UNI Wrestling Blog with Doug and Mark Schwab
By: UNI Athletics Communications
University of Northern Iowa assistant coach Mark Schwab and Doug Schwab will scribe a blog throughout the season. Follow along as he takes you into the mind of a Panther wrestling assistant coach.
Schwab’s blog will consist of information, updates on the team, a “giving yourself every opportunity to succeed message” and a special UNI wrestling “Thank you” section.
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Posted Oct. 14, 2013 – Mark Schwab
The team is continuing to work and progress in body and mind. The physical exertion demanded for our sport tends to be the focus in preparation. However, helping athletes manage their thinking is beneficial. It can revolutionize student-athletes’ lives.
I don’t understand why part of our academic curriculum does not involve education on quality thinking or at least making it clear there are options to one’s thinking, and there are interferences, alternatives, and pavement in our thinking that can influence and change our experiences. A lot of our education is spent on memorizing facts, dates, opinions and agendas of others. If we really cared about the student-athletes, wouldn’t it make sense to:
- sincerely build them up and to let them know they are valuable and worthwhile regardless of their results
- hold them accountable and push them in their thinking and mentality outside of their comfort zone or what they think is possible
- encourage them to set goals to give direction and enthusiasm on a daily basis
- encourage them to discover their purpose and then pursue it
- educate them or at least remind and encourage them that they have a say over their thoughts
I’m not saying it’s a clean or cut-and-dry situation, but they can certainly turn the volume down on doubts and negativity and increase the volume on hope, confidence, gratitude, humility and optimism. It doesn’t take more time to think to your advantage then it does to your demise. We’re not responsible for what comes into our mind, but we are accountable for how long we entertain thoughts. It’s easier to be negative. We have to work on thinking positive. We have to be watchful because our thoughts are very sneaky and clever, but very misleading. We get certain ideas in our mind, and we’re convinced they are real, true, and we’re right about someone or a situation. The fact is we’re wrong more often than we’re right. If we were in the major leagues of thinking, our batting average would be about .002. We would be sent to the minors and probably encouraged to find a new career. We’re going to think, so let’s have awareness of our own self-talk and words and help the student-athletes manage their thoughts, life and situations with more of an arsenal and preparation than we currently are in the educational and athletic arenas.
Is learning how to cultivate optimistic thoughts easy? Having a mindset that “anything is possible” is way too easily substituted for “I probably can’t do that.” And having dreams with silver linings is simply giving away for a win-some, lose-some thought process and followed with corresponding results. Will it be easy, No! But nothing that will make this much of a difference in your life will be easy. The real payoffs in this world will be trying so you will not be over-crowded. Most of us don’t want to give up the now to receive later in a human and biblical sense. People are fragile. Don’t kid yourself for a second. We’re all delicate. Watch people when they don’t get something they want or don’t get their way. Then you really see people closer to their core. We’re all full of pride. Most of us are clean in our own sights, but if our motives were truly evaluated, we would find most of us are seriously self-serving, not all the time, but a lot of the time.
Additionally, we tend to not want to think about this or we blame it on another. We need to take the log out of our own eye before we consider the speck in another’s. Hula Hoop—Step inside the circle and take care of who’s inside of the circle first. I don’t mean in a selfish way, but get your own life in tune before unveiling your winning recipes for the rest of society. Once these monumental assignments are complete, then judge, gossip and slander those outside your circle; obviously, this is an unending undertaking that will never be complete. So we should probably clean our own side of the street first. It’s said, we notice pride and self-centeredness it in others to the degree we’re guilty ourselves. Ouch!
On Saturday, a student-athlete’s father said, “My son is a better man than I am, and that’s what I always hoped for.” We have solid, young men I can learn a lot from about being a better man.
UNI wrestling is growing and improving from the inside and from the top down. The leadership of Doug has been onward. The facilities have improved with:
- the room expansion
- major sound system in the West Gym
- murals
- giant glass pictures of UNI wrestlers
- the team looking and dressing like a team
- season ticket sales are already at where they were at the end of the last season
- team’s GPA was most improved GPA in UNI athletics last year
- 27 student-athletes committed to a 3.0 this fall semester, constant recognition, thank-you’s and acknowledgements of alumni and supporters
- the PWC has upped the number of fundraising events
- contributions are at an all-time high
- three athletes are in the PWC training and soon to be several more
- the club opportunities for area youths are solid and grow up to more than 100 in the spring
- NCAA improvements of 46th, 34th, 15th
- UNI wrestling had the highest national finish of any other program at UNI last year
So there has been quality expansion. The movement is led by Doug, but there are many people who make this happen, and there is no way to name them all, but people like Sandy Stevens and our PWC board members are the logical place to start.
Thank You
Thanks, Dave Williams, Brent Jennings, Ginger Williams, Steve and Torey Stallsmith, Jeremy and Kim Wilson, Quality Auto, Mike Molstead Motors for the incredible ribs and sides at our wrestling get-together. You knocked it out of the park, and we appreciate your time, effort and service. Thank you, Sandy Stevens, PWC members, especially Larry, Mark, Mike, El, Rick, Allyson, Jon, Bill, etc. It’s so amazing your willingness, time to supporting UNI wrestling. Thanks Joe, KK, Janice, Jacque and Greg for all your support and being there Saturday so we could recognize and thank you. Thanks Allyson, Holli, and Keri for your help Saturday morning. Thanks to all the parents, alum and fans for coming to our workout Saturday morning and the get-together in the afternoon. Thanks, Travis, Trent, Kevin and Brian for the tent, chairs, tables, etc. Thanks to my main man Steve Schofield for stopping by along with Troy Dannen and President Ruud. I’m surely missing many people, but we will do our best to “shore it up” in future blogs.
Saturday’s open practice
If you were in the West Gym Saturday morning, you watched good wrestling. There were several groups that were seriously battling. This is what we want and train for. I want to point something out to keep in mind. Many of you, especially parents, are likely assessing where you believe your son is at. Don’t place a lot of stock on one workout in early October. Whether you liked what you saw or didn’t, there are multiple factors involved. In my experience, some of the best wrestlers I have been around are not giants in the room. There are so many other factors in real competition that separate results in the practice room. The one absolute that has to be in play in training is effort. This is 100 percent on the athlete. A coach can help draw effort out of the athlete, but it has to come from the athlete. I remember an athlete at Minnesota who was as highly recruited as anyone ever in college wrestling. His first two years were good; he placed 5th both years. His junior year, his father was very upset and contemplated transferring him, because of what he saw as a lack of development and was convinced his son had regressed. Well, the kid won the NCAA tournament that year and the next year. My point is, time will tell.
