Post Yaryguin Update
Good doesn’t get better on it's own.
**Warning – it’s a long one**
On January 3rd Isaiah, Zane and myself left for the Russian national training camp in North Ossetia in preparation for the Yaryguin Tournament this past week. This particular part of the world is home to more world and Olympic medals than any other part of the world. I have ran through a lot of their stats in the past and if you are interested take a look at some of the prior posts to see how important wrestling is to the Caucus Mountain Region. The training was intense in preparation for the tournament. The general schedule for the first couple weeks was – 2 wrestling practices Monday, 2 wrestling practices Tuesday, basketball or running Wednesday, 1 mat practice Thursday and a simulation tournament Friday. The simulation tournament closely resembled the pace of the tournament with 3 matches in the morning and 1 match in the evening.
Unfortunately, at the end of the first live go at the end of the first practice Isaiah split his eye open and was limited to light drilling and cardio for the first week. Zane on the other hand, had great partners and got some matches in with top ranked guys in the world throughout the first week. After a great sauna Saturday, week two went phenomenal with both guys getting just what we came for. I was really proud of how our guys competed during the week and was excited when we started to taper for the tournament during the third week.
Unfortunately, at the end of the first live go at the end of the first practice Isaiah split his eye open and was limited to light drilling and cardio for the first week. Zane on the other hand, had great partners and got some matches in with top ranked guys in the world throughout the first week. After a great sauna Saturday, week two went phenomenal with both guys getting just what we came for. I was really proud of how our guys competed during the week and was excited when we started to taper for the tournament during the third week.
Zane competed on the first day of the event in Siberia. Zane has finally zeroed in on how to get his body down effectively to 57KG (125.5lbs). In the past he struggled a little bit but this time was perfect and he was ready to compete to his potential. Zane drew Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg from Mongolia first round – the 2018 senior world bronze medalist at 61KG. First period ended about as perfect as possible with Zane holding a 6-2 lead. During the second, and final period, they both traded points and the lead was established at 7-3 going into the last few ticks on the clock. In the waning moments, Zane was caught in a foot sweep to go behind 7-7. After the match he got a lot of “feedback” from some coaches, and even some internet warriors, about how he should have properly finished the match. To know the match you need to know Zane. He has lost more than a few big matches by trying to just win by giving up positions and points late. He has lost matches in the past by backing down at the wrong time. This was not one of those times. While it would have been better for him to step out at times, and he knows that now, I am proud that he fought till the end. I’ll take courage over calculated subservience any time and every day. The next time you better believe he will be better for this experience. The fact that he dominated the returning bronze medalist for 5:50 is a good sign of what we could see from Zane in 2019. The next competition couldn’t come faster!
Isaiah competed on the last day of the event. Like Zane, Isaiah had a great weight cut and showed up to the venue on Saturday with revenge on his mind. He started the day with the Belorussian that was gold at the Medved Tournament (Isaiah lost 8-3 to him in September). While we were not looking ahead, everyone was aware that if he was to make it past him he was going to be set up to face the current World Champion Zaurbek Sidakov (an Ossetian that he trained alongside during the training camp). Unlike Zane the first period didn’t start as well as it could have, Isaiah got hit with an arm throw early for 6 but by the end of the period he had clawed his back into a 6-3 score. I am not sure how to explain the second period other than Isaiah was the aggressor but there were some very “questionable” calls made to seemingly ensure that the Belorussian came out on top. Every time they “gave” the Belorussian points Isaiah would storm back and get within a point or two. The match ended 11-10 in favor of the bad guys. You know calls are bad when two separate Russian national coaches apologized for the corruption referees. Isaiah left the match, and Russia, with some technical and tactical things to work on and he is eager and confident to keep 2019 rolling. This is the best Isaiah Martinez that has ever stepped onto the mat and he is getting better every day.
Isaiah competed on the last day of the event. Like Zane, Isaiah had a great weight cut and showed up to the venue on Saturday with revenge on his mind. He started the day with the Belorussian that was gold at the Medved Tournament (Isaiah lost 8-3 to him in September). While we were not looking ahead, everyone was aware that if he was to make it past him he was going to be set up to face the current World Champion Zaurbek Sidakov (an Ossetian that he trained alongside during the training camp). Unlike Zane the first period didn’t start as well as it could have, Isaiah got hit with an arm throw early for 6 but by the end of the period he had clawed his back into a 6-3 score. I am not sure how to explain the second period other than Isaiah was the aggressor but there were some very “questionable” calls made to seemingly ensure that the Belorussian came out on top. Every time they “gave” the Belorussian points Isaiah would storm back and get within a point or two. The match ended 11-10 in favor of the bad guys. You know calls are bad when two separate Russian national coaches apologized for the corruption referees. Isaiah left the match, and Russia, with some technical and tactical things to work on and he is eager and confident to keep 2019 rolling. This is the best Isaiah Martinez that has ever stepped onto the mat and he is getting better every day.
Zane and Isaiah were not the only two IRTC athletes competing this past week. Following a successful World Team Camp, Travis Rice finished as a runner up in the Dave Shultz Memorial Tournament. He dropped a 3-3 match in the finals to national finalist, Sammy Jones of NMU. Another IRTC athlete closing the gap on world level competition.
Being out of America for a month you get most of your information from social media or articles written online. This time the general discussion revolved around Gillette Razors, the government shutdown and Tom Brady. But one of the other things that came up a little bit seemed to be the idea of youth wrestling and whether it is too competitive for our own good in America (i.e. 37Lb National Champions at Tulsa Nationals). Well since we just spent quite a bit of time in a system that is still a bit ahead of ours, I thought I might compare and contrast a little and see if there might be some things that we could take away. To be fair, it is true we are very competitive at the high end. Our number ones can compete with every number one in the world, even Russia, but after that the competitiveness tapers. I am not suggesting that we destroy our developmental system and only do what they are doing because we are doing some things very well that we want to hold onto. But we can always be better and we should always be striving to be so. Stealing some ideas from the best youth system in the world might make our already good system better.
