My winter afternoons

Well my winter afternoons have been pretty busy since November.  I am an assistant coach for a wrestling program here locally, and it has kept me very busy the last few months.  Last year when I started getting involved in CrossFit and returning to fitness and a healthy body, I started reminiscing about the days of old.  While thinking it all over one thing came back to me very often.  Wrestling was one of the things that continues to shape my life to this day.
The sport of wrestling is in my opinion a way to follow our roots back to ancient times.  On the grounds of the Colosseum men proved their mettle in a lot of facets, and I believe wrestling had to be center stage.  There are few other sports that put a person up against another to demonstrate their indomitable will, technique, and perseverance.  It is just you and your opponent, no one else to rely on, no one else to blame.  It is a sport that reveals your weakness and demonstrates your strength.  There are many things that I learned through my years of wrestling that I cherish to this day.
First, Discipline.
For a person to be successful in wrestling, they must be disciplined.  Without self discipline one will not achieve the technique that is imperative to be successful against an adequate opponent.  We drill technique in the wrestling room for hours over the season, as do many athletes.  When a wrestler fatigue's it is ever more important to remain disciplined because if we get sloppy at this time, we will be sloppy in a match and it oftentimes leads to defeat.  It is also imperative to be disciplined outside of the wrestling room.  Wrestling taught me about staying disciplined while in the classroom, or out on the streets.  I had a very short fuse before I started wrestling and oftentimes would first look for resolve with my fists.  Through discipline learned in the "room" I learned to remain calm in the face of a storm.  This discipline has helped me to learn how to "turn the other cheek" and smile in the face of a transgressor.  Discipline takes one's "mental weakness" and reforms it to "inner peace" or "mental toughness."  I really feel in today's society there are too many weak minded people period.  Having a hobby or sport that is demanding of one's self, will help to alleviate this condition.
Second,  Goals.
There is nothing like achieving a goal, especially when it takes hard work and dedication to achieve it.  The beginning of every year I made goals for myself.  Some years I made better goals than others.  I didn't always achieve my goals, but I ALWAYS expected to meet all my goals.  I make high goals for myself and I'm my biggest critic.  One of the great things about this is there is never a time where someone coming down on me is any harder than what I've told myself.  Following the KISS method of goal setting, I know I have set goals that are achievable, but are also going to be a stretch to achieve.  A lot of people set goals too low so they know they will reach them.  There are times that it is more important to fail at a goal than it is to achieve it.  It isn't until failure that we can truly appreciate success.
Third, dedication/perserverance.
Ever bailed on something that you later regretted?  I have, more times than I like to think about.  Through wrestling I learned a lot about sticking with something until it is complete.  My very first wrestling match lasted 12 seconds.  I was totally embarrassed and humiliated.  Did I want to get back out on the mat again after that day? No, that is about the last thing I wanted to do.  But I had made a promise to myself and my dad that if I started the season I would finish it.  Guess that was a great lesson from dad!  But, I did stick with it, and had a very rocky first year.  My second year got better and I won a lot more than I lost from that point on.  Having a never quit attitude has helped me endure a lot of things that have made me better for finishing out what I said I would do, wrestling helped amplify these traits.
There are many more traits that wrestling taught me, but these are the big 3 that I wanted to elaborate on.  While I was sitting and thinking about what made me who I am I did come back to wrestling a lot.  These are some of the reasons, but while I was reminiscing, I also thought a lot about my High School Wrestling Coach and how he helped shape me.  I still talk to my Coach, not as frequently as I used to, but every time we talk he always has something to say that is worthwhile.  I try to listen intently and use his advice whenever I can.  This is the reason I contacted coaches in the area to see about becoming a part of their program.  I want to be able to mentor to others and pass on the traits that my coaches have taught me.  Being coach-able is a trait that far too many young people are failing at today.  I have made it a goal of mine to help reach out to kids and help them realize their potential and prod them to stretch themselves to reach what they can become.  I know I was viewed as what I could achieve and through my coaches persistence to get me there I became a better person, as well as, a better athlete.  For that I want to first thank my wrestling coaches as they pushed and respected me more than any other coaches I had, but also thank all of the coaches I have had through life.  It is a challenge and a joy to be able to coach others and this has been a winter of learning for myself through my coaching efforts.  Wrestling season is nearing an end and I am happy to report that I neither killed myself nor anyone else.  Chalk this one up as a success!