This is a marathon, and you just don’t know when an athlete will turn the corner or the light will come on. The example of David Bonin last year has to let you know that if the athlete and those around them stay the course, the rewards will come. That does not mean it will actually happen in wrestling. It might and it might not, but the rewards will come in some way, shape and form. We all need to remember to stay the course, not too high, not too low. We believe the best is yet to come.
The Kardashians are three sisters that … I don’t know what their talents are. They’re not bad looking. The mom, Kris, might be the best-looking. These ladies are constantly in the news, TV, short films, etc. You don’t have to offer any skill or talent to land a TV series. The Kardashian trio of destruction, drama, scandal, and toxic relationships is the kind of TV that will rank with “Cheers,” “Seinfeld,” “Happy Days” or “Andy Griffith.”
I first thought the name Kardashian was Hindu origin, but Kardashian is Armenian. While we’re on Armenia, it’s coincidental I was there in the capital city of Yerevan in 1987. It was cold, dark, and depressing city, but they loved their wrestling and were very gracious with our team. I remember as we walked into the arena, we couldn’t even get through the crowd of people that couldn’t get in because they didn’t have a ticket. The crowd just parted and stared at us. They were not angry stares but almost sad and envious because they likely figured we were rich Americans and also a look like we were prominent. A few of the guys on the trip were stars like Kenny Monday, Dave Schultz, the Scheer Brothers, Barry Davis, etc. The three minutes it took to walk through the crowd gave me a moment of clarity. I was a long way from clean, safe and familiar Osage Iowa. Anyway, the Kardashians are on the menu because of their boyfriends, husbands or whatever they are this week. This guy named Kanye West who dubs himself the biggest star in the world and some rapper who calls himself “The Game.” Anyhow, these circus clowns were out partying and came home and bullied Bruce Jenner (the world’s greatest athlete.) Bruce won an Olympic gold medal in the decathlon in the 1976 Olympics. This guy was on the Wheaties breakfast cereal box as a Wheaties Champion. He was even Erik Estrada’s replacement on top-rated TV series chips. Do you remember Eric? He was a macho California Highway Patrol “Ponch.” All the girls in my grade loved him. His hair parted perfectly. I tried to duplicate but never got close. His teeth were perfect; they didn’t even look real. They looked more like a white mouth piece. You couldn’t see where one tooth started and the next began. I tried to duplicate as well but my little green and brown baked bean choppers could not compete with this Latino Adonis Anyway, Kanye and “The Game” better get some personal insurance. You cannot just push Bruce Jenner around like a pinball, scuff him with sandpaper and stuff his head in the toilet with a side of droppings and expect no repercussions.
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Posted Sept. 29, 2013 – Mark Schwab
Team Pulse September 29
The past two weeks have been busy. Of course, you expect that from a student-athlete. Our guys have been lifting 3x a week in the morning. Honestly, no other sports lifting compares to how a true wrestler lifts. The difference with a wrestler is the elevation of the intensity level and the amount of time the level is maintained. When a wrestler lifts, for the most part, it’s all business, and everything is super or tri-sets. There is very little down time and is necessary to prepare for the college wrestling grind. Our wrestlers have done a superb job investing the time lifting and the continual earnestness that is necessary. We have come a long way in the brute force area. Student-athletes need to fuel and feed their muscles immediately following their lift for the repairing and recovery cycle to ignite. Sleep is also necessary in the cycle of recovery and repair for not only the muscle but the nervous system. Your nervous system will fatigue like your muscles and needs regular hydration, nutrition and sleep. The student-athlete needs a consistent pattern of sleep that gives him the best opportunity to succeed. The athlete needs to pay attention; the body can and will tell you a lot. In simple terms, go to bed early and get up early. By doing this, one will support repair, recover, reduce injury risk, and lend to a much better mood. As for the wrestling room, our guys are learning to wrestle harder through positions and scramble in some. We have to make our opponents work for points; this involves learning to hand fight, basic defense of getting legs back, staying square and forcing hips down and away. One theme we’re ardent about is “one point takedown.” What I mean by that is that we rumble and dispute giving easy points, but if we do give up a takedown or reversal, we continue to confront and get our points back or at least get one point back immediately so their two was really only worth one. This keeps the momentum and pace in our favor. Remember a win is never certain and a loss is never final. Matches are won and lost in the final seconds and edge of the mat all of the time. It’s more a rule than an exception, but we have to train this way to make our case convincing. One other area that needs attention and effort is bottom position, mostly off being taking down. We have some athletes who have a bad habit of going to their belly and being totally extended; this is a total loss of power. Ideally, the athlete keeps shoulder / knee alignment and explodes back to their feet or continues to scramble and leave their opponent feeling discouraged. This is a lot about attitude and hustle, but we also need to teach, promote and enforce. The other area on bottom is giving up ones wrist. On bottom, the athlete has to keep his wrist clear, base build and either short sit or stand up and pressure back into his opponent. We are moving forward as a whole, but there are still miles and miles to go.
There is a lot of Panther Train talk; it’s great marketing for our program, it memorable and fits the assignment we have assigned to athletes, coaches and program. A train can carry a lot of people, is powerful, but has to be on track to advance. We are laboring both hard and hopefully smart to move this train at full force toward Oklahoma City. We have several stops along the way, but I can say with all confidence our athletes are dispensing most everything they have. We’re appreciative of our student-athletes’ efforts and quest to commit in a sport that requires volumes of physical and emotional effort. All athletes should be commended on this a lone.
Beyond athletics
Always have something that drives, motivates or excites you. Until the end of time, have a reason to get up in the morning other than dragging your feet and dreading your existence; this type of mindset is an option we don’t have to choose. This message is for all of us. There are an unlimited amount of interests and influence for us to involve and immerse ourselves. Figure out your passion and get involved and engaged in them. I have observed far too many people who are depressed, unenthused and uninterested in anything that life has to offer. There is an endless buffet of opportunities. Sometimes we cannot control everything and everyone around us. We may have situations people or responsibilities that make things difficult, but it’s never impossible. If we dream with enough conviction and clarity, we will prevail.