This time around I was able to do a lot of question and answer sessions with some of the most successful youth coaches in North Ossetia and got some pretty good insight into how they foster their kids from an early age through the senior level. A lot of their wrestlers start at an early age, very similar to ours. The youth wrestling rooms are PACKED with 6-16 year olds. But while they may practice at an early age this is where the first notable difference is because these athletes do not typically compete until they are 15 or 16. A lot of them do wrestle in a youth city championship but that is about for the official competitions. I say official because they wrestle a lot of matches during practice but they just don’t go through the hassle of the whole competition experience – the early morning weigh ins, the stuffy gyms, the overpriced hotdogs, the cranky parents, the crankier referees ect ect. They skip that part. The typical 10 year old practices wrestling 4 times a week for about 10 months a year. Mat practices on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Basketball or running on Wednesday and a sauna on Saturday. They do this for 10 months and then for 1 month they take the entire youth wrestling program up into the mountains for physical training. During this time they won’t get on the mat but they will do a lot of Greco-Roman wrestling and skill based wrestling that doesn’t involve the mat. They take on average one month off a year and then they do it all again.
It is important to note that EVERYONE of our men’s senior level athletes were scored on with an upper body technique at the Yarygyuin Tournament – this is data and you can do with it what you want….
This time around I was able to do a lot of question and answer sessions with some of the most successful youth coaches in North Ossetia and got some pretty good insight into how they foster their kids from an early age through the senior level. A lot of their wrestlers start at an early age, very similar to ours. The youth wrestling rooms are PACKED with 6-16 year olds. But while they may practice at an early age this is where the first notable difference is because these athletes do not typically compete until they are 15 or 16. A lot of them do wrestle in a youth city championship but that is about for the official competitions. I say official because they wrestle a lot of matches during practice but they just don’t go through the hassle of the whole competition experience – the early morning weigh ins, the stuffy gyms, the overpriced hotdogs, the cranky parents, the crankier referees ect ect. They skip that part. The typical 10 year old practices wrestling 4 times a week for about 10 months a year. Mat practices on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Basketball or running on Wednesday and a sauna on Saturday. They do this for 10 months and then for 1 month they take the entire youth wrestling program up into the mountains for physical training. During this time they won’t get on the mat but they will do a lot of Greco-Roman wrestling and skill based wrestling that doesn’t involve the mat. They take on average one month off a year and then they do it all again.
It is important to note that EVERYONE of our men’s senior level athletes were scored on with an upper body technique at the Yarygyuin Tournament – this is data and you can do with it what you want….
Just a few average 6 and 7 year olds
Like a lot of good youth programs, they believe in building the body first. Building flexibility, arm endurance, core strength, explosiveness, foot speed ect ect. Through mainly body weight exercise these young men become great athletes. Then these great athletes are honed into great wrestlers. Not the other way around. It is interesting to watch because they are just kids. They get bored, they get off task, they are not super humans. But they show up every day and work. Consistency is a killer.
A major difference is that wrestling is a state sponsored program in Ossetia and Dagestan. The kids do not pay a dime to come practice or the camps and once they are good enough to compete for the national team their competitions are covered as well. The parental support is limited to getting them to practice and being consistently supportive of the wrestling lifestyle. The most involvement from a parent that I personally witnessed was dropping their kids off for practice. For whatever reason, I noticed most kids were dropped off by their mother and then she would either leave and run errands or stick in the lobby and find another way to occupy her time while her son practiced. This left most of the young men to develop their own passion for the support without the burden of having to train for their parent’s approval. I am not saying that if you want your son to be good you have to stay away while he is training but possibly take a look at the relationship between you, your son and practice and find a way to optimize it.
A major difference is that wrestling is a state sponsored program in Ossetia and Dagestan. The kids do not pay a dime to come practice or the camps and once they are good enough to compete for the national team their competitions are covered as well. The parental support is limited to getting them to practice and being consistently supportive of the wrestling lifestyle. The most involvement from a parent that I personally witnessed was dropping their kids off for practice. For whatever reason, I noticed most kids were dropped off by their mother and then she would either leave and run errands or stick in the lobby and find another way to occupy her time while her son practiced. This left most of the young men to develop their own passion for the support without the burden of having to train for their parent’s approval. I am not saying that if you want your son to be good you have to stay away while he is training but possibly take a look at the relationship between you, your son and practice and find a way to optimize it.
The coaches in Ossetia are some of the hardest working coaches on planet earth. Interestingly similar to some of the best youth coaches I have been around in Illinois. Humble, honorable, disciplined, hard working, creative, ect ect. The youth coaches don’t get paid much (maybe about $600 a month) and are in charge of paying their’ s and their athletes travel cost to international tournaments until they are on the national team. One of the biggest advantages of the Ossetian system is their ability to compete for the same coach during their entire wrestling career. Each youth coach gets a stable of kids and the coach will follow these athletes all the way to the Olympic championships, if they are lucky enough to make it that far. This does a couple things. First, a trusted relationship between coach and athlete is built over a long period of time. The bond is STRONG! It is very similar between the father son relationship. Secondly, this motivates the coach to push his athlete to his potential. If you are getting paid pennies per hour to give yourself to someone that will intersect your own destiny then you are more likely to be motivated to do what it takes to reach maximum potential.
There were other differences but like I said at the beginning that this was only certain way to do things. It is not perfect and a lot of the Ossetian coaches, parents, and athletes talked about things that could be “fixed” to be better. I think we have a lot going for us such as our strong core of coaches and scientific and intelligent way we approach the sport. But with that said I think with some inward reflection about the way we do things we can be better. Which is and always should be our goal.
Finally before closing, I want to wish all of the athletes, and coaches, in the state of Illinois good luck going into the state series. Whether this is your first or last, I hope you get satisfaction out of this season. The satisfaction of being a contributing member to a sport that is done all over the world for the purpose of making better human beings. But remember in the end in this is a season and the word season means change and when all is said and done you will be responsible for whether that change was in the positive or negative direction. If you don’t get what you want make some adjustments and move on. Remember good doesn’t get better on its own. And we can all use a little better in our lives.
Up next for the IRTC: Travis Rice leaves in a couple days for the Croatia Open and the Hungarian Grand Prix and the following month at least one of our athletes will be taking part in the World Cup in Yakutsk, Russia – Announcement Coming Soon.
Until next time,
Coach Medlin
There were other differences but like I said at the beginning that this was only certain way to do things. It is not perfect and a lot of the Ossetian coaches, parents, and athletes talked about things that could be “fixed” to be better. I think we have a lot going for us such as our strong core of coaches and scientific and intelligent way we approach the sport. But with that said I think with some inward reflection about the way we do things we can be better. Which is and always should be our goal.
Finally before closing, I want to wish all of the athletes, and coaches, in the state of Illinois good luck going into the state series. Whether this is your first or last, I hope you get satisfaction out of this season. The satisfaction of being a contributing member to a sport that is done all over the world for the purpose of making better human beings. But remember in the end in this is a season and the word season means change and when all is said and done you will be responsible for whether that change was in the positive or negative direction. If you don’t get what you want make some adjustments and move on. Remember good doesn’t get better on its own. And we can all use a little better in our lives.
