Asics is bringing back a classic style of wrestling shoes with a new twist - 10 potential color combinations

 

 

We haven't heard with any degree of certainty how many of these styles will make it into production.

 

With the humbling experiment that was my Division II picks, why not subject myself to even more punishment by going round-by-round and picking things for the NCAA Division I championships. I mean, really, everyone has just as much of a chance to get more picks right based on their own favorite teams and personal associations than any of the “experts,” but we do it because it’s fun.

 

I spent time Monday night at my less than stellar digs at the Carol Hotel in Omaha filling out Division I brackets. I looked at the possibility of an upset, because they happen, and how things might shake out. Do I have reasons for things? I’d like to think so, but here’s my full view of how I think things could end up when we kick off the tournament.

 

 

Am I crazy? Have I lost it with some of these? Log-in and leave your opinions below.

 

 

 

125

1. Angel Escobedo (Indiana)

2. Troy Nickerson (Cornell)

3. Anthony Robles (Arizona State)

4. Matt McDonough (Iowa)

5. Zach Sanders (Minnesota)

6. Brad Pataky (Penn State)

7. James Nicholson (Old Dominion)

8. Andrew Long (Iowa State)

 

Quarters

Escobedo over Pataky

Robles over Long

McDonough over Sanders

Nickerson over Nicholson

 

Semis

Escobedo over Robles

Nickerson over McDonough

 

Round of 12

Sanders over Kjar

Nicholson over Garnett

Pataky over Notte

Long over Martinez

 

133 pounds

1. Jayson Ness (Minnesota)

2. Franklin Gomez (Michigan State)

3. Daniel Dennis (Iowa)

4. Mike Grey (Cornell)

5. Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State)

6. Tyler Graff (Wisconsin)

7. Steve Mytych (Drexel)

8. Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly)

 

Quarters

Ness over Graff

Oliver over Mytych

Gomez over Fisk

Grey over Dennis

 

Semis

Ness over Oliver

Gomez over Grey

 

Round of 12

Novachkov over Fisk

Dennis over Bell

Graff over Sentes

Mytych over Mitcheff

 

141 pounds

1. Reece Humphrey (Ohio State)

2. Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State)

3. Alex Krom (Maryland)

4. Montell Marion (Iowa)

5. Chris Diaz (Virginia Tech)

6. Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh)

7. Mike Thorn (Minnesota)

8. Elijah Nacita (Cal State-Bakersfield)

 

Quarters

Krom over Nacita

Humphrey over Bailey

Diaz over Thorn

Parks over Nauman

 

Semis

Humphrey over Krom

Parks over Diaz

 

Round of 12

Thorn over Mangrum

Nauman over Lipp

Nacita over Novachkov

Marion over Bailey

 

149 pounds

1. Brent Metcalf (Iowa)

2. Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin)

3. Lance Palmer (Ohio State)

4. Frank Molinaro (Penn State)

5. Matt Kyler (Army)

6. Kyle Terry (Oklahoma)

7. Kyle Borshoff (American)

8. Kevin LeValley (Bucknell)

 

Quarters

Palmer over Stephens

Ruschell over Molinaro

Kyler over Terry

Metcalf over D’Alie

 

Semis

Ruschell over Palmer

Metcalf over Kyler

 

Round of 12

Terry over Fleming

LeValley over D’Alie

Borshoff over Stephens

Molinaro over Chamberlain

 

157 pounds

1. J.P. O’Connor (Harvard)

2. Jesse Dong (Virginia Tech)

3. Cyler Sanderson (Penn State)

4. Adam Hall (Boise State)

5. Steve Fittery (American)

6. Chase Pami (Cal Poly)

7. Bryce Saddoris (Navy)

8. Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota)

 

Quarters

O’Connor over Saddoris

Sanderson over Fittery

Dong over Schlatter

Hall over Pami

 

Semis

O’Connor over Sanderson

Dong over Hall

 

Round of 12

Schlatter over Brown

Pami over Moley

Saddoris over Vernon

Fittery over Erisman

 

165 pounds

1. Andrew Howe (Wisconsin)

2. Dan Vallimont (Penn State)

3. Jonathan Reader (Iowa State)

4. Colt Sponseller (Ohio State)

5. Jarrod King (Edinboro)

6. Nick Marable (Missouri)

7. Andy Rendos (Bucknell)

8. Alex Meade (Oklahoma State)

 

Quarters

Howe over Rendos

Sponseller over Reader

Vallimont over Marable

King over Meade

 

Semis

Howe over Sponseller

Vallimont over King

 

Round of 12

Marable over Young

Meade over Grayson

Rendos over Morningstar

Reader over Schmelyun

 

174 pounds

1. Mack Lewnes (Cornell)

2. Jay Borschel (Iowa)

3. Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska)

4. Chris Henrich (Virginia)

5. Josh Patterson (Binghamton)

6. Ben Bennett (Central Michigan)

7. Colby Covington (Oregon State)

8. Mike Benefiel (Oklahoma State)

 

Quarters

Lewnes over Covington

Dwyer over Glasser

Henrich over Benefiel

Borschel over Bennett

 

Semis

Lewnes over Dwyer

Borschel over Henrich

 

Round of 12

Benefiel over Henderson

Bennett over Manuel

Covington over Blanton

Patterson over Glasser

 

184 pounds

1. Dustin Kilgore (Kent State)

2. Kirk Smith (Boise State)

3. John Dergo (Illinois)

4. Max Askren (Missouri)

5. Mike Cannon (American)

6. David Erwin (Penn State)

7. Louis Caputo (Harvard)

8. Phil Keddy (Iowa)

 

Quarters

Smith over Caputo

Cannon over Foster

Kilgore over Askren

Dergo over LeBlanc

 

Semis

Smith over Cannon

Kilgore over Dergo

 

Round of 12

Askren over Craig

Keddy over LeBlanc

Caputo over Pucillo

Erwin over Foster

 

197 pounds

1. Jake Varner (Iowa State)

2. Hudson Taylor (Maryland)

3. Craig Brester (Nebraska)

4. Jesse Strawn (Old Dominion)

5. Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin)

6. Brent Jones (Virginia)

7. Cam Simaz (Cornell)

8. Eric Lapotsky (Oklahoma)

 

Quarters

Varner over Beatty

Jones over C. Simaz

Taylor over Lapotsky

Brester over Strawn

 

Semis

Varner over Jones

Taylor over Brester

 

Round of 12

Lapotsky over Haynes

Strawn over Orozco

Brandvold over Beatty

C. Simaz over Gelogaev

 

285 pounds

1. Dan Erekson (Iowa)

2. Mitch Montiero (Cal State-Bakersfield)

3. David Zabriskie (Iowa State)

4. Mark Ellis (Missouri)

5. Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State)

6. Zach Rey (Lehigh)

7. Nathan Everhart (Indiana)

8. Jarod Trice (Central Michigan)

 

Quarters

Zabriskie over Ellis

Erekson over Dudziak

Montiero over Rey

Rosholt over Trice

 

Semis

Erekson over Zabriskie

Montiero over Rosholt

 

Round of 12

Rey over Steele

Trice over Berhow

Ellis over Brantley

Everhart over Dudziak

What do I know about Division II wrestling? For starters, it's an exciting tournament that should return to form in Omaha. Last year, I attended my first Division II championships and saw some great action, but there was just that "not so great" feeling when realizing the tournament was pushed into a rec center-type gym, with basketballs bouncing and guys doing squats in the gym overlooking the mats during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.

Now, I don't proclaim to be the world's foremost expert on Division II, but I like filling out brackets. So here's my Top 8 at each of the 10 weight classes in Division II. Feel free to pick them apart, because after all, if you're picking them apart, you're reading them, right?!

I don't live off the rankings when making picks. Sometimes its a gut feeling, sometimes it's just an upset stomach. I'm sure people who know Division II better than I are going to go "WHAT THE!" It's expected. I'm throwing a lot of past results out the window, because what does a previous match mean at this level? Zippo.

For the record, I have no association with any Division II wrestling program. I've covered D2 matches around the country the last 10 years, but the nearest Division II program to my hometown is ... like six hours away. I'm also not buoyed by regionalism. I've lived in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Colorado. That being said ...

And these are never personal. And I might have no idea what I'm talking about.

125 pounds
1. Arsenia Barksdale (Adams State)
2. Seth Wright (New Mexico Highlands)
3. Matt Oliver (Newberry)
4. Tyler Mumbulo (Upper Iowa)
5. Tommy Edgmon (Fort Hays State)
6. Terrell McKinney (Nebraska-Omaha)
7. Russell Weakley (UNC Pembroke)
8. Kenny Trumbetta (Seton Hill)

133 pounds
1. Cody Garcia (Nebraska-Omaha)
2. Shane Valko (Pitt-Johnstown)
3. Naveed Bagheri (San Francisco State)
4. Laramie Shaffer (Augustana)
5. Corey Bowers (Gannon)
6. Joe Morrison (Nebraska-Kearney)
7. Kyle Pedretti (Upper Iowa)
8. Scott Berens (Central Oklahoma)

141 pounds
1. Mario Morgan (Nebraska-Omaha)
2. Jeremy Parker (Limestone)
3. Josh Hensley (Adams State)
4. Jay Sherer (Augustana)
5. Andre Harrison (Fort Hays State)
6. Adam Hluschak (East Stroudsburg)
7. Cory Bloodgood (Central Missouri)
8. Gabe Suarez (St. Cloud State)

149 pounds
1. Craig Becker (UW-Parkside)
2. Esai Dominguez (Nebraska-Omaha)
3. T.J. Hepburn (Nebraska-Kearney)
4. Mitch Smith (West Liberty State)
5. Nate Herda (Augustana)
6. Latra Collick (Newberry)
7. Derek Stolarzyk (Upper Iowa)
8. Kevin McElhaney (Gannon)

157 pounds
1. Danny Grater (Fort Hays State)
2. Sean Byrnes (Newberry)
3. George Ivanov (Nebraska-Omaha)
4. Andy Lamancusa (Mercyhurst)
5. John Sundgren (St. Cloud State)
6. Marcus Edgington (Augustana)
7. Michael Williams (UNC Pembroke)
8. Dillon Bera (UW-Parkside)

165 pounds
1. Josh Shields (Mercyhurst)
2. Travis Eggers (Upper Iowa)
3. Ryan Pankoke (Nebraska-Omaha)
4. Tad Merritt (St. Cloud State)
5. Gavin Nelson (Augustana)
6. Blake Malloy (Fort Hays State)
7. Victor Carazo (Grand Canyon)
8. Kyle Keane (Pitt-Johnstown)

174 pounds
1. Marty Usman (Nebraska-Kearney)
2. J.J. Davis (UNC Pembroke)
3. Aaron Denson (Nebraska-Omaha)
4. Mitch Norton (Upper Iowa)
5. Curtis Chenoweth (Newberry)
6. Shamus O'Grady (St. Cloud State)
7. Chris Barrick (Shippensburg)
8. Matt Bailes (Central Missouri)

184 pounds
1. Austin Boehm (Nebraska-Omaha)
2. Bryant Blanton (Newberry)
3. Tim Darling (Kutztown)
4. Shane Mallory (East Stroudsburg)
5. Derek Skala (St. Cloud State)
6. Charlie Pipher (Western State)
7. Derek Ross (Nebraska-Kearney)
8. Lucas Haag (UW-Parkside)

197 pounds
1. Jacob Marrs (Nebraska-Omaha)
2. Donovan McMahill (Western State)
3. Keeno Griffin (Newberry)
4. Ty Copsey (Augustana)
5. Kyle Sand (Adams State)
6. Mitch Knapp (West Liberty State)
7. Luke Munkelwitz (St. Cloud State)
8. Scott Snyder (Kutztown)

285 pounds
1. Brady Wilson (Minnesota State-Mankato)
2. Elijah Madison (Nebraska-Omaha)
3. Dustin Finn (Central Oklahoma)
4. Charlie Alexander (Western State)
5. Jacob Kahnke (St. Cloud State)
6. Steven Franklin (San Francisco State)
7. Frank "Niall" McGrath (Gannon)
8. Kevin Bolinsky (Kutztown)

 

Honest question: How much do you know about Colorado wrestling? How much do you know about how awesome their state tournament has been reported to be? I didn’t know, but I was going to find out.