Some days we may not feel as passionate. Give your passions focused thought, and write down what you reveal. Review your notes and distinguish what themes continue to show up. Most people spend 10 times more time preparing their wedding or what they’re going to wear than they do their lives. As we exist day to day, most of us really don’t live like we understand we have a limited number of days. We don’t know what the number is. We gamble and often are not vigilant moving forward. Although in hindsight, we can see clearly how we waste uncounted days being lethargic and uninspired. What are we doing? Many of us take better care of our lawn and button-up shirts than we do our lives and existence. Our days, weeks, months, and years come and go very subtle and sneaky. We often don’t come to the realization until something major happens in our lives or we have some awakening or moment of clarity. How about we figure out what it is that excites, motivates or drives us and take advantage of our days and seasons as they unravel. There is no need to miss opportunities, waste years and live reckless and thoughtlessly, although, sometimes we may need to go through carelessness as part of our awakening.
Have you knowingly or unknowingly abandon or given up on your passions and dreams? I know people have heavily weighted lives that leave little or no time to fit in dreams and enthusiasms. However, I feel periodically sitting down with pen / paper and honestly and thoroughly examining our lives, we will find that we can still pursue our dreams. We may just have to do it at a slower pace but don’t give it up! Keep it alive or at least uncover what it is! The turtle can and often will catch the rabbit. Never underestimate how much ground you can cover a little at a time. My thought is “If we’re going to be here anyway” let’s get involved in life, our passions, excitements and drives. Always remember your dreams only have to make sense to you. You don’t have to have the approval of others or society; even Mother Teresa took heat and ridicule. Your dreams, goals, and ideally your purpose, are your imaginations and destinations, not others. I see too many people, and have myself, strived to accomplish something I didn’t really want but wanted the approval of others. If anyone knows the language I’m speaking, you understand how difficult this can be. Please respect others, but short of failing your responsibilities. Be true to yourself.
Our days and lives come, pass and go so fast. What is it that we envision or have buried? What do we fool ourselves about that we will one day get to it when the time is right or we feel overwhelmed with power to take action? With absolute clarity, what do you really want? Regardless of your age, continue to dream. I often hear people talk about their age as if it’s something to be ashamed of. People say “I’m too old for that.” There are some things we may be too old for. However, dreaming, passions, goals, and striving to achieve has no age limit. Our goals and passions may change as we age and mature, but we never have to give this gold-mine up. And these young punks that think we’re old, they better pray they live to be “old.”
In closing, investigate what it is that drives, motivates or excites you and regardless what little you can do at the present time, do something. Don’t give up on or discover the fire that burns within; although it may be extinguished or burning low, its there. We don’t have to live in the dark and by bringing our goals, dreams, and purpose to the surface, we illuminate our entire existence and very likely those around us. The most effective way we can live is by example. Our example is convincing, our words are not. Five years are going to pass regardless of what you do. It makes sense to do something worthy, exciting, challenging and pleasing.
Honey Boo Boo
Recently, I was delivered a blow that I may not ever recover. I saw a video of Honey Boo Boo twerking. I wasn’t sure whether to cry or cry hard. I have to say I was speechless and haven’t slept since. Although I have seen only minutes of Honey Boo Boo because your IQ drops by the second, me and Boo Boo have one thing in common; we’re both white trash. As a kid, I may have had popsicle juice on my face. As an adult, mustard and ketchup stains are on my white T-shirt but not like Boo Boo’s. HBB is not funny. I don’t see what’s funny about glorifying filthy, unschooled, doltish riffraff. Boo Boo has got to go! Mom and Dad have to be relocated or deported. The entire cast needs a Sanbon Tsuki! For those of you who don’t know the language, Sanbon Tsuki is a series of three punches to the same target, then an Ashi Barai which is a leg sweep followed by a Yoko Geri Keage, which obviously is a side snap kick. I will finish with a Hiji Ate, which as you all know is an elbow strike. What shames me the deepest is the Boo twerking had 7 million views and the rock group Heart performing their acoustic version of Dog and Butterfly has only 200,000 views. If you want to see true earned talent that actually brings joy, emotions and depth, watch and listen to this particular video. How can I live in a world with Honey Boo Boo’s? What’s troublesome is that Boo is a show at all. What happened to TV? How did we wind up here? The show is more awful than it is entertaining. HBB is an annoying little kid saying things like, “A dollar make me wanna holler.” Boo’s all about money and panders to the camera. She’s actually making a fool out of us. She has taking her white trash life, one that most people laugh at, and is turning it into money. Boo gonna make you holla! At first it was her being oppressed but now it’s you and me. This show is the underbelly of America. I will not be an accomplice in the success of Boo Boo. Look, the mom is over 300 pounds with discolored arm pits and her boyfriend, Mike, aka Sugar Bear, couldn’t be more central casting of Deliverance if you did a national search. Mike basically sits there, dumbfounded. That’s his role. In the opening credits to Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Mama farts and laughs about it. In another episode, one of her three overweight daughters (including one who’s pregnant, of course), laughs and says: “That crust on my mama’s neck, I don’t know what it is.” Turns out it’s exactly what everyone thinks it is: an egregious amount of filth stuck in the fat rolls of her neck.
“I ain’t trying letting myself go – I just look good when I want to look good,” Mama says, unconvincingly. In one episode she tells the camera she needs to blow her nose, and then pulls up the shirt she has on exposing her overabundance of blubber stew, and does just that, then smiles hmmmmmmm. I implore you to write your congressman. HBB got a pet pig in one episode (irony lost) called Glitzy. HBB says, in apparent seriousness: “I hope Mama don’t eat Glitzy. She eats everything else.” and then Glitzy craps all over the dinner table. One of the daughters yells about Mama: “She was gonna eat it! It looked like a hot dog to her, a burnt hot dog.”
Yes, we’re there. At the depth where no one imagined we’d go, even the most cynical. I’m just beginning to get my eyesight back and my headaches are subsiding after watching HBB twerk. I don’t think my medical insurance covers the side effects of HBB. This show has to be choked out before any more afflictions and wreckage is rained upon society.