Up next for the IRTC: Travis Rice leaves in a couple days for the Croatia Open and the Hungarian Grand Prix and the following month at least one of our athletes will be taking part in the World Cup in Yakutsk, Russia – Announcement Coming Soon.
Until next time,
Coach Medlin
he flew halfway around the world and got what he came for...
Have you ever heard someone tapping a pencil and then suddenly you can’t hear anything else but that annoying tap? There are sounds all around you but they are muffled or muted. Only the tap, tap, tap… The human mind is amazing. It seemingly hears what it “wants” to hear and focuses on things it “wants” to focus on. I can’t even begin to fathom its incredible complexities but what I see in athletes on a daily basis tells me that it is more powerful than we could ever imagine and that in a very big way your thoughts control everything your body is responsible for.
Departing from Belarus this morning it occurred to me how many times the truth of competition tells us things that we don’t “want” to hear. In those moments we are always given a choice; accept, analyze, problem solve and adjust or sulk, block and (or) deny. Unfortunately for a lot of us we choose an emotion (or two) from the second list and continue down our path not a better; but a worse version of the athlete that we could be. The choice is always ours. The path to a better version of ourselves is mostly free of external obstacles but yet sometimes pride, ego, and fear change something that could spark progress into something we take as an insult to who we are. More specifically for wrestlers it tends to insult how good we are at doing the thing we love to do. If your identity is “I’m a good wrestler” and you lose then what are you? Where has your identity gone? You were there and now you’re not. So for self-identity preservation’s sake we choose to ignore and twist the truth to fit our perceptions instead of allowing the truth to shape our future actions. The real tragedy is that either way the truth remains unchanged but the outcome of each path is vastly different and our mind’s “wants” chose our path without us even knowing it.
As some of you know Isaiah just took bronze at the prestigious Medved tournament in Minsk, Belarus this weekend. But behind the scenes the medal was only a byproduct of his decision to focus his “wants”. Leading going into the last minute of the semifinal, leading going into the last minute of the bronze match. Both identically skilled athletes but the Russian in the bronze match felt the pain of a semifinal lesson earned as Isaiah continued his attacking style through the last minute. The result - he beat the number 14 wrestler in the world 11-2 and left Belarus with what he came for … a better version of himself. If you are a young wrestlers let me let you in on a little secret - If you play the game you will lose and if at that point you stop shaping the truth and let the truth shape you then you will develop. And that is the goal… That is the ONLY goal. Train your mind’s “wants”, as you do your body. As for Isaiah, this is the best version of him to ever take the mat and he is hungry for more. The future is bright!
Departing from Belarus this morning it occurred to me how many times the truth of competition tells us things that we don’t “want” to hear. In those moments we are always given a choice; accept, analyze, problem solve and adjust or sulk, block and (or) deny. Unfortunately for a lot of us we choose an emotion (or two) from the second list and continue down our path not a better; but a worse version of the athlete that we could be. The choice is always ours. The path to a better version of ourselves is mostly free of external obstacles but yet sometimes pride, ego, and fear change something that could spark progress into something we take as an insult to who we are. More specifically for wrestlers it tends to insult how good we are at doing the thing we love to do. If your identity is “I’m a good wrestler” and you lose then what are you? Where has your identity gone? You were there and now you’re not. So for self-identity preservation’s sake we choose to ignore and twist the truth to fit our perceptions instead of allowing the truth to shape our future actions. The real tragedy is that either way the truth remains unchanged but the outcome of each path is vastly different and our mind’s “wants” chose our path without us even knowing it.
As some of you know Isaiah just took bronze at the prestigious Medved tournament in Minsk, Belarus this weekend. But behind the scenes the medal was only a byproduct of his decision to focus his “wants”. Leading going into the last minute of the semifinal, leading going into the last minute of the bronze match. Both identically skilled athletes but the Russian in the bronze match felt the pain of a semifinal lesson earned as Isaiah continued his attacking style through the last minute. The result - he beat the number 14 wrestler in the world 11-2 and left Belarus with what he came for … a better version of himself. If you are a young wrestlers let me let you in on a little secret - If you play the game you will lose and if at that point you stop shaping the truth and let the truth shape you then you will develop. And that is the goal… That is the ONLY goal. Train your mind’s “wants”, as you do your body. As for Isaiah, this is the best version of him to ever take the mat and he is hungry for more. The future is bright!
Since our last update we have hosted two really important social events and we are really proud to say they were both very well run and well attended. First we had a very successful golf outing at the beginning of August. The event was extremely well ran by our committee, special thanks to Tim Drollinger and IRTC Board President Steve Hall for their countless hours of hard work. Illinois Wrestling supporters took to the links in record numbers on a beautiful day and enjoyed being part of, and giving back to, the Illinois Wrestling Family. The date is already set for next year - July 27th at the University of Illinois Golf Course in Urbana. We also had our first IRTC tailgate last weekend and even the rain couldn’t stop us from having an excellent time, special thanks to Brian and Angie Rich as well as Dawn Gasbarro for making it such a great afternoon. If you are in town for the game this Friday against PSU, please plan to join us for some great food, fellowship and maybe a game of bags as the Illini prepare to take on the Nittany Lions.
On deck for the IRTC, is the Next Level Charity Wrestling Event in Chicago. This promises to be a night to remember. We have Isaiah Martinez taking on World Champion Richie Lewis, Zane Richards taking on NCAA Champion Darian Cruz and World Teammates Travis Rice and Randon Miranda set to do battle. That’s just the main card and the high school matches might even be more interesting as we have state champions taking on world champs and nationally ranked wrestlers from all over the Midwest set to do lace ‘em up for a great cause. All the food you can eat, all the beverages you can drink, a high level wrestling event, the UFC and guest wrestling celebrities. We even have comedian Joe Rau taking the stage to warm the crowd up. You heard that right! World team member Joe Rau will give us all something to laugh about before we get down to business. You can buy your tickets or find more information about the event by clicking HERE. Do it early as seating is limited and once it’s gone it’s gone.
The IRTC regular practices started off very strong this year after a great ending to the US Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. In all the HS athletes that regularly train at the IRTC had 5 National Champs, 5 finalists, and 18 total All-Americans – we would have taken 2nd as a state overall if you were wondering. It was a great year one and they are already working hard to make sure we only go up from here. You can catch regular practice on Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30pm and keep an eye out on the website for special training camps and gear as both become available.