 

Saturday night, I sat and watched my third different state complete its high school season. Reared in Virginia, I saw nearly a dozen Group AAA and Group AA/A state championships. I went to two Pennsylvania state championships in Hershey while I was working for the NWCA.

 

The Pespi Center, home of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and NHL’s Colorado Avalanche would give me my largest finals crowd for the 2010 CHSAA State Finals.

 

I wasn’t incredibly amazed by the size of the crowd on Friday for the quartefinals and semifinals, but I knew I was in for a sight when I drive into the Pepsi Center lot and park roughly a quarter-mile (probably more) from the arena. Compound this by walking completely around the facility to get to the media entrance and you can see early, this was going to be a big crowd.

 

There’s 337 high schools in Colorado (according to the announced sportsmanship PSA that was read repeatedly throughout the event). The 337 are split four ways, with the smallest of the schools competing in 2A, while the largest schools are 5A.

 

With much of my season now focused on international and collegiate wrestling, I haven’t seen near as much high school since moving to Colorado Springs. One thing that did peak my interest in regards to this event were the local kids.

 

Some of you might remember the Metro Championships broadcast we did on TheMat.com at the end of January. The Metro is a local high school event with all the local Colorado Springs High Schools. USA Wrestling puts this on as a way to serve the local high school wrestling community. Well, with that, I had a chance to see a few solid kids in the finals of the Metro.

 

Right off the bat, the approximately 13,000 (I’m guessing, but the arena seats 18,121) were ready. The first two kids I saw win state titles were familiar. Geordan Martinez of Pine Creek (in 5A) picked up a major decision over Standley Lake’s Ryan Adams. On the far mat, there was A.J. Rees of Discovery Canyon over in 3A. Rees was leading to start the second over A.J. Salazar of Lake County. Could Colorado Springs claim two of the four state championships at 103?

 

Nope. Salazar pinned Rees in the second.

 

Josh Martinez (no relation) stepped to the mat for Pine Creek and worked through a 3-0 victory at 112 pounds. I started feeling some of the emotion running through the facility. Pine Creek didn’t quite shake things up for me, since they’re sitting on the second level about 180 degrees from my perch in the press area.

 

The first notable eruption that jolted me in my chair came from the fans from Pueblo South. They were celebrating the 112 4A championship by Timothy Urenda. I’m about six feet from the edge of the Pueblo South section. Pueblo’s about two hours south of Denver, probably more tonight because snow and fog have made traveling on I-25 north or south rather unenjoyable. Have I mentioned how much I hate snow?

 

Pueblo South wasn’t going to keep the credit for too long, as Broomfield snatched it away from them with Courtland Hacker’s victory at 119 pounds in 4A. They were notably louder for each score, including a third period score in Jerry Huff’s 125-pound final with Greeley West’s Joseph Martinez. You could hear the sigh moments later as Huff locked his hands and then gave up a reversal.

 

One mat over, another local product and Metro champion, Carter McElhany gave up  a takedown three seconds in to his 125-pound final against Mountain Range’s Cory Mitzke. McElhany, from Coronado, had little of it … scoring 13 straight points to pick up a 13-2 major decision. For a fleeting moment, Coronado seemed to own the arena, that was until a late throw in a tight match in 2A stole the proverbial thunder.

 

Bon Kinder ignited the fans from Burlington, who are sitting in most of section 120 to my left. Kinder was up three and fought off a late takedown attempt, putting Simla’s Andrew Scherrer to his back to end the match.

 

So at this point, I’m starting to draw some comparisons. Being from Virginia, I’ve seen (and been a part of) some of the more boisterous contingents at state tournaments. We were notorious at Poquoson. One of my teammates once said, “If I wasn’t from Poquoson, I’d hate you guys.”

 

I’m sure a lot of you can relate to a program (if not your own) in your state. I didn’t see that too much in Pennsylvania, because everyone’s passionate and vocal about their programs, with the pockets of “Poquoson-like” fans residing mostly in District XI.

 

Also in Virginia, there were the pockets from Great Bridge, Grundy and Christiansburg. In Pennsylvania, Central Dauphin’s fans were out in full force, mainly due to the magical season in 2007 (captured by the documentary Takedowns & Falls).  At least, that’s the season I’m comparing to this, the 2010 CHSAA state championships.

 

Arena size – Pepsi Center has both VA and PA topped. Arena intimacy? Salem Civic Center … that place doesn’t absorb sound, it amplifies it. Virginia’s AAA state championships have been at 4,000-seat Oscar Smith H.S. in Chesapeake and Robinson Secondary in/around Fairfax. Colorado’s atmosphere’s great … but as much as I like all four groups in one place, I think the most I can handle at one time is two finals. That’s more of a product of coming from the AA & A tournaments in Virginia being held side to side. Pennsylvania’s state championships could have more flavor if there wasn’t such a dry introduction and mat literally surrounded by nothing.

 

Here in the Pepsi Center, the four finals doesn’t seem to matter as much as I might think, because there’s action to follow everywhere. The awards don’t take too long and there is a crew of announcers ready to go for each class.

 

After a while, I decided to get a better view, so I headed up to a suite where some friends had some space.

 

Taking a spot in suite 18, I had a birds-eye view of all four finals and this allowed me to take in more of the tournament than I could from an endzone seat.

 

The arena came to its feet following Jacob Snider’s fourth state championship. Snider, from Ponderosa, became the state’s 16^th four-time state champion. In a classy display by Colorado wrestling fans, they all stood and cheered, not needed to be prodded by any announcement about the historic feat. No one had to be told, they knew this was Snider’s moment and it was one few (relatively speaking) have ever experienced.

 

After Snider won his fourth title, I keyed on two wrestlers I’d had a chance to see wrestle each other in the finals of the Metro. Nick Burghardt of Coronado and Dan Barringer of Lewis Palmer. Burghardt was in the finals in 5A against Ponderosa’s Steven Kelly, while Barringer took on Windsor’s Kurtis Ramsay.

 

Kelly’s 6-2 victory iced the team championship for Ponderosa, but on the next mat, Barringer had to rally.

 

Pete Isais of USA Wrestling wasn’t worried, and to be quite honest, neither was I, when Barringer found himself down 8-5 at the end of the first period. Ramsay took neutral and Barringer hit his fireman’s to gain control. From there, it was what Pete and I expected – a barrage of two-on-one tilts. Barringer’s top work gave him buckets of backpoints and ultimately an 18-10 major decision. Impressive.

 

 

As action focused on 4A heading into 160, I noticed the team score on the scoreboard above the arena. Roosevelt had a 1.5-point lead over Broomfield, a team I’d known pretty well from covering the Ironman in the past.

 

I quickly pulled up my iPhone and called up the brackets on TrackWrestling.com, as I scanned through the finals matchups, Roosevelt’s Blake Nygren was wrestling at 160 while Broomfield had John VanTrine going at 171. Anyone else … I scrolled through and found nothing. The next two matches would determine the team champion.

 

Nygren scored a 3-2 victory over Northridge’s Robert Pickrell … this would give Roosevelt a 5.5-point advantage – meaning VanTrine needed a fall for Broomfield to take then championship.

 

And he nearly got it.

 

But what boggled me was how ecstatic Broomfield coach Mark Schmidt was, until Schmidt told me afterwards that the team score on the overhead scoreboard was wrong.

 

So imagine my confusion as I’m sitting here writing this, then hear Broomfield announced as the champions. Well, the VanTrine victory … and just a victory … was what Broomfield needed to take a 119.5-118 championship over Roosevelt.

 

That just makes the story even better.

 

We were treated to some exciting upperweight matches, too. And with high respect for the wrestlers, the stands didn’t empty out … many, if not most, stayed until the final match was finished.

 

Boulder has a monster at 189. The kid’s name is Max Wessell. He pinned Ponderosa’s Derek Good in 54 seconds to complete a 45-0 season. All four of his wins were by bonus – a fall, a major, a tech and then another fall. Impressive performance. He’s got D1 talent and if people aren’t on him already, get after it.

 

Conor Medbery, probably the state’s most accomplished wrestler in terms of freestyle and Greco credentials, didn’t break a sweat. The Loveland junior pinned Trey Kirk of Cherry Creek in 30 seconds. He probably could have scored it in 20.

 

Here’s one thing that will always make the multi-class system worthwhile – the drama. I personally think states like California, New Jersey and Indiana do it “the right way” with one state championship, but the case is made when you have performances like the one by Montrose’s Jordan Passehl.

 

He scored two at the buzzer to beat Arvada’s Dwight Howes. The Montrose fans erupted. This is what I like about the multi-class format … you’ve made the careers for many a wrestler. Sure, you’re giving out four state championships, but while there’s a King of the Mountain attitude within our sport about “being the best,” watching parents crying while their sons come running up the arena stairs is something you can’t reduce.

 

There’s so many things to go into, but I feel I’ve been too verbose as it is. But I’ll add these final notes.

Burlington, the 2A champions, win the “most active fans” title. They were awesome and that, too, is another reason why the multi-class system has benefits.

 

Another note: I noticed a lot of last-minute takedowns, escapes and swings in offense. Much of this was because the wrestler with the lead never skated and the wrestler trailing kept going. Sure, you’re supposed to wrestle with the whistle, but even the kids with the lead were still attacking. They weren’t going to run to win a title, they were going to go out swinging. Some won, some lost, but the Colorado High School State Championships puts wrestling on center stage and portrays all the sport and its greatness on the proper stage.

