Words from Cary Kolat

[SeanMcMurray 0]

Wrestling season is just around the corner!  Wrestler's read this!

 

Self Motivation by Cary Kolat 11/16/09

 

My Coach?s Practices Hold Me Back:

 

The only coaches that ever held me back were the ones who gave those long-winded speeches during practice once my sweat was rolling. Most coaches are smart enough to give the speech prior to the start of practice or at the end. This is a pretty common theme among the better wrestlers, the parents of the wrestlers, or anyone who is looking for some type of excuse. No wrestler who wants to be the best will let someone get in their way and this excuse usually comes from those who do not give their best performance in practice on a regular basis. I have never witnessed a coach stop anyone from doing more than what was asked in practice. My example is simple, when your coach tells the team to perform ten takedowns, do you do them with perfection in the least amount of time and then wait for the group? Or, do you do them with perfection in the least amount of time and then continue to go waiting for the other wrestlers to finish, getting extra repetitions in? I would bet guys like John Smith (Head Coach of Oklahoma State University), Cael Sanderson (Head Coach of Penn State University), and Tom Brands (Head Coach of Iowa University) never screamed at a guy for going longer or harder than what was required. You can always do more than what is asked instead of blame a practice on the coach. When a coach is running practice he has to look at the group as a whole not as an individual, therefore; the individual side of the practice is up to you. You can blame the coach for holding you back or you can do what the best have done and find a way to get what you need out of any practice.

 

He Has God Given Talent:

 

This bothers me more than any excuse because I have always considered this to be the weak man?s excuse. ?Well that guy has such God given talent it?s ok that I lost.? I find it hard to believe that God is setting some of us for pure success in the sports world and others are doomed to be the ones in the middle or at the bottom. Average wrestlers, average coaches, and protective parents will pull this out to make themselves feel better. Tiger Woods did not get that golf stroke from God, he got it from his father putting time into him and his inner drive to perform the best drive time after time. John Smith never won the Jr. National freestyle title but went on to become our best freestyle wrestler of all time. He achieved this because he wanted to be the best and it finally happen for him his junior year in college and then five more times after that because of his work ethic and his desire to catch those ahead of him. I believe we all enter the wrestling world with something above average but it takes more than just one aspect to win in the sport of wrestling or any other sport. God has given us one thing that does decide if you will be successful in wrestling or any other sport and that is your brain. You can either tell yourself some excuse or tell yourself to get your head in it and find a way to beat the guy in front of you!

 

I Don?t Have Any Partners That Can Push Me:

 

Congratulations and welcome to the club because this is a good problem to have. If you cant find anyone in your room that can push you then get on the phone, get in a car, or find an Adam Machine (great teaching tool) because if you are that good then you are doing the right things, but I always found partners. The best will seek out the best and find each other and if you really want to find a partner, you will. People always ask me what I did for partners in high school:

 

Do you know who the best are?

Get the phone number of that person.

Call them and say I?m coming to train with you.

Problem solved!

 

Problem, if you think people should be calling you and you wait on other people you are losing days of valuable time that could be spent training. Dave Schultz is probably the best example of someone who never put himself above anyone! He was willing to train, talk with, and learn from anyone. Dave never let pride or an elitist attitude stop him in his pursuit to be the best. And that is why Dave will long be remembered as one of the US?s greatest wrestlers of all time.

 

The List Could Go On:

 

This list of excuses is endless, but the real problem is your inability to be a self-motivated individual. Self-motivated individuals will find a way to train no matter what the obstacles, they get the job done. Many of the top wrestlers that I competed with on World Teams never let injuries, travel delays, partners, or anything else that might arise hold them back. One time we got delayed traveling overseas to Europe and the next flight would just get us there in time for weigh-ins but not enough time to get our weight off. Our gear was in the plane, so as people walked through the airport they saw 20 guys in street clothes clearing ties, pummeling, squatting, and do anything they could to make the weight. One guy was over so much that he needed his plastics so he went into the bathroom pulled out the garbage bag and dumped the trash into one of the bathroom stalls. He then turned the bag inside out and punched holes into it for his head and arms. He didn?t have the plastics he needed to make the weight so he found a set (I was laughing my A#$ off)! Not one guy (besides the heavy weight who kept time for us) was sitting there saying, ?Well it?s not our fault the plane got delayed, and we tried.? The wall was the delay and we all found a way to get around it! Regardless of how ridiculous we might have looked and smelled when we finally left. No excuses. We got it done.

 

If you were deserted in no mans land, you would do anything it took to survive. Self-motivated athletes will do whatever it takes to succeed! Stop looking for excuses. Start taking responsibility.

[Drooke 3]

Thanks for posting that Sean. Sidenote...are you planning on redshirting this season?

[Coach Hull 59]

Amen.

[SeanMcMurray 0]

No problem!  &  Yes sir, I am red shirting this season.

[Smooth34 33]

Wish more people thought like this.

[WC182Dad 1]

Very good points, with red shirting you going to be  MMA fighting cant wait to see ya in the cage best of luck in all you do.

[MCKAJC 62]

Thanks for taking the time to communicate some good stuff!!!! Best of Luck!!

[raven150 8]

what great food for thought.  making copies for athletes & parents.  will also forward to our coaches in our area.  good stuff