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Posted Sept. 14, 2013 – Mark Schwab
I will attempt to blog biweekly September through October and weekly from November to March. The blogs will be posted on Sunday night or Monday morning. The blogs may shift to the Panther Wrestling Club site pending on how blogs are received.
Summer training reflection
The summer is over, wrestling training continues, and the season will be here soon. Our summer training was about a B- wrestling-wise and a B+ lifting. When we get our live wrestling effort extended, consistent and meaner, we will take another step forward. With that being said, we have improved tremendously in our live wrestling and drilling from three summers ago when Doug took over as head coach. We’re not “there” yet and actually will never arrive. There is no finish line if we’re doing it right. The line will continue to move. If we’re really serious about our pursuit of excellence, then our objective will be to not only get ahead of others but to get ahead of ourselves and continue to advance in effort, expectations and results.
One day our guys had a self-directed workout aimed at wrestling as long as possible without a break. As soon as one of the two tapped out, the workout was over. First we have to learn to wrestle harder for longer periods of time and a sense of urgency to score. I’m saying that as a whole. We have several guys who can wrestle hard for extended periods of time but not as a complete team. We have to develop this area. The struggle for mastery of our effort and fatigue will not go away, and we will be exposed by the best if we don’t. Also, and possibly more important, is our stance and core positioning and hand-fighting the entire match. We have lost crucial matches because of stance and positioning violation. Basics are key. We have to learn to bend our knees, stay mobile and assault the opponents’ attack. I see so many HS and college athletes who don’t want to spend time working on their stance. They think they got it; they don’t. We have to tend to this area and tighten the wrinkles. The key is to feel the attack, instinct, and basic knees bent, mobile, hips down and away, wrestle off the attack and re-attack.
A caution here is the effort and discipline has to come from the athlete. Personal effort and allowing oneself to be influenced and pressed is central. The athlete needs the wakefulness of when fatigue affects strong positioning and the control to maintain and correct. The courage and willingness to operate outside comfort zones have to come from the athlete. In the final analysis, the athlete makes the decision. As coaches, we have to notice this and stay on the athlete in a way that the athletes responds. This is what a good coach is suppose to do: demand, yet encourage the athlete to extend himself to deeper levels of vow and effort. We have to get the athlete to give what he is capable of and spark what lies dormant. What’s important to know is the athlete can give more than he believes. Our objective as coaches are to aid the athletes in arousing what is already inside of them. It’s a lot like the statue of “David” by Michael Angelo. When asked how he was able to chisel David out of such an enormous block of marble (about 17 feet tall and weighs six tons,) he answered “David was already in the marble, all I had to do was chip away the excess.” The objective of a good coach or educator is to help student-athletes chip away the excess. Just because an athlete does not win a national championship, become an all-American, NCAA qualifier or see the varsity line-up, does not mean he has not been a success. Yes, the objective is to experience the highest level of success, but most of us won’t experience this level. So does that mean we suck? Well, it depends who you talk to. What’s ironic about this is the largest group of people who would confirm “we suck” is the people who never laid it on the line but verbally assault those who have. How paradoxical that this is the reality. We at UNI wrestling, respect and encourage our athletes and applaud their effort, yet are firm when we see corners cut. This does not mean the athlete / parents will always agree. We’re all human, which means we will, at time, fail our responsibilities, make mistakes, unpopular decisions and let’s say agree to disagree. What’s pertinent with UNI wrestling right now is there is improved effort from athletes, coaches, and the front page. Doug wrote a nice piece on the meaning of Panther Train; it’s worth five minutes of reading.
Wrestling is a colossal physical and emotional daily task. What goes into this sport can only be known if actually experienced. Nothing compares to the grind of college wrestling. I know people debate which sport is the toughest; it’s wrestling. The exercise of weight cutting and weight management alone is enough to separate from other sports. If you disagree, try training for years at a time and at many points limit your intake and or cut weight when your body fat is already in a narrow group of people. This alone separates wrestling from other sports.
3.0 Club
We have 27 guys who signed up for the 3.0 this semester and two individuals are striving for a 4.0. It’s official, taking care of academics and excelling in the education field is cool! School is cool! UNI wrestling is the most improved team academically the past year. Now skeptics may point out that our GPA was low to start with. However, the wrestling program is moving forward academically and the entire movement is buying in and understands they can excel in the scholastic and athletic arena. Besides, any team that has a higher GPA also has 1/3 or ½ the roster. The bottom line is it’s a very good sign of what Doug and staff are promoting and a huge feather in the cap of the athletes to make academics a priority. I won’t say academics are more important that athletics; they’re both important because these guys learn real life experiences and lessons they cannot get in a classroom.
Team meeting
UNI wrestling had our team meeting Sept. 4. The summit had a consistent theme – Give yourself every opportunity to succeed; the little things make a big difference, extreme commitment, belief, and being ready when it counts, not only ready but laying it on the line. The only way for us to accomplish this is a little at a time. In fact, the wheels are in motion and have been for some time. There is a lot of talk about the Panther Train and what it means. Basically, a train has to be on a track to move, and Doug has done a nice job laying down the track for the athletes, coaches, and front page “all support systems.” Speaking from inside the trench since May 2010, the wrestling-room focus, effort, leadership, commitment, and readiness to improve and inviting to be coached is night and day. One instrumental response from the team is the encouragement between and among them; this support has an enduring affect and really bolsters and sustains the communion of the team. UNI wrestling has very diversified leadership coming from multiple athletes. The UNI wrestling program is restoring, unfolding, and maturing. It really is a great time to be involved and on the Panther Train. I won’t go into the details of program goals this year, but obviously to improve on our 2013 finish of 15th. The program jumping from 15th to the top 10 will be more challenging than our program going from 34th to 15th.
Annual homecoming acknowledgements
UNI wrestling will acknowledge Janice Albrecht, Kevin Kurth, Joe Gribben, Greg Stockdale and Jacques Dubois from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 12th at our wrestling get-together west of the Dome. These individuals have gone above and beyond with their support of UNI wrestling. Doug started this acknowledgement at homecoming and this will be the fourth group recognized. There are many people left to thank and appreciate and we will do our best to let people know we value their support, time, interest and sacrifice. We also want to convey a huge thank-you to Ty Kimble for over a decade of leadership, time, expense and effort in his position as president of the PWC. Thanks, Ty!
