the first to think what you're thinking and ask what you're asking.  I am referring to this trip as ‘Rusty's Last Walk-About'.

Over the years, I have taught myself never to settle for mediocrity in adventure.  I'm a poor school teacher, but wrestling lets me live rich.   These are three cities and three countries I have never seen.  I've always heard great things about each one.  My clock is ticking.  I'm going to go see for myself.

My first overseas travel was the '88 games in Seoul.  At that time, wrestling was split and had a three day break between Greco and freestyle.  I took the train from Seoul to Pusan for a soccer match.  Best decision I ever made.  I was hooked!

Since then, it is rare for me to go somewhere and ‘Only' see wrestling.  Most of the side trips are short excursions.  In 1995, though, I had what Sterling calls, the "Big Walk-About", six countries in 45 days, backpack and all !

After 2002, it got slightly more taxing.  That's when I blew my right hip out.  I still made some good adventures, but I spent six years crippled up, pretty bad.

I got my new hip in June of 2008, refereed in Fargo 23 days later, and used a cane to get around Beijing three weeks after that.   I thought, with only five years left until FILA requires that I retire from officiating, I'd better get some mileage out of this hip. 

So, here I am.  Sterling always chuckles when I say this, but I can't help it.  "I've been a lot of places and this here's one of ‘em."  Tomorrow, I'll tell you my impressions of Bratislava.

Ciao

Tuesday July 27, 2010

Things went smoothly enough, getting out of Budapest and into Bratislava.  I was able to store my big roller bag at the train station, so I didn't have to drag it through town.  I was luck a guy told me I was on the wrong trolley, hopped off and was only a 12 minute walk from Hotel Kiev... NOT a Five Star establishment, but... hey !

I wandered around town all afternoon, in the rain.  Bratislava has a rich history as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  I saw some really cool architecture, both ancient and modern, then walked the bank of the Danube.  This ‘Mother of All Rivers' in Europe has always fascinated me.

In the evening, I called up my friend and fellow official, Miroslav.  Miro had just finished his first day back to work after having been with us in Budapest.  He picked me up at the hotel, drove me around to the parts of Bratislava I couldn't walk to and took me to dinner.

We had a traditional Slovakian meal of Goat Cheese and Dumplings.  It was really tasty !  We walked off the fullness, visiting their Veterans' Memorial and the ancient Castle Devin.  Finally, we visited the Pilsner Urquell brewery outlet for a night cap.

Both of us are still going through decompression from the intensity of last week's tournament.  That's one of the less tangible perks of my Walk-About strategy.  Going straight home, my loved ones, just like everyone's, have to deal with the withdrawal we all go through after one of these big tournaments. 

It can't be much fun being around any of us, official, athlete, coach, those first few days.  I'll still go through a couple of quiet days when I get home, but Eva will get a much healthier version of me after I‘ve had some down time here.  

The rain is supposed to clear tonight.  Tomorrow I have an early train to Prague.

Ciao