We want to thank all of the donors that have given this past year and encourage anyone that is willing to step up to the plate to go to bat for these young men. As I get to see them every day, I am always impressed with the diligence and pride that these guys have in their school and their state. They compete for each one of you but without you none of them would be able to compete. Click HERE to give and please consider a monthly gift as we have an eye towards towards the future.
I want like to end with a special congratulations to Isaiah and Zane for being chosen as training partners for the world championships. Each senior world team member has their choice of partners and both were selected, by Nashon Garrett and Kyle Dake respectively. It will be a great experience but more than that I think that it speaks volumes to the type young men that we have in this program. They are the type of people that elite athletes want to be around; selfless and humble. Kudos fellas and enjoy the experience because next year maybe you can reciprocate the offer.
Until next time,
Coach Medlin
Until next time,
Coach Medlin
Post final X Update...
**Some amazing photos from this past weekend in Lincoln taken by the talented artist and photographer Justin Hoch**
It has been a few weeks since our last update but a lot has taken place so let's jump right into it.
Following the world team trials we had a great few weeks of training. With the time frame the way it was, we were not afforded a long break but needed to seize the opportunity by heading straight to Arizona so Isaiah could train with NCAA Champion Zahid Valencia. The preperation between the trials and the Final X couldn’t have went better and we were confident that we had swept out all of the corners heading into this weekend. We all know how the weekend ended but I feel it is important we take a step back and look at the past couple months to truly appreciate what Illinois Wrestling has in Isaiah Martinez.
On March 17th he walked off the mat in Cleveland without getting what he trained for. Disappointment… Anger… Frustration… All the emotions that came with that weekend had to be swallowed because he was set to compete for the US at the World Cup in less than three weeks. After the training camp and getting down to weight he was told that because of a clerical error with UWW he was not going to be able to be a part of the US contingent. Disappointment… Anger…. Frustration... With the US Open only a few weeks after, he had to once again bypass his emotions and get right back to training. Here we are three tournaments later. Through his five matches at the US Open, the final world team trials challenge tournament, and his recent two matches with the Olympic Champion he gave up a grand total of 3 takedowns. He has improved immensely upon his past performances but, more importantly, he has shown the resilience that it takes to be a champion.
We are excited for his future and honored to be a part of his journey. In Isaiah Martinez, Illinois has a great template for what it takes to win wrestling matches on the mat and win life off of it.
From the seniors to schoolboys. I absolutely love the Illinois wrestling machine at all levels. I get as excited watching a bunch of 13/14 year olds compete for their state as I do watching the Final X. Illinois Wrestling has three distinct advantages over all other states. First we have the best international wrestling training system in the country. From the coaches, athletes and parents we have a well oiled machine that is unreplicable. Secondly we have an administration with ILUSAW that is second to none. This is something that could possibly be copied but not with the level of knowledge and understanding of what it takes to become the nation's top wrestling network. Third, and arguably most important, is that our kids believe in one another. They fight for one another and will do extraordinary acts of self sacrifice when their teams need them. Because they grew up together there is a bond that is undeniable and unbreakable.
Let's look abstractly at the results. As grade schoolers, Illinois comes together and is the nations best team as schoolboys. As freshman and sophomores, Illinois comes together and is the nations best team as cadets. As juniors and seniors, Illinois comes together and is the nations best team as juniors. But as college wrestlers, a lot Illinois talent has left this state in the past and not a single one of them have landed on a college team that won the NCAA tournament. Could there possibly be a correlation between what we could do if these teams would stay assembled and what happens when they restart in a system that only wants them because they were members of our system? I wholeheartedly believe that there is power in this state and that as long as our kids are left to continue to improve under the same knowledgeable coaches and are given the chance to fight for each other and grow stronger then they will do just that. Anyone that has watched the high level duel teams that have came through in the past know just how much each part is improved for the good of the whole and what our Illinois boys are capable of doing together.
Let's look abstractly at the results. As grade schoolers, Illinois comes together and is the nations best team as schoolboys. As freshman and sophomores, Illinois comes together and is the nations best team as cadets. As juniors and seniors, Illinois comes together and is the nations best team as juniors. But as college wrestlers, a lot Illinois talent has left this state in the past and not a single one of them have landed on a college team that won the NCAA tournament. Could there possibly be a correlation between what we could do if these teams would stay assembled and what happens when they restart in a system that only wants them because they were members of our system? I wholeheartedly believe that there is power in this state and that as long as our kids are left to continue to improve under the same knowledgeable coaches and are given the chance to fight for each other and grow stronger then they will do just that. Anyone that has watched the high level duel teams that have came through in the past know just how much each part is improved for the good of the whole and what our Illinois boys are capable of doing together.
Post NYAC Tournament Update
With the freestyle and greco competition season in full swing, I wanted to give a few quick updates regarding the Illinois Regional Training Center.
First. The initial spring IRTC camp was a smashing success. We had over a 100 kids last weekend brave some of the craziest weather Illinois could dish out. We had 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist Manuchar Tskadaia from Georgia come in on Sunday and show some great upper body attacks. There was some serious competition both days and everyone left better than they came in and that is the test of a good wrestling camp. Be on the lookout for more opportunities in the near future.
Second. We are currently on a plane back from New York City and the Bill Farrell wrestling tournament. Zane Richards had two goals for the weekend; qualify for the world team trials and test his status at a new weight class. He accomplished both. Coming off a surgery this past June and being in a weight class that he hasn’t seen since his sophomore year in high school, there were questions that needed answers. Anyone that knows him knows how disciplined he is and the amazing way he handled his rehab and his nutrition left little doubt in my mind but nonetheless we needed data. While it wasn’t perfect it did give us an extremely elevated starting point to build off. He dropped a competitive 5-3 match to the eventual champion from Kyrgyzstan, a wrestler that has been in and out of the top ten in the world the past few years. Always the professional, he bounced right back and torched his way through the consolation bracket to a 3rd place finish. He was nowhere near his pinnacle but to be honest he shouldn’t be right now as we are still about a month away from the most important tournaments of the year. He will continue to build, improve and represent Illinois with pride; just like has done for most of his life.
Third. As some of you already know, Isaiah Martinez has committed to continue his international career in Champaign and I couldn’t be more excited. If I had a nickel for every person that asked me; “Do you think Isaiah is going to stay in Champaign.?”, I could probably fund the IRTC completely by myself. To the dismay of a couple mid-western states; his loyalty, intelligence and desire to continue to fortify the program he helped build ended up being the deciding factors. Isaiah has been the rock and the foundation of the University of Illinois Wrestling Team and we look for him to continue that tradition by playing an integral role in the future success of our ambitious international wrestling program. We have ground breaking plans but we are going to need your help to build the type of dynasty that should represent Illinois.