Message to encourage and provoke thought
Persistence – Dance until it rains
A character trait that is a must-have in order to complete any worthwhile endeavor is persistence. Persistence is a dominate trait in most all people who succeed in their pursuit. The beauty of persistence is that anyone can use it or obtain it. Persistence has nothing to do with talent; it can level the playing field and another example of how the turtle can and often does catch the rabbit.
There is a story of a tribe in Africa that baffled anthropologists. It seems for centuries this tribe enjoyed a 100 percent success rate with its rain dance. In comparing this tribe to other tribes who did the rain dance but did not always experience success, the experts couldn’t find anything that differentiated triumphant tribe from others. They performed the same rituals and prayed to the same gods. Like all the tribes, they danced for days and sometimes for weeks on end. Finally, an astute observer noticed something very telling. The successful tribe did one thing and one thing only different than the rest; they always danced until it rained.
Really, what is persistence other than making up your mind and not being deterred? Not only are you decisive but you also lay it on the line. You make a concrete decision to see whatever you have decided-on through. A mindset like this cannot be defeated. There is actually peace in making a decision. At least with making up your mind, you have direction and functional emotion vs. not knowing or having clear conviction is torture; indecision scatters our efforts and effectiveness. Persistence is about longevity. You’re in it for the long haul; it may not happen on your time frame, but we would never know the pure gold of persistence if we are able to achieve on our schedule or without resistance and disappointment. Persistence on many days is just taking one step in the right direction – even half a step on some days. Persistence is being knocked down 26 times, struggling back to your feet saying “Here goes number 27.”
There are few guarantees in our world and sometimes we have to change or plan. Nevertheless, the one way you can ensure that you will meet with your aspiration, and it’s a guarantee if you “Dance until it rains.”
This is a message will all need to read and remember. The message encompasses so much for all of us. Dancing until it rains is something that holds meaning and pertinent in all our lives. It’s easy to be persistent when life is going well or when we know we’re going to succeed but most of the time our results are ambivalent and we go through stages of fear, doubt, frustration, hopelessness, etc. I can’t think of a better way of staying unrelenting than dancing until it rains.
Any feedback or comments can be sent to mark.schwab@uni.edu
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Posted Sept. 6, 2013 – Doug Schwab
What does Panther Train mean?
Panther Train is about being on board a movement that’s progressing. You can board anytime, but there’s nothing better than embarking early. (You might have to stand, but there’s still room!) The steam trains of the past represent our core. They are powerful, labor-intensive and destroy anything in their way. However, the train has to be on track to gain ground and further its purpose.
The Team Track
UNI wrestlers cannot just be involved; they must be committed. Our student-athletes must give themselves the best opportunity to succeed by listening and following up with appropriate behavior. They function effectively when fatigued, set specific goals, improve daily, perform like a pro in all situations and consistently show extreme effort and an optimistic attitude of “I will; I’ll adjust; I’ll find a way.” Our wrestlers allow, expect and embrace discomfort and keep their dreams alive in all circumstances. They live by a faith: A win is never certain, and a loss is never final. They sprint through every finish line, respect themselves and others and know in their heart they’re valuable and loved regardless of their results. UNI wrestlers are responsible for their efforts, progress, commitment and academic standing. Our athletes may have fear and doubt but never let the bat sit on their shoulder as a fastball whizzes by. They take intelligent action and dream until the end.
The Coach Track
UNI wrestling coaches build up student-athletes and promote with encouragement and hope. We’re compelled to set high standards for the student-athletes and ourselves and to assist them in their pursuit of excellence and achievement. We press the athletes out of their comfort zone and assist in capitalizing on their potential and capabilities. We’re obligated to hold student-athletes accountable, but we continue to believe in them and their possibilities. Effective coaches are committed to the program and the movement. A coach is not above any duty or task. Effective coaches teach and improve athletes one-on-one outside regular training. This being said, coaches cannot be with student-athletes all the time, nor would it benefit them. The student-athletes sign up for responsibilities only they can fulfill. It’s a disservice for the coach to do for the student-athlete what he must do for himself. As coaches, we also must be “keepers of the flame” — the fire of the student-athletes, coaches, fans, alumni and parents.
The Front Page
The Front Page (FP) is made up of alumni, parents, fans, PWC and the university. It’s crucial, influential and efficient, but the P-Train cannot budge without it. It may sound glamorous, but it is demanding. Typically 20 percent of the people pull 80 percent of the load. We can’t make it without the 20 percent, but let’s revise this, get more people off the sideline and lighten the assignment for all. The FP is supportive with time, effort and/or finances for the betterment of the program and athletes. Those on the FP don’t care about recognition but enjoy supporting something they believe in that makes a difference in others’ lives. The FP does not wait or rely on others to take action. It gets things done, always asking “How?” No contribution is too meager. Everything counts! Although the FP is paramount, it does not view itself as significant. It gives more than it takes and in return gets more than it gives. The FP understands the paradox that if they help enough people get what they want, they get more than they desire. It’s a thankless pursuit, but we will rarely miss the opportunity to appreciate you.
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As I watched our team warm-up the other day, I observed a familiar occurrence of athletes getting their weight down. I’m obviously bias, but no other sports training is as demanding as college wrestling. The physical-ness, intensity, strength, discomfort, mentality, delayed gratification, and discipline involved is not experienced by most people period. The most difficult restraint is weight loss and weight management. When you’re in the weight loss phase like these guys are, nothing is more daunting. Weight loss and management come with the sport and it’s certainly not a bad thing; there is no downside to having to endure temporary discomfort, and each individual has a say in the degree of discomfort. What I’m trying to say is what college wrestlers undergo on a daily basis for a minimum of six months at a time is amazing and deserves all the respect under the sun. College wrestlers are a rare, extreme, and highly revered by those that really understand the degree of fortitude that’s called for in this arena.
I’m sure I will be disagreed with and am certain that all sports are demanding to a degree, but not like college wrestling. As an athlete, I never thought about what I or my teammates were doing because we didn’t know anything else. However, now as a coach, I have moments of clarity like I had on Thursday of last week.
This sport is so fanatical on how corporal it is. This sport certainly takes a “different” type of person. Different can mean a lot of things, but I will use internally driven. You also need to understand there are levels of “driven” on all teams from minimally driven to fanatically driven.