 

Colorado’s high school wrestlers sport some of the absolute best/worst hairstyles I’ve ever seen at a wrestling tournament. Pink afros, red Mohawks, bleached-blonde tufts and even a checkerboard – the last by 2A heavyweight champ Isaiah Churchwell of Burlington.

 

So how does it compare to the other state championships I’ve attended? Hard to say. There’s the high power of Pennsylvania, the home tournament in Virginia … but Colorado’s experience is right up there.

 

Kudos to you Colorado. It was a blast.

 

Team Places:

2A: 1. Burlington 167, 2. Wiggins 160, 3. Paonia 117, 4. Holyoke 112, 5. Hayden 76.

3A: 1. Centari 157, 2. Lamar 132.5, 3. Olathe 103.5, 4. Florence 90, 5. Grand Valley 81.5

4A: 1. Broomfield 119.5, 2. Roosevelt 118, 3. Montrose 104, 4. Greeley West 97.5, 5. Windsor 89.5

5A: 1. Ponderosa 126.5, 2. Coronado 108.5, 3. Loveland 100, 4. Pomona 96.5, 5 (tie). Rocky Mountain & Mountain Range 94.

Asics wrestling is planning to release two new shoes for next season... The Asics Split Second VIII and the Asics "Takedown" which is basically a pair of Rulon wrestling shoes without the name.

Everyone made it to Berlin in one piece; however we did have a few bumps in the road. For instance Mike Zadick left his passport in the front pouch of the seat ahead of him on his first flight, so he missed his connection in Chicago and had to catch the next flight out to Germany. Zack Esposito and Angel Escobedo missed their connection in Munich due to a slow security line because the guy ahead of them had a bunch of liquids he was trying to get through. I am starting a rumor that Escobedo was getting a Big Mac and that's why he missed his flight so feel free to spread that. All in all we are all settled in and getting started with some great training.
Once landing in Berlin we had an hour bus ride to a smaller town in Germany, where will be doing our training. We got settled in around noon and then worked out at five. During our work out some of the guys did a light drill and others just got in the sauna and worked some of the travel out of their system.
While in Germany our workout times are noon and 6:30 p.m. We are going at those times because that is when we will be wrestling at the world championships. This morning I went to breakfast a little late and there was a coaching meeting going on. They were just getting into the good stuff and Zeke Jones kicked me out of the meeting. In my opinion you should never kick a student out of class, I know Craig Sesker agrees with me. What is your opinion? Kendall Cross just walked in to my room and wanted to say everyone is looking good and crisp and he has a good feeling about the tournament coming up. I will end on a great note from an Olympic Champ!

We have spent about 6 hours in the past two days in our pre-assigned small groups.  There are 12 groups (2 French, 10 English), and each group is set up with a variety of nations represented in each of them.  Aside from two girls, one from Georgia and the other from Armenia, the remainder of the participants seem eager to participate in the discussion.
 
One of my group members, Furkan from Turkey, missed yesterday afternoon’s meeting.  The meeting was from 4:30-6:00, and his roommate came in and said that he’s not going to make it because his foot hurts.  Because his foot hurts?!  I took the time to tell Daniel from Denmark that we would call him soft (I love teachable moments).  Fast forward to 6:00 when my football team had its shot at redemption.  On the other team was none other than Furkan, and he even made it a point to tell me that his foot was hurting so he didn’t come to discussion.  Wow, his foot sure didn’t look like it was bothering him at all, as he was an integral part in helping his team smash Team Zidane 7-4.  Though my hat trick wasn’t enough, it did warrant many comments from other participants.
 
Another of my group members is Alberto from Italy.  Even though he has a neatly-trimmed pencil thin mustache and beard, I call him Alberto Tomba, after the dominant Italian downhill skier in the late 80s and 90s.  He likes the reference, so I’ll keep calling him that.
 
After all of the soccer I have played in the last two days, I feel like my quads are going to explode.  Walking up and down steps is a chore, so hopefully that takes care of itself soon.  Being sore and being injured are two separate things, so I guess fortunately I’m just sore.
 
It rained here last night!  Well, more so sprinkled for a few minutes, but there were legitimate rain drops for a minute or two.  It rained long enough to delay our walk to Olympia, that was about it.  I was a little weary of eating dinner last night, as Sunday night’s dinner left way more to be desired.  A group of us trekked the 2 kilometers to town, and while the majority of the group went to Zorbas to dance, Daworin (Slovenia) and I went to grab some food.  My gyro was awesome.  That is the second one I’ve had in Greece; both were awesome, and both had French fries in the gyro.  I have to say, it’s a great addition.
 
Our walk back from downtown was interesting.  I wore jeans, and on the walk back, Adam, in just shorts, was cold.  He said it is the first time he’s ever been cold in Athens (remember, he was in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens).  About half of the way back, four of us jumped in a car that gave us a ride back to the IOA.  Before you are worried about randomly hitchhiking, I will let you know that the driver and passenger are both IOA employees who we recognized.  It was a pretty funny site to see four adults pile in the backseat of a car that was about the same size as a 1980s Ford Fiesta.  Real comfortable.
 
Today was round two of washing my clothes in my shower.  I brought some high strength detergent with, so sticking a sock in the drain of the shower works like a charm.  When I was in college, Barry Davis would tell me about how he would have to do that while he was on trips, and I couldn’t believe that people don’t use washing machines.  Maybe I need to share my technique with Murodali so his clothes won’t smell anymore.  He’s working on his English every time we’re in the room together, and I think he’s getting better.
 
Tomorrow is an excursion to the beach instead of lectures and discussions.  I’ll see if I can’t get a count of what percent of the guys where speedos instead of shorts.  You can bet that I will have shorts on.  The sun hasn’t been out at all today, so hopefully that changes tomorrow.  Not that I need a sunburn or anything, that’s what I have sunscreen for.
 
I just handed in our group’s first paper of the week, as I was the group’s reporter.  We still have to finish the PowerPoint presentation, but that’s not due until Thursday.
 
Lastly, I just got a chuckle out of the scene outside of my dorm room.  There is a social evening tonight outside of my room, where participants show something from their culture (music, dance, video, etc.).  The stage is being constructed, and sound check is taking place.  What made me laugh was “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt being blasted at about 120 decibels.  Okay, probably not quite that loud, but someone is jamming out there!
 
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!

Greetings from Olympia, where it is a little cooler than it has been.  There is a breeze today, so the heat isn’t quite as stifling.  That will come in handy tonight, as I have a tennis match against Xiu from China at 6:00 PM, and a football game at 7:00 PM.  I have been placed on Team Zidane, which is named after former French national team player Zinedine Zidane, who is most famous in the US for being sent off in the final game of the 2006 World Cup.
 
Yesterday the main speaker was Irena Szewinska, a 5-time Olympian (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980) from Poland.  All told, she took home 3 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals from the Olympic Games.  During her career, she set 5 World Records.  No big deal, right?  She spoke briefly about the terrorist attack during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, and said that the athletes were hoping that the Games would not be called off.  When asked about other political activities, she said “In Mexico City, we could see the black hands of the two athletes but that was related to something in the United States.”  I have seen the famous act by Tommie Smith and John Carlos many times in pictures, and heard them speak about this on ESPN’s Sports Century, but I was a little surprised that this was seen by other competitors as a big deal.  I fully admit my naivety to the brevity of the situation, as Irena made it known that it was a big deal world wide.
 
Last night I was following the Twins-Phillies game on ESPN GameCast while sending e-mails back and forth with my brother.  I went to bed when the Phillies went up 8-3 in the 3rd inning, so I was pumped to see that the Twins came back in the 9th with 5 runs to force extra innings, and then finally won in the 11th.  I was given a piece of paper with the Twins’ schedule, so I always know when to check the results.  So far, the Twins are 3-2 since I left.  Go Twins!
 
I was ambitious this morning, as I decided to go on a run into Olympia and back.  Our schedule is pretty much booked during the day, and it’s way too hot to run outside at that time anyways, so I knew that I had to run this morning in order to get my workout in.  I wore just my shorts, and when I got back to the IOA, I joined the morning exercise group.  I was the only one not wearing a shirt, so I asked one of the coordinators (supervisors) if it was okay that I didn’t have a shirt on.  His response?  “You’re in Ancient Olympia – you don’t have to wear shorts if you don’t want.”  Ah, that’s okay, I will keep my shorts on.
 
It was quite ironic that my playlist this morning was all Eric Church, as I just saw him in concert two days before I left.  When we were out to eat before the concert, our server noticed two of my friends’ cauliflower ears.  She asked if we were boxers, so Sam Barber, the assistant coach at the Air Force Academy, without missing a beat said that we were members of the Arkansas River Boxing Club.  That being said, any guesses to what the morning exercise was?  Boxing.  Only fitting.
 
When I went back to my room to shower before breakfast, I noticed that I had an e-mail from a very well respected man in the wrestling world.  He is following this blog, so he had some advice for me: Work hard, carry the colors well, soak up the Olympic Spirit, make friends, but don't forget to shower.  Great advice.
 
Our lecturer this morning was an archaeologist, and he spoke about the idea of the Olympic Truce.  I was sitting next a Swiss participant, and she said that she was going to have to look up the word “truce,” because she thought all along he was speaking of “truth,” but she was mistaken.  I wonder how many other people that speak English as a second or third language think the same.  I forgot to say that the professor was from Austria, so I thought that he sounded just like Arnold Schwarzenegger.  The professor pointed out that the Greek words for peace (eirene) and truce (ekecheiria) are not the same, as truce was only a cease-fire during the Olympic Games.  I have a feeling that this will be discussed a bunch in the next week-and-a-half.
 
The World Cup is really drawing the attention of people here.  Last night, as Denmark and Cameroon were playing, many of the participants were fully engaged in the game.  Daniel, one of the Danish representatives, was draped in the Danish flag and wearing a red Viking hat.  Needless to say, he was just a little excited when the Danes went up 2-1.  If you watched the game, you saw that there were many times when both teams had great chances to score, so the crowd was very raucous.  I will video tape the crowd one of these nights and try to post the video on our YouTube site.
 
At the end of our lecture this morning, Weipang Lu from China came over and we traded pins (a common practice here).  I asked him what his American name would be, and he said that it is Kevin, because he is a big Kevin Garnett fan.  He said that his e-mail address and Facebook are both Kevin, so I guess I tend to believe him.
 
We brought some gifts over to the IOA from the USOC (basketball, football, volleyball, swim goggles, among other items), so we had to speak to the dean and ask when he would like for us to present to him.  Well, when speaking to him, we found out that Angie and I are scheduled to read our essays used in the application process aloud.  Wow, neither of us knew that was coming, so now it’s time to read over my essay so I’m prepared tomorrow morning.  If anyone would like to wake up in the middle of the night to check this out, go to www.ioa-sessions.org at 4:00 AM  Eastern Time to tune in.
 