Stats from the NYAC Freestyle Tournament - 10 Weights:
As I walked around the NYAC I saw OPRF, Bloom, Sandburg, St. Patrick, Izzy Style, Washington, Carbondale, Cahokia and a bunch of other programs having success within this senior level tournament. Just like I believe that the next logical step to the Regional Training Center System is Inter-Training Center Camps, I feel that our next level of results is coming with Inter-Illinois Training Opportunities. I encourage any athlete interested in taking their seat at the table to go out and actively search for the best freestyle and greco-roman training and competition that they can find. There are many hubs of wrestling in Illinois to fit all goals. With the level of coaching and our state organization, we have an opportunity to not only remain at the top of the heap but to start to put distance between ourselves and the rest of the pack. The only way to do that will be to build on the strong foundation laid before us and promote the opportunities to improve in the international styles of wrestling.
Next up for the IRTC will be the World Cup this weekend and then off to the first step in the World Team Trials selection process - the US Opens. We will be taking some young guns to the junior tournament as well our senior athletes. All will be prepared to compete with Illinois pride and determination.
As always we are extremely grateful for the generosity of those that have made chasing this Olympic dream possible. We are extremely blessed to have you in our corner! If you have not done so, now is the time to consider giving to the Illinois Regional Training Center. You can find all of the information regarding donations by following the link at the bottom of this page. To continue to build Illinois’ momentum towards the top of the mountain it is imperative that we are all together in this mission. While we couldn’t be more excited about the commitment of our current athletes, we have been in contact with several other world team members that desire to relocate their home training base to the friendly confines of Huff Hall and to do that we need you. Let’s do this the only way it can be done - Together - One State - One Team - Illinois.
Until Next Time,
Coach Medlin
First. The initial spring IRTC camp was a smashing success. We had over a 100 kids last weekend brave some of the craziest weather Illinois could dish out. We had 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist Manuchar Tskadaia from Georgia come in on Sunday and show some great upper body attacks. There was some serious competition both days and everyone left better than they came in and that is the test of a good wrestling camp. Be on the lookout for more opportunities in the near future.
Second. We are currently on a plane back from New York City and the Bill Farrell wrestling tournament. Zane Richards had two goals for the weekend; qualify for the world team trials and test his status at a new weight class. He accomplished both. Coming off a surgery this past June and being in a weight class that he hasn’t seen since his sophomore year in high school, there were questions that needed answers. Anyone that knows him knows how disciplined he is and the amazing way he handled his rehab and his nutrition left little doubt in my mind but nonetheless we needed data. While it wasn’t perfect it did give us an extremely elevated starting point to build off. He dropped a competitive 5-3 match to the eventual champion from Kyrgyzstan, a wrestler that has been in and out of the top ten in the world the past few years. Always the professional, he bounced right back and torched his way through the consolation bracket to a 3rd place finish. He was nowhere near his pinnacle but to be honest he shouldn’t be right now as we are still about a month away from the most important tournaments of the year. He will continue to build, improve and represent Illinois with pride; just like has done for most of his life.
Third. As some of you already know, Isaiah Martinez has committed to continue his international career in Champaign and I couldn’t be more excited. If I had a nickel for every person that asked me; “Do you think Isaiah is going to stay in Champaign.?”, I could probably fund the IRTC completely by myself. To the dismay of a couple mid-western states; his loyalty, intelligence and desire to continue to fortify the program he helped build ended up being the deciding factors. Isaiah has been the rock and the foundation of the University of Illinois Wrestling Team and we look for him to continue that tradition by playing an integral role in the future success of our ambitious international wrestling program. We have ground breaking plans but we are going to need your help to build the type of dynasty that should represent Illinois.
Stats from the NYAC Freestyle Tournament - 10 Weights:
- 1 Champ from the country of Kyrgyzstan
- 3 Champs from the country of Kazakhstan
- 3 Champs from the United States of America
- 3 Champs from the STATE OF ILLINOIS.
As I walked around the NYAC I saw OPRF, Bloom, Sandburg, St. Patrick, Izzy Style, Washington, Carbondale, Cahokia and a bunch of other programs having success within this senior level tournament. Just like I believe that the next logical step to the Regional Training Center System is Inter-Training Center Camps, I feel that our next level of results is coming with Inter-Illinois Training Opportunities. I encourage any athlete interested in taking their seat at the table to go out and actively search for the best freestyle and greco-roman training and competition that they can find. There are many hubs of wrestling in Illinois to fit all goals. With the level of coaching and our state organization, we have an opportunity to not only remain at the top of the heap but to start to put distance between ourselves and the rest of the pack. The only way to do that will be to build on the strong foundation laid before us and promote the opportunities to improve in the international styles of wrestling.
Next up for the IRTC will be the World Cup this weekend and then off to the first step in the World Team Trials selection process - the US Opens. We will be taking some young guns to the junior tournament as well our senior athletes. All will be prepared to compete with Illinois pride and determination.
As always we are extremely grateful for the generosity of those that have made chasing this Olympic dream possible. We are extremely blessed to have you in our corner! If you have not done so, now is the time to consider giving to the Illinois Regional Training Center. You can find all of the information regarding donations by following the link at the bottom of this page. To continue to build Illinois’ momentum towards the top of the mountain it is imperative that we are all together in this mission. While we couldn’t be more excited about the commitment of our current athletes, we have been in contact with several other world team members that desire to relocate their home training base to the friendly confines of Huff Hall and to do that we need you. Let’s do this the only way it can be done - Together - One State - One Team - Illinois.
Until Next Time,
Coach Medlin
Spring Update
Spring has officially sprung and with it the IRTC is ramping up for its push toward the US Opens and UWW Junior Nationals at the end of April. The late winter was an exciting time for us with the addition of national champion wrestlers Jesse Delgado and Nick Carr as well as our Russian excursion to Vladikavkaz. We look to keep this momentum as we head into the U.S. competition schedule with a full head of steam.
On deck for this weekend is our first training camp of the spring - March 24th and 25th. It is going to be a great event with tons of midwestern talent and iron sharpening iron in a great environment. The very next week we will be heading to the NYAC Tournament with one of our senior athletes, Zane Richards. With Zane down at 57 KG (125.7) for the first time and being completely healthy our expectations couldn’t be higher. However it turns out, we know he is 100% ready to give it everything he has and represent his state with pride just like he has done for the past decade and a half. Right after the NYAC Tournament, we will be heading to the World Cup with Isaiah Martinez. The World Cup is going to be the perfect experience to use as a springboard into Isaiah's professional freestyle career and he is extremely honored to represent the red, white, and blue.