There is a feeling you get with extreme fatigue and the giving of your body and mind to exhaustion in pursuit of a reward. There is a return in the quest and giving everything you are and have to this challenge. I know the athletes may feel nothing but frustration and tiredness on some days, but they will never be sorry for the effort and investment. There are no guarantees, and life in and out of wrestling will not be fair. In fact, take “just” out of it.
As an athlete the recipe is simple: basic skills, strong and mobile stance, incredible defense, one go-to leg attack that scores on everyone, you can ride your opponent, you can escape from your opponent, and at the end of 7 minutes you have more points. Now, the formula is simple but carrying it out is not. You also have to be incredibly strong, fanatically conditioned, disciplined to manage your weight and energy management, and an unshakable belief system that weathers all the doubts and concerns that are continuously banging on your door; don’t answer the door of doubt. Yes, the knock will get your attention, and it would be easier to answer the door than not answer. Nevertheless, take my word on this particular suggestion.
As I watched wrestling in Ames Saturday, how closely contested so many matches are is incredible. UNI could have won many matches we lost and equally could have lost matches we won. The line is so thin. The biggest factors in our losses are starting to leisure in matches, not enough offensive leg attacks, Defense / stance, and points on the edge of the mat. The other factor is it’s very difficult to give up back points in college and win the match.
There is not a coach in college wrestling at any level who is not thinking the same thing as UNI coaches today-We have a lot of specific work to do to reach our potential. The other side is there are a lot of positives to motivate and propel the athletes to want to make the necessary improvements. One of the rewards of our sport is the feeling of improvement from week to week. Not only feeling the improvement but also getting better results.
The rule of this sport is you will do a lot to feel good for a short period of time. The volume of this sport is the day in and day out preparation and grind. You have to be a bit unusual to embrace this routine of physical and mental pounding. These guys need to be part of this. Others are missing out. There are feelings experienced in this grind that can be found in few places. You will learn a lot about yourself in this sport; some of what you learn will be encouraging and some will not be. The ultimate is to take note and make adjustments. Use yourself up, man. You’ll never be sorry. The sting is temporary and will pass. It’s really about how we handle the sting. Like I said earlier, these guys need this experience and education. Too many people rust out. I encourage these athletes to wear themselves out and commit to something that reveals over their lifetime. This process is a slow dawning but so worthwhile. Fun? Not really! Rewarding? Absolutely!
No fun continued
You want fun? Join a circus, if there is even a circus to be found. If you want fun, go to Chuck E. Cheese.
Listen, we will have to do many things that are no fun. The boulevard to excellence is not going to be fun. If it was, everyone would do it; it’s not, they don’t. Any lasting satisfaction will be a demand, and for most fragile beings this equates to no fun. Merit requires you to undergo restraint and tremendous discipline.
Personally I don’t think accomplishment is supposed to be pleasurable. There may be satisfying parts along the way but not much fun. If you think a lot of life is supposed to be fun, you will be disappointment, but we all need disappointment; it’s life’s course requirement. In all honesty, I have failed this particular course a few times.
“It’s no fun!” I hear this statement often used when someone is struggling to have success; they’re frustrated and want to walk away saying “it’s no fun.” This is often a crucial time to stay the course. You will always be glad you did, especially in the end, and there will always be an end. Just come back one more day. The completion of this journey can be you holding your head high, proud that you saw a trying situation through when it would have certainly been easier to walk away but you persevered. Or the end can be where you gave-in to a temporary adversity and frustration and now you’re void of the satisfaction that those who saw it through exemplify and project. I believe life is set up to be thorny; in order to accomplish something of inner satisfaction and fulfillment, it’s going to require us to do “things” that are NO FUN. People can and have prevailed through life’s most treacherous emotional and physical storms. People can be and are amazing. In fact, we often handle the bigger obstacles in life than we do the smaller irritations and temporary trials that are only brief periods of NO FUN. You want fun, go to the arcade. You want excellence, than figure out your target, get a plan with concrete steps, figure out who can and will help you, look forward and, keep moving until you get there.
Along the way, there will be many times where it’s no fun. But I can promise the end result will be better than fun. Fun is necessary at times, but it’s temporary satisfaction and an endeavor is lasting. It’s no fun; well either are relationships, but we will be in relationships our entire life, probably even walk away from a few. But don’t walk away just because “it ain’t no fun.” There will be plenty of times “it ain’t no fun.”
You want fun? Go roller skating, play Frisbee, throw the ball on the roof and catch it, throw the football up and dive and roll unnecessarily, play kick the can, build a fort, ride wheelies, peel out, eat some lemon heads, Boston Baked Beans, candy corn, red hots, and pixie sticks. Play Spinning Tops, Battle Ship, or Connect Four, get a slinky, mood ring, or go to the county fair and throw plastic rings on 32 oz bottles of Coke and 7-up. There are plenty of things to do if you want to have fun. Go join the Kiss or Ratboy army. Get out your ktel 8 track of the Bay City Rollers, Sweet, Brownsville Station, Nick Gilder or Shaun Cassidy. Watch re-runs of Barnaby Jones, What’s Happening or $10,000 Pyramid. How about drink a case of jolly good soda or go to your local Red Owl Store. Also try giving your buddy a ride on the handle bars of your bicycle. Get out your G-I Joes, Tinker toys, or Play Dough factory. Now you have several ideas on how to have fun. I don’t know if wrestling has ever been fun. Getting your hand raised is as close to fun as you’re going to get, but this seems to be more personal satisfaction than fun. It’s not a sport for fun. You want fun, go to chucky cheese. Now, if you want to challenge yourself, if you want to experience your real substance, then commit to something that will take time struggle, and extreme effort. Commit yourself to a purpose, a journey where you will be tested, disputed, and confronted. Commit yourself to something that will use-up everything you have to offer, everything that you borrowed, everything that’s hidden in you, everything you never knew you possessed, and everything you become in this course. You’re final grade is not giving out until the end. This is a course that everyone flunks some of the tests, but in the end, these failed tests actually contribute to your final grade. I said enough!