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!
 
UPDATE: I held on to defeat Qiu from China in tennis tonight in the first round.  We played to 3, and I won 3-2 (7-2).  I seemed to pour it on in the tiebreaker.  I think I was playing uphill, which seemed to work perfect as I normally hit balls long when I try to hit the ball harder.
 
Well, the votes are in for Man of the Match in our football game.  No, there are no votes of such a thing, but I can tell you that I definitely would NOT have been voted such.  My team lost 8-1.  No joke, 8-1  Hopefully I’m not too sore tomorrow or Tuesday from running and cutting. 

Tony Black, USA Wrestling's Manager of State Services, was chosen to attend the 50th Session for Young Participants at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece. While in Greece, Tony will be chronicling his experience for wrestling fans to follow.
 
Greetings from Athens, Greece! I left Colorado Springs on Tuesday morning, and 20 hours later arrived in Athens. The last time I was in Europe was in 2003 for the Greco-Roman World Championships in Creteil, France, and I have a feeling that this is going to be a much different experience.
 
I was prepped by former participants of the International Olympic Academy of what to expect, so hopefully I'm prepared.  Everyone talked about how hot it is in Greece during June, and they weren't lying.  I checked the forecast the day before I left, and it is going to be in the upper 90s during my two weeks here.  Normally I am not one to buy and drink bottled water, but my stance on that has certainly changed for the short term.
 
There are two other US delegates with me, Regina Bennis-Hartman and Angie Murphy. Regina works in International Games for the US Olympic Committee, and Angie works for USA Triathlon.  Ironically enough, Angie and I grew up in the same town, River Falls, Wisconsin (a town of 12,000), so we have known each other for many years.  Actually, our parents all graduated from River Falls High School, so our ties go way back.  All three of us are excited about the opportunity to be part of the IOA, as the mission closely allies with our own personal and professional philosophies.
 
I am not an anxious person by nature, but I always experience a little anxiety when packing for trips.  This trip was way worse.  Fortunately, I haven't realized that I forgot anything, so hopefully that is the case upon closer examination of my luggage.
 
The flights were rather uneventful, which is always a good thing.  My flight from Frankfurt to Athens was a little interesting, so I'll be sure to touch on that in a minute.  Do I dare admit that I watched a movie with Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Patrick Demspey, Bradley Cooper, Taylor Swift, among others on my flight over the pond?  Bonus points if you know what movie I'm talking about.
 
Okay, I have to tell my story about the flight from Frankfurt to Athens. For some reason, maybe flying through the middle of the night, I was tired and wanted to sleep.  I put in my headphones and reclined my seat. That's when it got a little more interesting.  I was jarred when the passenger behind me starting yelling and violently pushing on the back of my chair.  I was interested in sleeping, so I turned back to look between the seats.  The passenger's husband shook his head at me, so I shook mine back and said that I would like to recline my chair back.  The pushing and yelling (which I could hear through my headphones, which I quickly took out) continued, so the flight attendant came to talk to us.  After talking with me in English and the upset passenger in German, she told me that she was going to get the chief flight attendant to explain the situation.  After speaking with the second flight attendant, I reclined my seat and napped. Twice more during the flight the passenger yelled and tried to push my seat forward. The passenger next to me was a high school teacher from North Carolina, so at least we got a kick out of it.
 
My brother, Kevin, has been on probably a half-dozen tours as a women's coach for USA Wrestling, and it seems like he never gets his luggage when he arrives at his final destination.  I was hoping for a little different outcome than what he has become accustomed to with this trip.  Well, I'm happy to report that all of my luggage showed up in Athens with me.  Regina and Angie also had no problems with luggage, so we were 3-for-3.  Dating back to my days competing in college, I always have an imaginary “bet” to see whose luggage will come first, and today I won. 
 
After a 40 minute bus ride, we arrived at the Metropolitan Hotel in Athens. This will be my home for the next two nights, and I have been paired up with Udaya Dushan Kumara, one of two Sri Lankans at the IOA.  Udaya speaks decent English, so we have been able to get to know one another and each other's cultures.  We even got to move rooms together, as there was standing water in our bathroom from a leaky pipe. 
 
In addition to getting to know Udaya, Angie and Regina and I walked around for a little bit in the afternoon heat.  We watched a little World Cup soccer (Switzerland's upset victory over Spain) while eating gyros – it didn't take long to find the delicious Greek food.  I'm really looking forward to being over here during the World Cup, as there will be 170 others from all over the world at the IOA.  Already we have met the two representatives from Slovenia, so I'm sure we will be jawing back and forth between now and Friday, when our nation's soccer teams square off in Ellis Park, South Africa.  Hopefully Steve Cherundolo (my sister's favorite American player) and company give us reason to celebrate.
 
After tonight's dinner, I was hoping to find the latest episode of The Deadliest Catch online.  I figured hulu.com would be the place to check, so I just checked.  Unfortunately, hulu only streams video content to users in the US, so I'm out of luck for the time being to watch the US Coast Guard rescue a crewmate on the cod boat, The Alaskan Leader, that my cousin captains.  Good thing for friends with DVR.
 
One benefit of the heat and humidity here – I don't think I have to worry at all about the wrinkles in my suit for tomorrow night's formal reception, as they'll easily come out hanging in my hotel room closet.
 
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!

Here is a list of four corner coaching tips or suggestions that wrestling coaches may want to think about when coaching their athletes.
 
1. Most coaching and teaching should take place in the practice room and not from the corner during the match.
 
From the corner during the match it is too late in most cases to teach anything major to the wrestler. Suggesting how to move during the match or giving too much instruction can be ineffective. To actually teach something by shouting it across the mat during the action can be a waste of time. Remember, the wrestler needs to be focused on what he/she is doing. It is very hard for the wrestler to be focused on the coach during the heat of the battle.
 
Masaaki Hatta who is a World silver medalist from Japan and NCAA champion from Oklahoma State gives his perspective: "All coaching should be done in wrestling room and far enough ahead of time.  The coach at corner should be calm and confident with poker face.  Show your emotion only if you think it will help the wrestler.  You represent the confidence of your wrestler on the mat."
 
Dave Dean, a former assistant coach at Michigan State, put it simply "in the spirit of being good corner coach, I won't give much information at all.  Go get 'em!  (That's my tip)"
 
2. Be encouraging and positive with your comments.
 
Using a lot of positive affirmations before the match and positive feedback during the match is a very good approach when encouraging athletes to perform.
 
Rob Hermann the 1996 Sydney Olympic coach, says he yells comments such as "looking good, nice move, stay focused, keep wrestling".  He tries to stay away from yelling specific moves because he wants the wrestler to be thinking on his/her own.

Les Gutches, who is a World Champion, states when he was an active athlete: "keep me informed of the time. Shout general things instead of intricate techniques, like - pick up the pace, looking great, keep working, you need a turn.  If I am getting frustrated or something particularly irritating happens during a match such as a bad call or late takedown tying the match, remind me to keep my composure and keep my cool. I want only positive things from the corner coach… no matter what - including the body language."

Matt Lindland, who is an Olympic and World silver medalist and now a successful MMA fighter, suggests some great tips: "Say everything in the positive. For example say - good defense or tough defense - as opposed to - don’t get turned.  Say - short arms, elbows in - as opposed to - don’t get arm thrown or watch the arm throw."
 
3. Try not to relay too much information or instruction from the corner.
 
All athletes (with the coach’s help) should establish a match strategy.  The corner coach, just prior to the match, might ask their athlete (instead of telling them) what their general match strategy is.  This will force their athlete to think of specific tasks or tactics that they will execute.
 
As the National Greco-Roman coach for the U.S., I try to get my athletes to design their own match strategy. I want them to take their match into their own hands. I want them to be thinking for themselves, instead of looking to me for what they should do. I think teaching our wrestlers to take control and make their own decisions on the mat is the way to go. Of course during practice (and right after the match) coaches can help guide their athletes on what might be a good or better match strategy.
 
Making decisions on the mat: How often do we see the athlete look over to his coach for help in deciding if he should take up or down? The athlete should know before the match what he will do in all situations. I don’t want to tell my athletes every move or decision they should make. I want them to OWN their decisions!
 
The worse thing I can do as a corner coach is to tell my athlete to choose down when in his heart he wants to choose up. Now he listens to me and chooses down but is thinking "dang, I really wanted to choose up" This indecision or possible small doubt that might now be in his head can ruin the wrestler’s confidence to perform in that moment. The wrestler needs to know – without doubt – that the decision they make is best for them and what they really want to do at the moment.
 
It’s a matter of teaching our wrestlers to think and act for themselves. We coaches need to cover the pros and cons of these decisions in the practice room so that when the wrestler is in the competition they already know what the correct decision is for them.
 
When one of my athletes look to me in the corner during the bout and asks "should I choose up or down?" I always throw it back at them – "What do you think? What do you want to do?" Now, if it is more of an obvious decision I might nudge them a bit by saying "What do you think…down maybe?" But it has to be their decision.
 
4. Allow your wrestler to focus and concentrate.
 
How many times do you see a coach from the corner yelling to his athlete while the athlete is on the mat (during a moment break), "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny" wanting his wrestler to look at him so he can give some instructions? There is no better way to break your athlete’s concentration then to force him to look at you during the match. Go ahead, give the instruction if you will - but there is no need for your athlete to look at you too. He should be able to hear you and keep his focus on the mat where it belongs! 

Darren Petty, who is a junior coach says, "As a coach in the corner my philosophy is to meet the athletes needs, not mine. This is his match, his career, and his goals. He needs to take control of his destiny"

As the Division II tournament came to a close on Saturday night, I looked down at the clock on my computer and it read 11:38 p.m. I’d finished up with interviews of all the champions and was rushing back up to the second level press area to edit and upload. I was worn out.

 

The finals started at 8 p.m., which I believe was just a bit late to start. As Craig Sesker and I finished our work, surrounded by hard-working SID’s from Upper Iowa, Minnesota State and the Northern Sun Conference, Nebraska-Omaha head coach Mike Denney grabbed the microphone.

 

This shouldn’t be much of a surprise for folks familiar with UNO and its wrestling program. Denney is the father figure. He instructs things, without a commanding demeanor, but one you respect. The UNO staff had ordered Chipotle and had a spread ready to serve for the parents, alumni and wrestlers … and they did it on the raised stage.

 

The finals mat was on a raised platform, so after the wrestlers rolled up the mats, they grabbed some tables and a bunch of chairs and listened to Denney talk about his team and thank his parents, volunteers and alumni. I was listening to all of it, while waiting for videos to finish uploading.

 

People not from dynasty-like programs seem to not like teams that always win. But when you’re talking about UNO, despite the fact they’ve won five of the last seven Division II championships, there’s a lot of reasons to like the program. Friendly, respectful and humble. Mike Denney exemplifies all those things.