With the NCAA season wrapping up I wanted to touch on a couple topics. First if you hadn’t noticed there was an overwhelming amount of NCAA finalist that competed internationally during their developmental years. 8 of the 10 weights were won by former, or current, USA Wrestling world team members. I typically try to think abstractly about results but this was an overwhelming correlation. If your dreams involve wrestling on a Saturday night in mid-March then I would put these two pieces of data together. Spring and summer are a great time to build wrestling skill without the same type of pressure that typically occurs during the collegiate season. Although, it isn’t as simple as putting on a red or blue singlet and you mysteriously turn into Kyle Snyder. You have to make sure that you are not falling into the same traps that might have stifled your potential growth during the season. While we all like feedback to let us know we are on the right path, I think it is important to have periods of time when you focus solely on getting better in the positions and places that you feel need to improve without the pressure of validating your time by proving you can beat someone . As a high school coach I found that for whatever reason, kids smiled more during the spring and summer and by smiling they opened their neuro-pathways in an optimal manner to promote change and growth. (Disclaimer: I made that last part up but they do smile more and get better faster.)
Finally I just wanted to express our deepest appreciation for Isaiah Martinez and what he has done and has meant to our program. While he has enormous success under the lights, his biggest successes come when when no one is looking. He is constantly thinking of wrestling at an extremely high level while trying to push his limits physically and mentally along the way. He has never accepted anything but his best and has made no excuses for his shortcomings while growing emotionally from each blow he has been dealt. I feel blessed to be around him. Not just because of the enormous success he has on the mat, but because of the person that he is and the impact he has made on those outside the circle.
As always, I want to thank the sponsors of the Illinois Regional Training Center. Without your generous support, our Illinois Wrestlers would never have been afforded the opportunity to chase their dreams of being the best in the world. If you haven’t done so, I strongly urge you to join this great organization to help give Illinois most promising wrestlers the best chance to succeed on the world and Olympic Level.
Until next time,
Coach Medlin
Website - www.illinoisrtc.com
Donation Page - click HERE
Twitter - @illiniRTC
Until next time,
Coach Medlin
Website - www.illinoisrtc.com
Donation Page - click HERE
Twitter - @illiniRTC
Final Week of Russian January Training Camp
Wishing these guys luck at the Yarygin Tournament. A. Naifonov and V. Valiev
The last week in North Ossetia was a little less intense than the first few weeks. With the Yarygin just around the corner, most of the participants tapered off from live wrestling as the week went on. It was very much individualized with some wrestlers wrestling a little more than others. But with the depth of the wrestling culture here, you still needed to bring your “A Game" or suffer the consequences. In the end it was a great week of training and a perfect way to cap off our stay in Vladikavkaz.
Trude Wrestling Club - Vladikavkaz, Ossetia, Russia
With the break in the training at the Russian national camp, it allowed us time to get over to one of the other sports halls - the legendary “Trude Club". It is a lot more packed and a lot hotter but the atmosphere is awesome so it’s always a highlight when we get to train there. Since I have been able to go over there for the past few years, I have got to watch some of the better younger athletes grow up. A lot of the questions parents ask me revolve around their youth system and this secretive way that they bring their athletes along. I am not going to say that I have never seen them cut weight or that they are in some euphoric culture that elevates them past our athletes at a young age, but what I will say there is a least a partial significant correlation between their average progression in wrestling and ours and that should be analyzed.
I have personally seen one of our best IKWF wrestlers go toe to toe with their best and come out the other side getting the better end of the deal. So our good is still good and that doesn’t matter where you go in the world. It is that their average athlete seems to have a better growth model than we do. I think that not the least of the reasons is their system lacks a big number of competitions for their younger athletes. There are competitions but there just aren’t competitions every weekend all year where the athletes are worrying about making weight and then trying to validate how good they can be by winning a bunch of matches. Their focus is on getting better as it should be. I addressed another big difference in one of the other updates and that is there is a very strong "Esprit de Corps" when it comes to wrestling in this part of the world. Young wrestlers at an early age identify with the wrestling state of Ossetia. Despite their status or their pedigree they want to take their seat at the table one day and bring pride to their region. This regional pride elevates the expectations of all athletes and is something that we can take advantage of here in Illinois to elevate the expectations of our own athletes.
A couple days ago a good friend of mine sent me a question …Why do so many of our athletes stagnate when other don’t seem to? Without going into specifics, it does seem that some of our most promising athletes seem to plateau when compared to others. What I won’t do is pretend that I have the absolute answer but I will say that I do think it helps to do things like the IRTC just did. I think the more you shut the doors, the more closed minded the thinking becomes and the less room for creativity and growth there is. We have been involved with the inter regional training center practices that have produced great results for both parties and I think they are the next logical step in the progression of the USAW vision.
As a general rule I think that, if given an opportunity, you should always be open to new ways to do things. Even if it doesn’t do anything but let you know that you are on the right path, that is something you should look for in your career as a coach or as an athlete. Too many people involved with wrestling work extremely hard at blindly digging their own grave. I am not even close to knowing the right answers but I do know that it is important to look up every once in awhile and make sure you are still headed in your intended direction and not to sprint head down towards the cliff. Coaches that shut their doors and have the “nobody is playing with my toys but me” attitude are making wrestling more about them than their athletes to the detriment of everyone involved. On a side note: I will say we are very fortunate to live in a state that has such a strong coaching stable and most of the best coaches are the ones that are the most open and available - another good topic for another day. Enough tangents for this trip.
I would like to thank the IRTC for a great experience. The amount of progress we have made in the past 6 months would never have been possible without the the generosity of those that have contributed and everyone involved owes you a debt of gratitude. I would also like to send a special thank you to my wife for holding down the fort the past few weeks. Wrestling moms, and wives, are some of the toughest and most dedicated women on the planet and they don’t always get the credit they deserve and with three young ones and a new puppy I already know I have some serious ground to make up when I get back.
As for the next few weeks for the IRTC, we are getting ready for a couple prep tournaments before the US Open in April.