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Thank You Alumni
Bob Boeck, Kevin Kahl, Jay Johnson, Keith Carmen, Bob Hallman, Marty Anderson, Gary Whitmore, Jon Moeller, Pat Hamilton, Scott Engleman, Doug Downs, Tim Ascherl, Jay Llewellyn, Charlie Ettelson, Jim Miller, Scott Hassel, Andrew Showalter, Keith Poolman, Hal Turner, Tom Cornally, Greg Berg, Pat Hogan, C.J. Ettelson, Chris Helgeson, Dave Lott, Brian Moore, Barry Delp, Ken Gallagher, Dennis Goetz, Gene Lybbert, Scott Morningstar, Don Parker, Bob Siddens, Larry Straw, Sam Runyan, Bob Moen, Larry Messerly, Bill Straw, Reid Richardson, Andrew Anderson, Dayton Ericson, Molly Donovan Morreim, Tracy Maloy
Special Shouts
Sarah Harms, Dick Formanak, Jan Albrecht, Kara Park, Larry Hamilton, Mike Mixsell, El Heth, Jacques Dubois, Chris Herbon, Troy Dannen, Steve Schofield, Jerry Grosse (West-side), El chapo, Eugene, and Sandy Stevens is wrestling royalty in our eyes.
Homecoming and more
The homecoming get-together was a success, and the wrestling practice on Saturday was well attended. Having our athletes’ workout in an environment that resembles dual meet and tournament atmosphere is helpful for our team. We are improving as a group and program. We have some points of emphasis individually and as a team to develop, but we are spending time on these particular areas.
The get-together on the West side of the UNI-Dome was filled and a winner. My speaking was choppy but sincere. Also, in the future we will serve hamburgers and not hot dogs; hot dogs are cheap and a mistake on our part.
We like to acknowledge people who help our program, and this year we recognized Don Frazier, Gary Whitmore, Jon Moeller, Sparky, and an award in memory of the late Keith Young; his grandson accepted the award in his honor. We also recognized Travis Kramer, Kevin Launderville and Trent Ames for all the behind the scenes work they do for all the programs at UNI. The homecoming event continues to grow in numbers present. We had a great parent turnout; this is needed and appreciated. We have to grow the alumni attendance. We understand there are multiple reasons why alumni are unable or don’t want to be present. We are going to improve this area. UNI wrestling needs the parents and alumni to not only excel but survive. As an alumnus, I didn’t do anything for UNI wrestling either. I don’t remember being asked and only received a few sporadic mails, but I knew where the West Gym is and could have helped or supported the program. Shucks, I would have definitely attended an event if asked by certain people and would have donated if asked by particular people. What this tells me is we have to ask and contact people with some type of personal touch and not only when we are asking for something. We have to be aware of human nature. We have to go the extra mile in acknowledging, appreciating, and contacting people to let them know they are more than a donation. Doug believes in showing appreciation to anyone and everyone who even thinks about UNI wrestling. We have a lot of chasms to cross and overcome, but we are definitely laboring to grow and progress the program, not just a team.
We have no results on a national level yet. We know the jury is out on our coaching ability. We know that fans, alumni, and parents are looking for national level results; so are we. I can’t promise results, only effort. We believe we will break through and when we do, this will open the door for more individual and program success. We’re beating on the door in several weight classes.
Doug has wisely made adjustments the past two years. Our coaching staff has evolved technically and training wise. As a coach, you usually stress technique and styles similar to what works for you. We understand there are core skills that have to be learned and mastered, but we also understand not all athletes will win or compete the exact same way. We have to find the balance of allowing the athletes to keep their strengths, style and creativity while employing core basic skills.
We will be competing soon; this will give us a much more accurate gauge of where we are at as a team and individually. Many of our athletes have put in a lot of time and we’re eager to see the improvement. We have the potential to be a solid young team by February; this is exciting for the entire UNI wrestling movement to have young potential. I can tell you from past experience when young athletes have success, the program turns the corner.
Briggs and Patten
UNI wrestling thanks Don Briggs and Chuck Patten for attending our get-together and continuing to support UNI wrestling. Their support is huge for the program and reinforces what class men and a class woman Dianna Briggs are. We do sincerely appreciate their attendance and backing. We see Briggs often and have a great relationship with him. We have also been in contact with Patten several times since arriving at UNI. We cannot thank these former leaders enough. Briggs and Patten are always welcome at UNI wrestling.
Monday’s team message
I can’t think of anything more satisfying and rewarding than the “off the charts” training you go through as a college wrestler. What else would you really want to do as a college athlete? This road tests you, makes the good times great, and the great times indefinable. When you think about how gratifying it is to scuffle on a strategic and animal-like level, and then be rewarded with personal fulfillment; what could be better? It’s almost the ultimate to have to struggle, sacrifice, ache, and remain focused, disciplined, accept and conquer challenges that most people can’t. This is preparation for life. This is a winning recipe for success long after your wrestling career. No matter what, you will benefit from the confrontations, disciplines, and bravery of this sport. Listen, have some fun. Chase this feeling of toil and extreme physical-ness and fatigue. See how far you can go. Welcome temporary pain for everlasting satisfaction. One thing, man, relax. Enjoy and have some delight. The reward is coming. This is not life or death. Cancer can be life or death; war can be life or death. Wrestling is not life or death. I wanted to win as much as anybody but never even got close, and I can tell you life goes on and everything is just fine. My point is, loosen up, relax, and enjoy the process because most of this sport is the process. You do a lot to feel good for short periods of time, but man, it’s worth it. Keep your head up. Pay attention to what you’re thinking and take pleasure in the progression. Dreading this journey is optional. I suggest you embrace the progression and have some enjoyment. You need to be striving for something worthwhile anyway. If you’re not mentally where you want to be right now, so what? You’re mind and emotions can change with a phone call. What you have to do is keep putting the days together, fight every go tooth and nail, give all of yourself to this pursuit, believe in us, yourself, welcome the process and the results will take care of themselves.
The point of this message is I have seen so many athletes hold on too tight, confuse, complicate, and interrupt their potential. This sport does matter and results do matter. I’m not minimizing the importance of success for these athletes. However, when the athletes are mentally and physically wound too tight, they cannot perform to their potential. I have seen this time and time again. This is the first time I have ever mentioned wrestling and fun in the same sentence. I don’t think wrestling is fun, but it is rewarding. We see the look on the faces of these athletes’ daily and it often looks like dread; this is optional. We have to do our best to keep the athletes in balance. Maybe having fun, or at least the suggestion of fun, will open some closed doors for some of our athletes.
