Recently, I got to watch a wrestling team that I train compete.
The team competed against a team where the Coach was one of the original athletes I trained from my garage. It was a special night with lots of memories for me.
The last time I got to watch a team I train compete has been the D1 level, 2 years ago. With my busy schedule, I am often on the ground floor, coaching almost daily, and so I miss these moments. But, now that I am full time coaching at a high school, I can often catch a competition as soon as I finish my day of coaching.
I am not sure how or what other Coaches do or feel but once I am with a team I am WITH them.
I have a built in PRIDE where I LOVE those athletes and I am going to Push them for Greatness.
So, yesterday, the wrestling match was close.
REALLY close.
At first, the other team was ahead.
Then we were ahead.
Then they were ahead again.
Then we were ahead. Back and forth!
Then, a wrestler I train at The Underground was up on the opposing team! It is tough watching 2 guys that you train having to face off against one another.
Night Ops Tales of the Iron
As the match continued, our guys started making a comeback.
It was CLOSE.
After every match, win or lose, I encouraged the kids to do push ups.
I saw Iowa wrestlers doing 100+ push ups after each match, win or lose.
Our guys were doing 20 push ups.
Then someone did 50 push ups.
Then a kid who WON his match did 100 squats and push ups.
Then the JV guys got down from the bleachers and jumped rope, did squats and push ups.
They are Learning.
They are learning how to WORK.
Learning that even when you WIN, the reward is More Work.
Learning, that when you lose, you rebound by doing MORE WORK.
You don't sit and sulk.
Push Ups are about Life.
They change lives.
Doing work after you win sends a message to others and to yourself. And, if you lose, always remember, the past is gone. Don't sulk. Do some work. Crush those push ups. Push Ups put you back on track towards success.
Live The Code 365,
Z
Bodyweight Bodybuilding
6 Responses
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been doing push-ups. Pull-ups too. I remember as a kid there was a bar in the doorway to the laundry room that my mom used to hang clothes on. I used it to do pull-ups. I did pushups and pull-ups for at least five years before I started lifting weights, which was on my 12th birthday so I started doing pushups and pull-ups around age 7 or so. I’m still doing them today at age 43 along with my lifting workouts. Now my two sons, ages 8 and 5 do pushups daily. I 100% agree they are life changing.
I am 44 and am on the same time line!
You can’t go wrong w/ calisthenics and kids NEED them 🙂
Z
Yeah I know we’re on the same time line. So much of what you say resonates with me. We even share the same birthday. You’re exactly one year old than me. I’m the strength and conditioning coach for a high school football team. I do the workouts right along with the players. At age 43, I take pride in the fact that not a single one of them can keep up with me yet.
It is GREAT training w the kids but sometimes you’re like, “damn, I forgot what it’s like to be 16!” ha ha
There is no traffic jam on the extra mile
NEVER.