 

So as we finished up, Craig and I split a pizza and some wings with Waterloo Courier wrestling writer Jim Nelson at his hotel. We walked by the sixth floor meeting room where Minnesota State-Mankato coach Jim Makovsky was giving a speech to fans, parents and wrestlers for his team. Makvosky is another guy I would have no problems having my kids wrestle for – when/if I ever have kids. He, like Denney, serves not just as a wrestling coach, but a life coach as well. We had a chance to get to know Jim a lot last year when Kyle Klingman and I were working with Wrestling 411. It’s hard to find two better guys in this sport than Mike Denney and Jim Makovsky.

 

So as it relates to my last blog, how did I do with my Division II picks? I’d say I did ok, but nothing to write home about (yet, something to write a blog about).

 

I hit 13 of the 20 finalists correctly, but only correctly picked two champions, which would put me near the bottom of any pick’em contest in Division II. I correctly picked Craig Becker of UW-Parkside and Nebraska-Kearney’s Marty Usman as champions, but that’s all I had.

 

By the numbers, of the 80 All-Americans, I correctly pegged 17 wrestlers exactly where they placed. I picked 61 of the 80 overall All-Americans. My best weight class was 125, 141, and 285, where I had seven of the eight All-Americans correctly picked (but again, not in the right order). Admittedly, with a 16-man bracket, it’s a bit easier to do than a 33-man bracket, like we’ll see at Division I.

 

Sunday was a recovery day. I was straight up tired. I watched The Amazing Race, Undercover Boss, and the roundball selection show. My alma mater Old Dominion plays Notre Dame in the opening round. I had dinner down by the Qwest Center at a place called the Old Mattress Factory, it was good stuff.

 

Wrestling fans will be happy to know there are plenty of great spots to eat and drink within walking distance from the Qwest … and I’m sure St. Patty’s Day will be a zoo.

We have been settled in for three days now and training has been going great! Day one was travel and light drill/sauna. Day two and three we had a workout at one and six. The first practice we drilled our areas of concentration and did two matches. I wrestled with my bro and he gave me a World Class look. In the afternoon, Brandon Slay put me through a tough swim workout. We did a ladder, it started with one down and back, then two, and then three, then three again and back down. After that, we did sprints, four down and back and four down. I’m not the world’s best swimmer so by the end I was pretty exhausted. After that we “cooled down” with a little water slide action.

I’m talking amusement park type water slides. They had one that you went down with a tube and it had sharp turns and one that was more straight down and you gained a lot of speed. It was a good cool down and we had a blast.

The first practice today, Brands ran the warmup for the first half hour. After that, we got in 16 minutes of live wrestling. I wrestled Slay two matches and we battled! He’s good for the first two periods but if it goes to the third the gas starts running low in the tank. I credit that to my hard pace. In between matches, I was able to watch Obe Blanc and J.D Bergman wrestle Germans at their weight and they both looked hungry and ready. They wrestled very aggressively and scored a lot of points. This afternoon we played 20 minutes of soccer as our warmup.

My team won a close game, and in my opinion it came down to me being a better goal tender than J.D Bergman. That and we had the German coach on our team and he could play some soccer. After that, we went with our individual coaches and worked on strategy for certain opponents. Zack Esposito had the job of wrestling me like the guy from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Zack did a great job of mimicking my competition and I feel very prepared for this tournament. After our last practice, we had a cookout and the food was outstanding. We had brats, chicken, and turkey pork right off the grill along with potatoes and salad. It was a perfect way to end our first training cycle.

Tomorrow is a day off and some of the guys are going to Berlin to walk around downtown while others are going to the training center to sauna or swim. The sauna/ swim option is better for the guys that are watching their weight.

All right, I’m going to bed. Ending on a good note, the team is getting some great training over here in Germany and we are in stride to make a huge impact at the World Championships.

 

Wednesday July 28, 2010

 

Don't know how it coulda' happened, but I lost a day in there somewhere.  I know, for sure, it's Wednesday.  My train ticket to Berlin says July 28^th.  I'm in Berlin, so it's gotta' be.  My plane ticket says Thursday, July 29^th, so I'm getting up at 4:00am to go home.

 

The new rules of baggage weight make airline travel a lot like wrestling: Getting down to weight is not the main thing, but it's awfully important !  Fortunately, my loved ones collect things that are reasonably light weight.  Unfortunately, every time I've given a T-shirt away, this trip, two people have given me replacements.  Ah, the wrestler's life... T-shirts !

 

I enjoyed my day in Prague, as I did today in Berlin.  Prague lives up to its reputation of being one of the jewels in the crown of European architecture.  Since "The Changes" of the 90's, though, Prague has capitalized to the point where you really have to look deeply to see its ancient beauty.

 

The History Teacher in me got a big kick out of Berlin.  I spent this afternoon strolling up and down the area of ‘Checkpoint Charlie'.  This is the place where the Berlin Wall got all its attention, from 1961-1989.

 

I finished up, just outside the Brandenburg Gate, sitting in a sidewalk café sipping a half liter of Hefeweisen.   Every time I enjoy a Wheat Beer, I dedicate it to three men:  Floyd Winter, Vince Zuaro and Randy Couture.  Of course, there's a story there, but you're gonna' have to wait for that one !

 

Tomorrow, it's back to the world.  I know there's weather in Chicago today, thanks to MSNBC.  I hope it clears.  I am scheduled for a seven hour lay-over at O'Hare anyway.  Don't want to wait another night to get home to my precious Eva !

 

I have to make some room (quite a bit, actually) for the beginning of school.  We start early in New Mexico.  But, I hope to continue grinding on a 21^st Century view of the Seven Basic Skills of Wrestling, as well as on the psychological implications of internet technology.

 

If I can manage time well, I will continue this blog through August.  Because our State Leaders Summit is back in Colorado Springs this year, I'll get to spend some time in the room during the last stages of Senior World Team Camps. 

 

I look forward to thinking about wrestling, and about life, and sharing it.  If you're not into it, a single push of a key will make me go away (one psychological implication of technology !).  I appreciate you playing along and I appreciate wrestling for giving me the opportunity.

 

Ciao  

Baku Recap:

We ended up with 2 x 3rd place medals today out of 4.  Simply, we are 
capable of so much more.  We have 51 days until the start of the Sr 
Worlds.  We have some time but no time to waste.

My mind hasn't changed at all about this team and these individuals.  
We can win with this group but be must wrestle a certain way.  We must 
wrestle with an urgency and an attitude that expects to win.  The 
question now is how do we get there?

I do not think this has to be difficult in fact I think the complete 
opposite.

First we must decide what we expect, what do we truly expect in 51 
days from now.  As the coach, I know what I expect but what do each of 
these team members expect of themselves and from there teamates?

Next we must put decision that into action each day. Simply put, if 
our process is gold medal our performances will follow.  We must make 
the right decisions on the mat and off.  We must stick to our focus 
areas as we go through days of practice.  We must be willing to punish 
ourselves so that when we step on the mat in Moscow we know we are 
more ready than our foreign friends.  And we must then use our 
preparation and not waste it.  Just because we are prepared doesn't 
mean any thing if we don't use it.  Finally, We must have urgency, 
purpose, and expectation in our wrestling when we step onto the mat.

I think we learned a lot about ourselves today.  Win or loose we need 
to learn and continue to grow as wrestlers and human beings.  Our best 
days are yet to come!

We move,forward, together!  stronger and more prepared than yesterday!

Expect success!  51 days!!

Coach Steiner

MatFish.com is proud to release custom orders, team orders, and the Internet's highest paying affiliate program.

The affiliate program is managed by JDSign Interactive & The custom team orders are managed by MyWrestlingRoom.com - the leader in "wrestling shoes".

On the 116th anniversary of the signing of charter of the International Olympic Committee, June 23rd is recognized as Olympic Day around the world.  I feel embarrassed that I never knew the significance of today, especially as someone who works in the Olympic Movement, so hopefully everyone reading this blog will remember the importance of today as it relates to the Olympic Games. 
 
In honor of Olympic Day, we did a run as a group around the campus of the International Olympic Academy.  Everyone was decked out in the gear from their own country (flags, face paint, matching outfits, etc.), except for Angie, Gina, and me.  I took a walk into town this afternoon to try to find some face paint, as neither of us brought the US flag or matching shirts.  I really wish that I would have packed an American flag, or my American flag bandanna, as I would have felt more in touch with the celebration.
 
I have a pictured of me with my roommate Murodali Teshaev from Tajikistan. He's getting a little better at his communication, which is nice.
 
The dean of the IOA, Mr. Gangos, talked about the fact that he thinks the Olympic Games should not have records, nor should they have flags raised and anthems played for the Olympic gold medalists.  A big part of the reason he feels this way is that he thinks this would limit the amount of doping in the Olympic Games.  Fortunately, I am not the only one to disagree with him about this.  Do you agree with me?  I think that part of what makes the Olympic Games so special is that I am cheering for Team USA, not just someone from the USA. Think about it and see if you agree with Gangos or with the rest of us.
 
Last night was the first social night, where participants from other countries put on a presentation to enlighten the rest of us about their cultures.  The dances were a big hit.  We might do a dance to Steve Earle's “Copperhead Road,” as the audience will be able to easily join us.  That won't help out the with stereotype that all Americans line dance, but it's all good.
 
I'm about to head for dinner, so I will try to write more later.  Before I sign off, how about that soccer game?!?!?!  1-0 baby!
 
Citius! Altius! Fortius!

I have talked a little with the two representatives from Great Britain. Or do I say United Kingdom? I have Welsh and Scottish heritage, so I’ve been curious to learn more about what it means to be English or British, and if there is a difference.
 
For a starting point, the United Kingdom is the nation (not the country) that encompasses England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and all of the commonwealth’s islands (Falkland Islands, Channel Islands, etc.).  Great Britain, which is noted GBR in the Olympic Games, is essentially the same as the UK, which is why we tend to use “British” as a way to describe residents of the UK, but Great Britain refers to the land mass of the main island (England, Wales, and Scotland) and Northern Ireland.
 
Fergus is from Scotland, so he’s Scottish.  And British.  Emily is from England, so she’s English. And British as well.  Both are said to be from the United Kingdom.  However, Fergus is not English and Emily is not Scottish.  This might sound really simple, but England and Scotland are both countries, have their own national football teams, etc.  For the Olympics, they unite under the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom. 
 
To travel to England or Scotland, a resident of Wales does not need to show his or her passport.  I guess it sounds similar to how we view states, right?  I mean, if I would have had someone call me a Minnesotan while growing up, I would have been very quick to correct them.  I guess I just get hung up on the fact that they’re not states, but rather separate nations. 
 
It gets better, too.  Wales has its own language, Welsh, even though English is the primary language spoken in the schools and businesses.  When Emily’s office (she works for the London Organizing Committee for 2012) produces a document regarding the Olympic Games, it must be done in both English and Welsh.  Of course I could insert jab here about how I think some states have their own language, but I will refrain.