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Thank you
Thanks to everyone who came to Doughy Joey’s Wednesday night. The attendance to hear Doug talk about UNI wrestling was tremendous. Doug’s outlook is positive on where UNI wrestling is going. If you want a very well written synopsis of the meeting, go to Panther Nation Forum and read Larry Hamilton’s notes on schedule and events. He captures the meeting contents flawlessly. The PWC board is remarkable and we appreciate all PWC past and present members. Thank you to Jacque Dubois, Don Frazier, El Heth, Larry Hamilton, Hal Turner and Jon Moeller for stopping by the room this week. Thank you TPI in Des Moines, Bill Benskin, Linda Dean, Ron and Shelly Krumwiede, Randy Dodd, Steve St John, Gene Doyle, Gene Lybbert, Kevin Evans, and Georgia Reiter, Mindy Noble and Sparky. Thanks, Fahr Beverage, for the Koozie idea, hopefully next year. Herb, El, and Showalter, it’s gonna be a convoy.
Jon Moeller
Jon was an NCAA all-American for UNI 1972. Jon goes above and beyond in his support for UNI wrestling. In just over the past two years, Jon has hosted a meet and greet at his home near Des Moines, drives to every PWC board meeting once a month, attends every PWC and UNI wrestling function, donates his time, effort, and capital to the program and anything that will benefit or support UNI wrestling. Jon does not miss anything. Not only this, but he also volunteers once he does arrive to be on committees, set up, tear down, carry out, etc. I mean this guy is a special alumnus and encourages or assists any way possible. We actually have a several members with who put themselves out for the wrestling program. We know not everyone can back UNI wrestling to this level for many reasons and we sincerely appreciate any and all backing to the alliance. However, we want and feel it necessary to acknowledge people who are extraordinary in their service to UNI wrestling. Thanks, Jon.
As I look through the rich Northern Iowa wrestling history I see names like Randy Omvig, the only four-time NCC champion, four time NCAA all American, NCAA champion and part of the 1975 National Championship team. Dan Mashek, a West Waterloo native who wrestled for one of the best men in and out of wrestling, alumnus Bob Siddens. Dan is the winningest wrestling coach in Iowa high school history with 30 years at legendary Don Bosco (four team state championships) and seven years at North Scott. Dan was Coach of the year, inducted into Iowa Wrestling HOF, Iowa High School HOF, and Glen Brand Wrestling HOF. I have spoken with Dan several times through the years, and he is a guy who makes an impact. You know you’re in the presence of a great man when Dan is present. You want to be at your best in his company. Everyone respects this man immensely. There are so many great wrestlers and coaches from UNI. I will certainly cover more UNI legends in the future.
UNI wrestling giving back
Less than two weeks ago the UNI wrestling team gave back to the community. The entire team attended the Boys and Girls Club of Waterloo for two hours talking and playing with the kids at the club. Even with the demanding schedule of the UNI wrestlers, the coaches feel the importance and necessity of being philanthropic to the community. The UNI wrestling program has also been benevolent recently with UNI women’s soccer, softball, ROTC, and an Iowa wrestling newspaper that benefits high school wrestlers. Blayne Beale is working on a project called “Takedown Bullying.” This is a great idea and a winning design. UNI wrestling feels it’s significant to support other programs and movements that we believe in and share our challenges. I’m biased, but we have a great group of young men on our team. There is a lot of good in each one of these young men. We’re rarely sorry for giving back. In fact we should and need to give back. I believe it’s our obligation since others have certainly giving to us.
Question your doubts
In our sport or any existence, confidence is always an issue. In fact, confidence is as necessary in wrestling as food and water to our daily needs. Our minds are cunning and inconsistent. You have to work at thinking to your benefit. Otherwise, left to ourselves, our minds will and do drift into psychological traffic. Questioning your doubts has potential to be a fruitful apparatus.
You can turn doubt on itself by creating doubts about your doubts. Are you confused? So am I. Let me try again. Doesn’t it make sense that if we question our readiness, worth, or whether we’re good enough, etc, that we can question our doubts as well?
Whenever we feel doubtful or uncertain about something, we can spin doubt on itself by using question’s to create doubt. By nature, questions break up certainty; questions create doubt. Why not create doubt in our uncertainties? Why not start to question our doubts?
If we begin to question our abilities and feel doubtful, why not wonder if we can actually do it? Instead of doubts about our ability, why not doubt about our inability? What if we try and turnout to be excellent at “it”? What if everyone is wrong about you? What if you’re wrong about you?
We can turn hesitation on itself through the use of questions. We know all fears are created in our minds; thinking is a process of constructing and ordering ideas. We simply need to change how we construct our ideas.
Questions are very powerful as a directional device for our minds; it’s the process where we tap into real power. Whatever we ask of our mind, we will get an answer. Seek and we shall find. Ask and we will receive. We will always get an answer; we just need to be aware of it. If it’s not an answer we can profit from, then we ask questions until we get an answer that will assist us in our pursuit. As many challenges we have, it’s easier said than done but something as significant as our confidence requires all mental hands on deck.
Put the phone down
During my morning routine at a local coffee house, I hear and see a lot of things. I mind my dealings, but my eyes are on the front of my head, my neck turns, and my ears are on the side of my head. The point is, I can’t help but see and hear. Anyway, there is this lady I have seen five or six times over a six month time frame. She is talking on her phone every time. I have never seen her phone absent from her ear. She enters on the phone, stands in line on the phone, and exits on the phone. She even drives away on the phone. Has it been one continuous conversation the past six months? It must be one vital conversation. Many she is figuring out an anti deficit plan. Maybe no one is on the other line. I don’t believe she has that much to talk about. Maybe it’s a clever offense against people trying to talk to her. It’s seems like an unnecessary production. Try my amusement, wear plain T-shirts. With a plain t-shirt, there are no questions and nothing to talk about; it’s perfect. Also, never ever smile under any circumstance; this is another fool proof offense to keep human intruders from talking to you while you order your venti, sugar-free, non-fat, vanilla soy, double shot, decaf, no foam, extra hot, Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with light whip and extra syrup. Put your phone down!