**We might have an announcement of a couple big pieces of the IRTC puzzle dropping into place next week**
Good luck to all of the IHSA athletes that are starting their journey towards that state title. Don’t blink and enjoy every moment along the way. We will see you in Champaign. Until next time,
Coach Medlin
Website - www.illinoisrtc.com
Donation Page - click HERE
Twitter - @illiniRTC
Week 2
"I Am Rooted, But I flow." V. WoOlf
All the way from Russia, this week’s update will be giving from yours truly, Zane Richards. Having this opportunity to write about my experiences in Ossetia is an honor that has already brought many benefits to my wrestling game and life. I never would have thought that I’d be sitting in the lobby of the most decorated club on earth as far as world medals are concerned, and writing about the observations I’ve made these few weeks. Being an athlete currently training, this perspective should offer a different viewpoint and provide you readers with a greater insight as to what wrestling is like from across the world.
The new week of training was slightly different than the ones before it, because of the upcoming qualifier for the Yarygin and the Yarygin itself. It was interesting to see how one of the best wrestling clubs in the world would prepare for one of the premier competitions this year. Monday had a morning workout followed by a basketball game in the afternoon. Tuesday had two wrestling workouts in the morning and at night. Wednesday was game day with a sauna session afterward. Many of the known world contenders and studs in the room were not playing basketball during the week, and mostly spent time doing light exercises, or even just spectating the fun. They all would show up for practice, but didn’t want to risk injury before a competition as big as the ones to come. Thursday was very light morning workout followed by more basketball in the afternoon. All of this was leading into Friday, which was a simulation day filled with matches. Saturday was a game and sauna, with Sunday being taken completely off. Most of the athletes went home Saturday giving a room all to myself (finally).
The day of the mock competition, every athlete had an edge to them. Even at breakfast, many of the athletes were much more focused and consumed with the day to come. We had to wrestle four matches in the morning, followed by two more in the afternoon to simulate a tournament. The warm up was longer like a tournament warmup. Where you would see laughter and joking, there was none at this time. Each athlete had his mind focused on their pre-match rituals, and executed them with determination. Much more time was spent drilling and stretching our partner before the matches, and little to no demonstration was given from the coaching. When it was time to wrestle matches, these guys got after it. Coaches picked the match order for the wresters in the upcoming competition. If you were not picked, you had to find your own partners. From my own experience, I can say that finding good competition isn’t hard. If I wrestle six matches that day, I had to plan for six different times to be pushed to my limit, and several of the matches went beyond. Every point is contested, and god help you if you score big, because when the opponent stands up the pace is instantly doubled. It isn’t unbelievable to think you might not score for the first four or five minutes of a match if you don’t push the pace, and if you’re not ready to go off the whistle, you’ve made a serious miscalculation in your match. The margin of error to score needs to be near perfect. Any hesitation when you reach your opponent’s legs, and you’re getting scored on. Having a dominant position doesn’t mean an easy score, and with a minimum amount of opportunities, you better make it count. I wrestled several Russians, a Greek, an Armenian all of which were of high caliber. Not all the matches went well either, wrestling up a weight or two against the Junior World Champ can be a tough match, but it makes you a better wrestler. It’d be nice to say I flew to Russia and smashed everyone at will, but if that was the case, why would I go in the first place? The point was to get the highest possible training I could, and that’s what I got. It was hard on my body, but worth every aching joint I received.
It’s training days like this one that makes you thankful for your rest days. All your joints feel extreme soreness, and the time management of when to go hard and when to rest is just as important as the training itself. This is one thing that the Ossetians’ have found a good formula for. Just when you think your body is about to give out and critically injure itself, they give you time to rest and recover. The time spent in the sauna becomes an important ritual to prepare for the days to come, because if you don’t recover now, the chances of you getting injured are high. This doesn’t even factor how the quality of your workout plummets.
Proper rest isn’t the only thing that helps you recover, and if you didn’t know by now then I’m about to give you a secret that will change the game for your training. The quality and timing of your diet is going to dictate how well you train. Too often, American wrestlers skip meals or eat too much food at the wrong times in the day, and this gives bad results in our practices. The two most calorie dense meals in Ossetia are easily breakfast and lunch, with lunch being the biggest meal. Every breakfast is served with a large bowl of oatmeal for carbohydrates which every athlete consumes. It’s their choice of fats between eggs, sausages, and strange, but delicious breakfast cakes. Breakfast is also served several hours before the morning workout to allow for proper digestion before they workout. After the morning practice you shower and immediately refuel at lunch. Healthy meats and whole grain carbohydrates are served along with fruits, vegetables, and soup. This meal is usually bigger to prepare for the night and to allow for recovery from the morning. After lunch, most wrestlers socialize with different board games, video games, or rest in their rooms until the night session. When the night session is over, the smallest meal is served. We typically eat a lot at dinner as Americans, but this doesn’t prepare you for a workout. Instead, you eat some protein and whole grain carbs to recover, with lots of vegetables. The amount of food is much less, and there is no soup or extra fruit served. It’s a very basic small meal to serve the purpose of recovery, and in the morning, is where you can have your energy for the day.
A few more differences in the training compared to our American system:
For one, practices have a less defined and rigid feel for what is expected of you in the workouts. From what I can tell, the coaches just expect the athletes to give their best effort in every situation, and keep an open mind. There are no specific techniques or styles that they are looking for the athletes to commit to, and will only offer advice when an athlete has made a mistake. A coaches input isn’t trying to change how a wrestler competes entirely, but instead tries to sharpen what is being done to give a better product for that wrestler’s performance. This process keeps ego in check between wrestler and coach, and both are very respectful of what each other is trying to accomplish. Too many times I have seen coaches force their athletes to rehearse techniques that do not fit into the athlete’s style. I feel that this is a crucial difference between systems that allow for growth, and ones that stay stagnant. Trying to fit a square peg into a round hole in wrestling is a sure-fire way to plateau, which is one thing an athlete should fear more than losing.
Another cultural difference I have noticed, is how many wrestlers of all skill levels stay after practice and get extra work in. Now, I haven’t seen every club in America, so I maybe missing some when I say this, but I have never seen such a large amount of kids working out after practice is done. This is not to say the actual practice wasn’t hard either. In fact, I would challenge to say they train just as hard as we do when we drill and go live. However, when I see a room of 120 wrestlers after a workout all drilling, doing ropes, sprints, bridging exercises, after they had just had a tough practice, it strikes me as different. The most impressive part, is that coaches don’t have to say anything for this to take place. Everyone knows what problems the have when they wrestle, and when they are done wrestling they get to work.