England and Scotland have fought wars against one another (think Braveheart), and don’t have much love for one another.  I was actually in England in 1996 when Scotland and England played in football.  It was a big deal, because the two nations hadn’t played in a decade.  Maybe it is just because of their hatred for one another in football, but Great Britain has never fielded an Olympic football team.  As the host nation (which, technically there is no host nation, just a host city – London), it would be great if the two nations could set aside their differences and field a team. 
This was hammered home when Fergus asked Professor Perrakis this morning to refer to the country as Great Britain and not England. I am sure that others took note of Fergus pointing this out, but it is especially the case for me because I have Welsh and Scottish ancestry, so I have a special interest.
 
Enough about my struggles with figuring the UK out.  After lunch, we have scheduled activities.  We can choose between dancing, drawing, and literature. I went to the drawing session, where I used charcoal as a means for art for the first time.  I drew a picture of a two wrestlers, with one wrestler in on a single leg and the other defending.  Next, I had to draw it with my left hand (I’m right handed) with a marker.  After that, right handed with my eyes closed.  Lastly, left handed with my eyes closed.  Of course none of them were masterpieces, but it was strange to see that left handed, my drawings looked more free and smooth.  The teacher showed how this was the case for most of the drawings by my classmates, and it demonstrated the fact that sometimes you have to do what feels right.  Thinking about things, drying to create what looks right…that isn’t necessarily right.  This seems to hold true in and out of sport in our lives, as at times, decisions must be made simply on if something feels right. 
 
After this morning’s lecture, participants gave short presentations to the group of 170 people.  I drew the short straw and was the first to go, with Angie following next.  I doubt anyone tuned in on-line to watch, but I made sure to find out if the footage is archived.  It is, so I will likely watch it when I’m back home.  After a sentence or two, the professor asked me to slow down.  I took for granted that my audience could understand English as fast as I could speak it, but that wasn’t the case.  After the session, people have asked for a copy of my essay, which was flattering. 
 
Last night I scored a German bracelet that is similar to the bracelets that were started with the LiveStrong yellow bracelets in 2002 or 2003.  A few hours later, Jens (one of the German delegates) asked me if I knew what colors were in the German flag.  Glancing down, I said “black, red, and gold.”  Jens said I was the first person that knew it was gold and not yellow.  Glad to know that I semi-guessed correctly!  Jens was happy, that was for sure. 
 
Tonight we have our second football game, against the team that beat the team that smashed us.  Hopefully we play better this time around.  We pretty much have assured ourselves of not getting out of the pool, regardless if we win.  I guess we could still make it out of the pool if we win 9-0. Yeah, that’s not happening.  Not even if we had Jozy Altidore playing on our team for the night.
 
A handful of us are headed into town to eat some traditional Greek food – I’m really looking forward to the gyro I’m going to eat.
 
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!
 

Greetings from Olympia, Greece.  Olympia is the site of the Ancient Olympics, which were held every four years beginning in 776 BC.  They were held in such a manner (every four years) for 1100 years, until they were stopped.  Greece had recently come under rule of Christianity, but since the newly in charge believed that the Olympics were a form of paganism, the leaders abolished the Olympics.  The site of the Ancient Olympics was only utilized for the Olympics, so once the Games ceased, the site of the Olympics was essentially abandoned.
 
Up until the 1800s, the site was actually under up to 20 feet of mud from a nearby river that had flooded many times over.  Now the ruins are open to the public, so our entire group went to tour the site this morning.  It was actually very impressive to see the stadium (and learn how the word stadium was derived), which could hold up to 45,000 spectators for the Games.  We also were able to see the Palaestra, which is where wrestling was held.  I did not realize that the root of the word palaestra is palaiein, which is the Greek used for wrestling.  As wrestling fans, you will probably all understand why I was more excited about seeing the Palaestra than the others in my group.
 
After the tour of the grounds, we went to the museum across the street.  Just like in Athens, it was nice to get inside of a building with air conditioning, as it is hot again today.  We all laughed when the tour guide this morning said that it’s the beginning of summer and that it’s not that hot yet.  Yikes.
 
Yesterday when I wrote, we were on the bus to Olympia.  We stopped twice along the way at what I would equate to rest stops, and arrived shortly after 2:00 PM.  My new roommate, Marad Tashives, is from Tajikistan.  Of course that is probably the incorrect spelling, so I will try to find out the exact spelling.  Communicating with Marad has been difficult, though, as he speaks very little English and can understand me even less.  I tried to tell him that we had our first meeting last night at 5:00 PM and that formal dress was required, but I was unsuccessful is getting my point across.
 
A few of us went to downtown Olympia last night, which was nice.  Olympia is a town of 11,000 people, so it’s about the same size of my hometown.  We wound up catching part of the England-Algeria soccer game, and then we walked back to socialize at the IOA.  Funny that I say soccer, because as expected, no one else here says soccer, but rather football.
 
Speaking of football, did anyone watch the US-Slovenia game?  I may or may not have been following the game on my phone during a session last night, so I read about the goal that was called back.  I haven’t seen the replay of it, but is it as bad as Americans are saying?
 
After the first session last night, we all signed up for one group sport to play during our time here, and one individual sport.  The team options were volleyball, basketball, and football (soccer, for those of you not following along), and tennis and table tennis were the options in individual sports.  In 2007, one of the American delegates here tore her Achilles while playing volleyball, and last year one of the Americans broke his wrist playing basketball, so I chose football.  Actually, I would have chosen football anyways, as I grew up playing and enjoy doing so.  I have a feeling that this will be the first time in my life where I am the worst player on the team.
 
For anyone who would like to follow what is taking place in the lectures, feel free to visit www.ioa-sessions.org.  I know that my mom caught part of the opening ceremony/first session last night, as I sent her the URL when everything began.  They said that over 5,000 people world wide tune into the sessions, which I find amazing.  Most countries have National Olympic Academies, though, so learning about Olympism is a little bigger deal abroad.
 
Now, I realize that I haven’t explained much about what the Session for Young Participants at the International Academy will consist of.  When Pierre du Coubertin resurrected the Modern Olympics, he did so as a way to promote peace in the world through the mutual understanding that sport creates.  On the surface, this might sound like Sandra Bullock asking for world peace in Miss Congeniality, but when discussed, it is a much deeper and more meaningful topic.  Hopefully throughout the ten days, I will begin to put in words a little more of what we discuss.  I know that I am really looking forward to the week-and-a-half, and I hope that I am able to convey the message back to everyone following.
 
This afternoon we will have a lunch, a lecture, and then some sort of physical activity, followed by a lecture tonight.  At least that’s what I think we have in store.
 
Citius! Altius! Fortius!

We're all loaded on five tour buses and ready to depart for Olympia. The last two days have been in Athens, and now the next 11 will be at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia. I will have more information on Olympia in future blogs.

Last night was the opening ceremony of the session, which was long and difficult for many people to stay awake. At least for me and everyone I talked to. After the ceremony was a reception at our hotel in Athens. At the end of the ceremony, the emcee told us that the night was still young. Considering he again reminded us of this fact once we were back at the hotel, clearly there were expectations of the reception being a party. A dance party.

Those who know me know that I'm not much of a dancer. Last night was a little different, though. It was interesting to see what songs would be played. The DJ was really good at throwing in the annoying siren sounds and other various (just as annoying, though) sounds. The highlights of music selected included "Hotel Room Service," "Beat It," and "Jump Around." I get teased about being Wisconsin-centric (more on that in a bit), but "Jump Around" has special meaning for any Wisconsin football fan.

I mentioned how everyone at this session can speak English. I wonder how thorough their understanding of English really is, because I wonder if they know what DMX actually is talking about in "Up In Here."

Back to me being Wisconsin-centric. I am quick to notice Wisconsin license plates, strike up a conversation with a Wisconsinite, or tell my non-Skonnie friends how great Wisconsin is. Well, on our first day here, Angie and Gina and I were walking down the street and saw a black Ford Escape. I drive the same vehicle, so it certainly stood out in a crowd of non-American vehicles. The Escape turned right in front of us, and that is when I saw the "University of Wisconsin" sticker in the back window. I was pumped! I was hoping that it was going to quickly pull over, as I would have went to talk to the driver, but it wasn't meant to be.

I have gotten to know one of the Australian delegates, Adam, a little over the first two days. Yesterday on our walk to the Parthenon Museum he told me that he went to college in and swam for Nebraska from 1996-2000. My next-door neighbor and good friend Brad Vering was there from 1996-2001, so of course I sent Brad an email asking if he remembered Adam. Brad said that he does, and that he remembers him being an awesome swimmer. I tend to agree, as Adam was in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympic Games.

So many towns and cities dub themselves as the official fill-in-the-blank. For example, Boscobel, Wisconsin, the hometown of USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender, is the Wild Turkey Capital of Wisconsin. Anyways, I am dubbing Athens the Graffiti Capital of the World.

I have a feeling that motorcycle etiquette isn't just different in Greece, but rather all foreign countries. I would never cruise down the road in between cars, but that is commonplace here. What really surprises me is when motorcyclists do this between our bus and other vehicles. I guess I just tend to obey the white dashes used to separate lanes of traffic, not ride right on top of them on my motorcycle.

The bus just drove by a place called Tony's la Mama's. I'm not sure what kind of place it was, but I can assure you that it is awesome. Okay, maybe I can't assure that.

We saw that the Lakers won the NBA Championship last night (this morning here). I'm not a huge basketball fan, but I was hoping the Celtics would win. I have always liked KG, so I was hoping they'd win for that reason. My Minnesota Twins got schooled by Ubaldo Jimenez and the Rockies yesterday when going for the sweep, and the US soccer team plays Slovenia tonight at 5:00. I'm not sure if there will be a way for us to watch the game, but I'm sure we'll try. Anything else happen in the world of sports?

Time to chat with the guy sitting next to me on the bus, Leo, a taekwondo player from El Salvador.

Citius! Altius! Fortius!

Thursday, June 17, 2010
 
Athens is 9 hours ahead of Colorado Springs, so the difference in time zones really contributed to me being tired last night.  We had our first meal in the hotel, just a few hours after eating gyros, and were all impressed.  I really enjoyed the fruit tarts for dessert.
 
I'm working on meeting all of the 170 camp participants, but realize that it has been difficult.  It's interesting to meet people with names that I cannot really pronounce.  Everyone is in the same boat as me right now, and I think they're resorting to trying to learn countries for now. But even then, I have met people from places that I didn't even know were countries (like Maldives and Mauritius).
 
We spent the morning at the Acropolis, so we were able to see the Parthenon.  There are other buildings in the process of being restored and/or rebuilt on the Acropolis, so it was neat to see buildings that were built over 2500 years ago.  After the Acropolis, we went to the Parthenon Museum, and impressive building just a few blocks from the Parthenon.  The last stop of the day was the Panathenaic Stadium – where the 1896 Olympic Games, the first modern Olympic Games, were held. 
 
