COACHES CORNER
‘Why’ matters most in how wrestlers win
Big changes sometimes needed to be able to achieve lofty milestones such as winning an Olympic gold medal
By Steve Fraser, U.S. National Greco-Roman Coach In my previous column, I began my story about how impor-
tant the “why” is, in regards to accomplishing wrestling suc- cess. I wrote about how the most important attributes of “desire
and passion” are the key elements to reaching the top. I wrote about “how one reaches the top” is irrelevant if we
don’t determine the “why we want to reach the top.” In my previous column, I also wrote about how I had not accomplished my NCAA wrestling goals and was at a low point in my wrestling career. So a couple friends and I got in my car and drove to north-
ern Michigan, to a beautiful cottage on Lake Huron, where I began to contemplate my future in wrestling. The large orange sun was setting to the west as my buddies
and I were just kicking back on the beautiful lake shore sandy white beach. The cold Lake Huron tide was breaking on top the shoreline
about twenty feet from where we were sitting. This is where I began to search my brain for the “why” I was still involved with wrestling after nine long, but rewarding years in this great sport. I began to think about all the trials and tribulations of my
career. Yes, I experienced many great victories along the way. However, the setbacks and struggles that I had experienced over the years were the items “top of mind” as I pushed the hard sand, digging a small trench line with the heels of my black combat boots. Placing fifth in the NCAA tournament at the 177-pound
weight class my senior year was NOT how I dreamt this. This NCAA failure was big to me. My goal was to become
NCAA Champion! Oh yes ... I was feeling mighty sorry for myself. I was very disappointed with my performance. Then all of a sudden I real- ized my “why”! I realized why I was going to change my atti- tude and continue wrestling.
34 USA Wrestler I was sick and tired of my cur-
rent self, and I realized it was time to change. The feeling that came over me was not just a mental feeling. This feeling came from deep within my heart. I realized it was time for a big change. And I knew I could do it because I realized “why” I wanted to change. The following are some of my personal “whys” — why I decided to commit to the dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. • I was fed up with feeling sorry
Fraser
for myself. • I was tired of being just average. • I was determined to find the answers of how I could become the best. • I loved the thrill of victory and wanted to experience it a lot
more. • I was tired of getting beat, especially when I knew in my
heart that I was not absolutely 100% totally committed. • I wanted to challenge my own self-doubts, my laziness and
my past. • I wanted to be tough, tougher than anyone could imagine! All of a sudden I got the urge to get up off my behind and, in
my combat boots; I decided to take a run down the shoreline. I must have run for about a half mile when I started to think about how far I had come with my wrestling skills and, with a tad more effort, where I might end up. I also started to think about some of the victories and extreme highs that I had expe- rienced in my career. I knew I was pretty good at this sport and I thought to
myself: why not really go for it? Why not give it everything I had — I knew I had to be close. Why quit now, when I was probably just around the corner
from getting the true success that I deserved and always wished for? I thought to myself — the highs are so high, and it feels so
good to succeed — this must mean that I still have the desire and passion for the sport. “Yeah ... let’s go for it! Let’s totally commit and see where
this thing might take me.” So while running in my army boots along the shoreline of
Lake Huron, on that cold, Michigan March day, I decided to nourish my desire and passion for the sport of wrestling. I had my “why” which in turn allowed me to focus on the
“how.”
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