The (not so) highlight of the day so far has been the heat.  On the bus ride back to our hotel, it was 41 degrees.  For those of you who aren't fluent in Celsius, that is 105 degrees Celsius.  Needless to say, I was dripping sweat. 
 
I am amazed at how well the other attendees of the International Olympic Academy speak English.  At my table today at lunch were people from Japan, Iceland, Denmark, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Maldives, and Latvia.  Most even have a sense of humor in English, which impresses me.
 
During breakfast today, I heard an instrumental version of a song that I knew I knew.  After listening to the song for about 30 seconds, the chorus came on and I realized it was "Sounds of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel.  It reminded me of high school wrestling practice, as Simon & Garfunkel was a band we used to listen to.  That, along with Poison, Garth Brooks, the Lion King soundtrack, Cheap Trick, Boston, among others, was normally heard coming from our wrestling room.  Quite eclectic. 
 
Tonight is the opening ceremony at the Hill of the Pnyx.  I doubt the ‘p' is silent, so we're guessing it's pronounced phinx.  Like sphinx, with no s.  My Greek skills are not rapidly progressing, although I do know how to say thank you in Greek.  That's always a big one to learn.
 
I just got a laugh out of a question I was asked by a fellow American who is in the hotel lobby.  She is a retiree from Ohio who is on a tour, so she read my shirt (Air Force Wrestling) and immediately got excited.  Her question: Do you watch The Bachelorette?  Wow, logical question to ask with the shirt I'm wearing.  I quickly responded with no, but she went on to explain that one of the contestants is an entertainment wrestler. Does that sound correct to any fans of that show?
 
I found out that Udaya, my roommate, allegedly accepted 29 Euros worth of pay per view movies yesterday.  The hotel employee who I talked to said that he accepted a "packet” by entering our room number.  I do know that he was watching Ice Age when I was in there, so hopefully all of the movies were of the same nature.
 
Time for me to sign off, as I have to get ready for the opening ceremony. 

Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!

If you have a wrestler in your family, chances are, they have some interest in mixed martial arts, or MMA. Perhaps they watch episodes of the weekly reality series "Ultimate Fighter" and pay-per-view events from UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) and similar organizations that draw huge numbers of fans to arenas and at home watching on TV.

Perhaps your wrestler has talked about enrolling in an MMA training facility or camp to learn new skills and enhance their conditioning for wrestling. They may have even expressed an interest in an MMA career for themselves, having seen a number of top former amateur wrestlers find success in MMA competition.

As a parent, you may have even considered encouraging your wrestler to explore the possibilities of MMA, whether it's for the multi-disciplinary approach that enhances wrestling skills, the opportunity for greater conditioning in the off-season, or with the hope that of a potentially lucrative career.

For all these reasons, it makes sense for wrestlers and their parents to learn more about mixed martial arts... what to consider when selecting an MMA training program... and perspectives on launching a possible MMA career.

HIGH SCHOOL COACHES WEIGH IN ON MMA
Steve Goudy is head wrestling coach at Troy Christian High School, back-to-back Division III team champions at the Ohio state tournament in 2007 and 2008... crowning four individual champions in March 2008. The Eagles are one of the top-ranked programs in the U.S., going up against other prep powerhouses such as Blair Academy (New Jersey), St. Paris Graham (Ohio) and St. Edward in suburban Cleveland.

"My guys are into (MMA), following it regularly," according to coach Goudy. "They get together to watch pay-per-view events."

"Guys I train here are wrestling towards a college scholarship. From what I understand, most MMA guys are coming out of college, not high school... It's a huge leap from amateur wrestling to MMA. You need that college experience, the physical and mental maturation."

"Our sport is such a good base for MMA," continues Goudy. "All those years of training, all that conditioning, not to mention specific skills they've acquired."

When asked if MMA could serve as a means to get young people into amateur wrestling, Steve Goudy responds, "This generation is tuned into MMA. However, I haven't had any kid come up to me, saying they want to start wrestling because of MMA, but that could happen down the road.

A PARENT'S PERSPECTIVE ON WRESTLING AND MMA
Mike Lyons can offer a multi-faceted view of wrestling and mixed martial arts, as a former Division I athlete himself (he was a gymnast at Iowa State)... as someone who runs CrossFit Troy, a gym in Troy, Ohio that serves a wide range of customers, including local high school wrestlers... and, as a father of Mitch Lyons, a former high school and college wrestler who, having successfully competed as an amateur in mixed martial arts, is now becoming an MMA professional.

"From what I see, high school kids don't express much interest in getting into MMA," says Mike Lyons. "It's not a high school sport. It doesn't fit the high school mindset of being on a team."

"That said, a lot of high school kids love MMA. They watch pay-per-view events, follow it online."

"Some guys are getting into jiu-jitsu, muay thai, wanting to learn one discipline at a time."

"By its name, mixed martial arts requires competing in more than one style. Kids haven't had a chance to learn multiple skills like boxing, wrestling, judo, etc."

When asked what it's like to see his son Mitch compete in MMA events, Mike Lyons responds, "It's shocking to see at first - no headgear, minimal gloves. You know how wound up some parents of wrestlers are at wrestling matches? Multiply that by ten (for MMA)."

"As a parent of someone in MMA, my mindset has changed... I appreciate the discipline of the referees and officials... It looks like a free-for-all to novices but a fight is called right away if a fighter is in trouble."

"MMA is safer than boxing. In MMA, fights are stopped right away, whether someone is knocked out, or because of a submission hold."

"We haven't seen (Mitch) get beat up yet. I may feel differently if that happened."

"Wrestling would be considered the foundation for MMA success... All matches go to the mat. A good wrestler can take a boxer down. You can teach a wrestler striking skills pretty quickly. In fact, I think it's easier to teach a wrestler how to punch, than it is to teach a boxer all that's involved in wrestling."

"Amateur wrestling can be a ‘feeder' for MMA," says the owner of the CrossFit gym in Troy, Ohio. "After they get their degrees, they want to continue wrestling... My son was lost after his wrestling career was over. MMA is a way to leverage all he learned and all his hard work, and possibly a way to make a good living."

To read the complete article and get more great training tips and information for wrestlers and parents, check out wrestlingcampguide.com or order your copy of The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps today at http://www.wrestlingcampguide.com

 

Everyone wants a website. "You need a website," everyone says. "If you don't have a website," everyone says, "you're non-existent."

 

"Everyone" is wrong.

 

Websites are cumbersome. Even the simplest website is technically intimidating not to mention time consuming to maintain. Consider the fact that if I don't set aside time to come to see it then I'll never know what is on it! If you don't have a website already, spare yourself the headache.

 

The widely used but oft misused Facebook Fan Page is the solution for the organization with limited resources (both time and human):

 

* They have more functionality than any traditional website (add photos, video, events, schedule, online donation button, discussion forum etc).
* They are free and anyone with minimal technical know-how can maintain one.
* Anyone (even the aforementioned "everyone") can view it with or without a Facebook account
* Get a custom domain name (www.your-organization.com) for it

 

Post an update on a traditional site and, like the proverbial tree in the woods, you can wonder if it actually makes a noise. Post it on your Facebook Fan Page and all of your fans will see it, can share it and comment on it.

 

Make life easier. Ignore everyone.

 

Don't let the title mislead you. This isn't about putting a kid on the mat when he or she is in diapers. This is about fandom, fanhood, fan-whatever. While I was working in the office on Tuesday, prepping for the USA Wrestling spring softball league game against ... well, that's not important ... Lonnie Morris, the head coach at Johnson & Wales, a Division III school in Providence, R.I., sent me a photo of his six-month-old son, Jackson Morris, watching the NCAA Division I wrestling championships on ESPN.

To borrow a phrase from "The Network," this picture has "instant classic" written all over it.

 

 

There are alot of new things on the way at TOM, a new look, expanded coverage and even a few (what we feel) are big announcements. Although last time I said that one reader was disappointed in the deal so we now try and shy away from using words like "big".

Willie is finalizing this years HS rankings and we have some interviews coming up. We still offer basic free sites to clubs.

Thats all for now.

 

As I pack my bags for the NCAA Division I National Championships (the most electrifying event in all of sports), I look forward to hearing the Oklahoma State, Iowa, Iowa State, Penn State, Lehigh and Cornell contingents roar for their warriors as they fight for supremecy on the mats. These progams all have strong followings and good attendance at their home competitions. Why? Because they're good. Everyone loves a winner. However, to have good attendance you don't have to be a winner. You just have to know how to get your fan base excited.

Ohio University had a huge turnout for the Ohio U. vs. Kent State dual. Neither are in the top 10 the nation but they know how to rally their fan base.

Just because you are not involved in the highest level of competition doesn't mean that you can't have a strong following and good attendance. So stop using the excuse that you're not good enough. Good enough is good enough. So get marketing!

 

With nothing better to do than sleep at 2:45 a.m., I figured I’d jot a few lines about what’s been happening this evening.

 

I’m packed up and ready to head to Omaha. Yes, I’m heading out on Thursday. Like tomorrow. For those of you sleeping under a rock, there are more national tournaments than “the big one” in Omaha next weekend. After finishing up with the Division III championships, I’m making a six-hour run from the Twin Cities to Omaha in preparation for the Division II championships hosted at UNO.

 

I had a chance to write a rather lengthy preview today (you can read it on TheMat.com) and I’m excited for the tournament. UNO, despite my posturing that it’s anyone’s tournament, is the heavy, heavy favorite.

 

I sat down this afternoon in between boiling ziti and working on some dinner, to fill out roughly half of the Division II brackets. I’ll fill out the rest of them tomorrow (well, later today) and post them here for people to pick apart.

 

Now, while I’m gearing up for the Division II tournament, Wednesday was the big day for college wrestling fans, as they found out not only the at-large berths into the Division I championships, but the brackets as well. Already, Thursday Morning Quarterbacks (if that is a term, well, it is if you’re a MAC Football fan) are filling out brackets, boldly picking upsets and posturing their opinions as to who will be the ultimate sleeper in Omaha at the Qwest Center.

 

I again, will be filling out the complete bracket and posting it here for you guys to throw darts at. Why? I dunno, I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.

 

Anyway, if you go to TheMat.com, you’ll see the Division I Championship Special Section. In that section, you’ll find some breakdowns with facts and figures provided to me by Pat Tocci at the NWCA. He’s the guy who told you who was in the tournament on the NCAA webcast. He works tirelessly, and I do mean tirelessly, for the sport of wrestling. With my pending marriage coming up in two months, I wonder how Pat’s stayed married all this time, because he puts mountains of effort into promoting and working with factions to help improve the sport and its visibility.

 

Now, enough about my old boss … I wonder why my sleeping habits are messed up. Could it be the eight years working nights at a daily newspaper? Too much time at Brendee’s in Lancaster shooting darts and watching “just one more inning” of a Mets-Phillies game? Or perhaps the video editing from last year’s Wrestling 411 finally caught up to me.

 

Nah, it’s that whole glutton for punishment thing again. Sorting, fact-finding and posting information in the wee hours of the morning is nothing new. But it’s not for me to admire, it’s for you, the wrestling fan, to feast upon. So have a look at the coverage section and check out some interesting notes – like a breakdown of the home states (Pennsylvania has the most) and hometowns (guess who’s No. 1 there?) and of course, the brother combos and a breakdown by win percentage.

 

We’ll be creating the Division II special section tomorrow, as Craig Sesker and I arrive in Omaha.

 

More updates when we get there, but I’ve gotta be up and out the door in about four hours. Ack. It’s now 2:55 a.m. … do you know where your brackets are?

 

After getting a good night’s sleep following the festivities at the NCAA Division III Championships, I awoke Sunday, packed up and left my digs at the Cedar Rapids Marriott and headed north.

 

Between the Division II and III tournaments, I’m working remotely from Minnesota, getting a chance to get some more meetings and wedding planning stuff taken care of. Before leaving Cedar Rapids, I checked the boards and saw they were still rather “tame” when the volume of college wrestling going on was booming.

 

This would change in a matter of hours.

 

I got in my trusty Chevy Trailblazer (which now has over 40,000 miles on it – I bought it last January with 6,700) and started to drive up I-35. Before I got on the road, I called Iowa City Press-Citizen wrestling beat writer Andy Hamilton to find out what Iowa-based radio stations were in Ann Arbor broadcasting the Big Ten Championships.

 

He told me to check AM 800 KXIC. I dialed in, diverting my radio from it’s normal “90’s on 9” on XM Radio and found the signal with Steven Grace and Mark Ironside.

 

I have never listened to an Iowa radio broadcast, other than sitting behind Ironside in Carver-Hawkeye a few times last season. Living in Minnesota last year and Colorado now, it’s not like I can just tune in and listen.

 

But with the drive mounting, I was hoping I’d get enough time to listen. Grace was the first voice I heard, as Ironside was, “chillin’” during the break before the finals and consolation finals.

 

I must say, even though I’m not an Iowa fan (and really not a “fan” of any team when I put on my media hat, although I openly admit, in my spare time, I follow my alma mater and wrestlers I know pretty well from various schools), the broadcast was quite good.

 

If you’re listening from an Iowa perspective (which I’m not), it seemed to fill in everything you’d want to know as a Hawkeye fan. If you were listening from my perspective, one looking for all the results and what was going on in the finals, you were also very satisfied.

 

Andy had told me I’d probably get the signal for about an hour or so. I figured I’d lose it around Cedar Falls/Waterloo, which is the same spot I lost my old Blazer last year, when I played chicken with a concrete barrier on Highway 218. The concrete won.

 

Anyway, I was pleased to keep a strong signal all the way up to Clear Lake, just before hopping on I-35/Avenue of the Saints to get back to the Twin Cities. I listened all the way through the finale of the 184 pound match before the buzz got to be too much. I was also following Craig Sesker’s twitter updates on the USA Wrestling Twitter page, so I was covered on all aspects.

 

Now, expecting an Iowa-heavy broadcast, I was pleasantly surprised to hear how “even” things went during the Brent Metcalf-Lance Palmer 149-pound final. While Grace did sound somewhat surprised when Metcalf got hit for stalling in the second period, Ironside backed up the call, explaining the rule and essentially coming off unsurprised by the call.

 

When the flurry of action occurred, I could picture it in my head. I went back and watched it on YouTube on Monday, and the descriptions given by Grace and Ironside were dead on close to what I’d pictured in my mind. Solid broadcasting by the two.

 

Now, when Palmer put Metcalf to his back, I, and I’m sure a ton of other wrestling fans,let out a collective “Oh .” Why? It had nothing to do with either wrestler, but I’d know I’d have some heavy surgery to perform on the message boards in about two hours, since that’s roughly how far away I was from a computer when the result happened. I probably broke a few traffic laws by perusing the boards on my iPhone, but I knew the boards would erupt.

 

Before I go into the board issues, and how much I was NOT looking forward to going through the threads, Grace and Ironside’s commentary was foreign to me, yet, exactly what I’d expected.

 

When you grow up and live in areas where you don’t hear wrestling on the radio, especially not with the presence and push that KXIC gives the fans in Southeastern Iowa, you really come to appreciate the ability to follow one of the best wrestling tournaments in the nation while driving through the land of windmills and corn.

 

Because of KXIC, I was able to keep tabs with the Big Ten and not spend time averting my eyes from the road to my iPhone (at least not as much as I would have). Grace and Ironside’s passion, not just for Iowa wrestling, but for good wrestling in general shines. It’s unfortunate that I won’t have a chance to listen to those guys again for some time, but it made half of the 4 ½ hour drive back to Minnesota just fly by.

 

Now, as it relates to the message boards. I think I’ve combined 15-16 Metcalf ONLY related topics into one on the boards. We’re still seeing good topics pushed back 2-3 pages because people are harping about one match. But I could honestly care less about the winner or loser of the match, because it made my Sunday less than enjoyable after the fact!

 

I did, however, have time to go to Kinko’s and make copies of wedding directions, etc., so thankfully for my fiancée’s sake, I wasn’t stuck on a computer the entire night. We do live 1,000 miles apart right now, so wrestling gets in the way sometimes, but it won’t too much this week – until I leave for Omaha.

 

So this week, it’s Minnesota, with the NCAA brackets coming out in two days, and I’m sure I’ll have more forum fun come then.

 

A great weekend in D3’s, followed by a great drive north (the sun came out just as I got to Owatonna), and now a week of preparation for D2’s and D1’s.

Just a quick post today, we created a wrestling related app that will allow you to post right now to Twitter and Faceook personal pages. In the works, will be the ability to post to a fan page.

All you have to do is set up an account at http://www.wrestlinggear.net and go to your page and check the boxes to publish to Twitter and Facebook. It will walk you through the steps to link those two websites together.

Let us know what you think - get started here - http://www.wrestlinggear.net

It is easier if you already have your Twitter and FB page set up (e.g. create those pages if you don't have them already).

I forgot an important feature - it's free!

Jeff Pape
WrestlingGear.Com

While many of America's most active wrestling fans will be watching the Big Ten Network or scouring the internet for video and stories about college post-season competition this weekend, another major wrestling event will be going on over in Moscow, Russia on Saturday and Sunday.

 

The Freestyle World Cup will feature the top eight nations from the 2009 World Championships, battling in dual-meet action. This event will feature numerous superstars in international wrestling, with national pride on the line.

 

Many people have discovered the excitement of dual meet competition, and the Freestyle World Cup is perhaps the most exciting of all dual meet tournaments. For many years, U.S. wrestling fans were able to witness this great event when it was hosted here in the United States in cities such as Toledo, Ohio, Chattanooga, Tenn., Baltimore, Md., Stillwater, Okla., Fairfax, Va. and Spokane, Wash. Since it has been awarded to other nations during recent years, our fans have not had the opportunity to enjoy this treat in person.

 

A look at the tentative team rosters for this year features numerous World medalists and continental stars on every team. Russia is loaded for bear, with World Champions Besik Kudukhov, Dennis Tsargush, Georgy Ketoev and Bilal Makhov on their preliminary list.

 

Every team features some star power. Azerbaijan brings Zalimkhan Guseinov (60 kg), Chamsulvara Chamsulvaraev (74 kg), Hetag Gazyumov (96 kg) and Ali Isayev (120 kg). Iran has stars such as Mehdi Taghavi (66 kg), Reza Yazdani (96 kg) and Fardin Masoumi (120 kg). Top wrestlers from Turkey include Tefik Odabasi (60 kg), Sirhat Baljit (96 kg) and Fatih Cakiroglu (120 kg). Ukraine's best athletes include Vasily Fedoryshin (60 kg), Andriy Stadnik (66 kg) and Taras Danko (85 kg). Belarus will be led by Rizvan Gadjiev (55 kg), Albert Batyrov (66 kg) and Murad Gaidarov (74 kg). Uzbekistan will feature Dilshod Mansurov (60 kg), Soslan Tigiev (95 kg) and Kurban Kurbanov (96 kg).

 

Just spend a little time on the FILA database and search these athletes, and you will be amazed at their achievements on the international level.

 

The USA will bring its two 2009 World medalists, Jake Herbert (84 kg) and Tervel Dlagnev (120 kg). Most of the team members are competing in their first World Cup. Based upon team placement at the World meet in Denmark, Team USA enters as the No. 7 seed.

 

What will be a good performance for Team USA? National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones is upbeat about the young U.S. talents who will be wrestling in Moscow this weekend, based upon improvement which he has seen in recent international competitions. There is no doubt that the Americans are considered an underdog this year with such a loaded field.

 

"We will put our foot on the line, get after it, and pour our heart out on the mat," said Jones right before getting on a plane to head off to Russia.

 

Jones said that the World Cup has been an event that Freestyle Team USA has been focusing on all year. Although many of the international opponents may be taking the U.S. team a bit lightly, this is a group which could alter some perspectives with a strong effort.

 

How will we be able to follow our American team in Moscow this weekend? FILA often posts a website from major international meets, but has not yet indicated if there will be anything available. The Russian wrestling website will have updates (http://www.wrestrus.ru). You can get an English translation if you access this page through Google. Our coaches will attempt to get information back to us each day, which is not always as easy as you might expect from that part of the world. Watch TheMat.com for updates.

 

So, while you are focusing on NCAA Div. I qualifiers and Div. III All-Americans this weekend, remember that your American freestyle wrestlers are representing all of us in Russia this weekend. Don't be surprised if we have a few surprises for our opponents in spite of the international rankings.

We should have the Rulon's in Black/Red and Black/Gold in on Monday or Tuesday this week.Remember these shoes will be going away next year and will be known as Aggressors. The simple color designs of these two shoes will not be back next year either. The new color schemes will be Grey/Navy Blue Royal Blue/Yellow Gold and Black/Red/Vegas Gold. Just like I said this year with the Inflicts these shoes will be definitely gone before the start of next season.

Here is the technical information on the Combat Speed III Wrestling Shoes. What are your thoughts?

Retail Cost on these is going to be about $55 to $60 for adults. Looks like it will come in kid's sizes too.

Combat Speed III / Combat Speed III Jr
The Combat Speed was "the" wrestling shoe for decades and has returned again with updated detailing and newer technical materials. This classic has been the favorite of many champions. Known for its ultra light weight and sock like feel, the Combat Speed III will immediately feel "match ready"
- Synthetic suede and open mesh for breathable, lightweight durability.
- Internal webbing support adds strength without compromising weight or feel.
- Suede sole with rubber forefoot and heel inserts provide exceptional sock like feel.