The last observations I noticed was how casual it was for coaches to help other athletes that didn’t train with them daily. I’ve had no less than 10 different coaches instruct me on technique while I was wrestling, and all of them made my wrestling better. This was also true for my practice partners, as well as anyone else I saw in the room. To have such high-quality coaching being passed out as free samples at the supermarket made you feel confident in your training. It helps you believe that at all times you are doing everything you can to make the next evolutionary step in your wrestling. Whether it’s a small note of getting your head up, or an entirely different answer to a position, you are surrounded with options, and all that is required is that you give every ounce of effort to the sport.
The American system that I am used to is a great way to develop athletes, wrestling skill, and fierce competitors. If it wasn’t for the training I had received before my trip to Ossetia, I wouldn’t be anywhere near ready to compete with these guys, let alone beat them. However, I have had the honor of training with a great wrestling club that does a lot of smart things when they train. These are things that I wouldn’t have discovered without taking the risk of traveling outside of my own wrestling room to see what else I can do to improve myself and my training. When someone does something smart you pay attention, and try to replicate what was done. The same thing goes for my wrestling. There are a lot of different skills and ideas that I can use in addition to the ones that I am currently using to make one unified, superior product. Making a hybrid system between what I am used to and what I have learned in my short time spent in Russia will yield great results for my career as a competitor, and I’m thankful for having the opportunity to make these adjustments.
All this information and data collecting would only have been possible with the help from the IRTC program and everyone involved with my training. This trip is one of the examples that makes our program stand out from other clubs in the country. While certain clubs send their athletes to a tournament to get a few matches, the IRTC is spending its resources to give the athletes (myself included) a chance to wrestle dozens of simulations while receiving training from the top clubs on earth, several weeks at a time. We are taking the knowledge from first hand experience and applying it to our own training to continue building the ultimate wrestling club. It’s the sacrifices made from our family members, coaches, teammates and donors that allow for such advancements to be made in our club. Without those of you who invest in our journey, our success would be limited. Experiences like these are not only game changers in wrestling, but life changing as well. I have met many great people in Ossetia, and it is all thanks to what the IRTC gave me to accomplish my dreams.
As a last reminder, this upcoming week is the last week of training. Afterward, we will be returning to the United States with plenty of tricks and battle scars to begin our next phase of training.
Enjoy the process,
Zane Richards
Website - www.illinoisrtc.com
Donation Page - click HERE
Twitter - @illiniRTC
A few more differences in the training compared to our American system:
For one, practices have a less defined and rigid feel for what is expected of you in the workouts. From what I can tell, the coaches just expect the athletes to give their best effort in every situation, and keep an open mind. There are no specific techniques or styles that they are looking for the athletes to commit to, and will only offer advice when an athlete has made a mistake. A coaches input isn’t trying to change how a wrestler competes entirely, but instead tries to sharpen what is being done to give a better product for that wrestler’s performance. This process keeps ego in check between wrestler and coach, and both are very respectful of what each other is trying to accomplish. Too many times I have seen coaches force their athletes to rehearse techniques that do not fit into the athlete’s style. I feel that this is a crucial difference between systems that allow for growth, and ones that stay stagnant. Trying to fit a square peg into a round hole in wrestling is a sure-fire way to plateau, which is one thing an athlete should fear more than losing.
Another cultural difference I have noticed, is how many wrestlers of all skill levels stay after practice and get extra work in. Now, I haven’t seen every club in America, so I maybe missing some when I say this, but I have never seen such a large amount of kids working out after practice is done. This is not to say the actual practice wasn’t hard either. In fact, I would challenge to say they train just as hard as we do when we drill and go live. However, when I see a room of 120 wrestlers after a workout all drilling, doing ropes, sprints, bridging exercises, after they had just had a tough practice, it strikes me as different. The most impressive part, is that coaches don’t have to say anything for this to take place. Everyone knows what problems the have when they wrestle, and when they are done wrestling they get to work.
The last observations I noticed was how casual it was for coaches to help other athletes that didn’t train with them daily. I’ve had no less than 10 different coaches instruct me on technique while I was wrestling, and all of them made my wrestling better. This was also true for my practice partners, as well as anyone else I saw in the room. To have such high-quality coaching being passed out as free samples at the supermarket made you feel confident in your training. It helps you believe that at all times you are doing everything you can to make the next evolutionary step in your wrestling. Whether it’s a small note of getting your head up, or an entirely different answer to a position, you are surrounded with options, and all that is required is that you give every ounce of effort to the sport.
The American system that I am used to is a great way to develop athletes, wrestling skill, and fierce competitors. If it wasn’t for the training I had received before my trip to Ossetia, I wouldn’t be anywhere near ready to compete with these guys, let alone beat them. However, I have had the honor of training with a great wrestling club that does a lot of smart things when they train. These are things that I wouldn’t have discovered without taking the risk of traveling outside of my own wrestling room to see what else I can do to improve myself and my training. When someone does something smart you pay attention, and try to replicate what was done. The same thing goes for my wrestling. There are a lot of different skills and ideas that I can use in addition to the ones that I am currently using to make one unified, superior product. Making a hybrid system between what I am used to and what I have learned in my short time spent in Russia will yield great results for my career as a competitor, and I’m thankful for having the opportunity to make these adjustments.
All this information and data collecting would only have been possible with the help from the IRTC program and everyone involved with my training. This trip is one of the examples that makes our program stand out from other clubs in the country. While certain clubs send their athletes to a tournament to get a few matches, the IRTC is spending its resources to give the athletes (myself included) a chance to wrestle dozens of simulations while receiving training from the top clubs on earth, several weeks at a time. We are taking the knowledge from first hand experience and applying it to our own training to continue building the ultimate wrestling club. It’s the sacrifices made from our family members, coaches, teammates and donors that allow for such advancements to be made in our club. Without those of you who invest in our journey, our success would be limited. Experiences like these are not only game changers in wrestling, but life changing as well. I have met many great people in Ossetia, and it is all thanks to what the IRTC gave me to accomplish my dreams.
As a last reminder, this upcoming week is the last week of training. Afterward, we will be returning to the United States with plenty of tricks and battle scars to begin our next phase of training.
Enjoy the process,
Zane Richards
Website - www.illinoisrtc.com
Donation Page - click HERE
Twitter - @illiniRTC
Week 1 In the Books
“You have to know when to flex and when to relax.” This is what my friend and long time Belorussian coach said. “Long is loose and loose can be explosive - short is tight and tight will fatigue and cannot explode.” Like everyone of the coaches here he is amazing and filled with great advice.
The general format for the week was two mat workouts on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday and Saturday we played basketball and then saunaed after. Wednesday was a regular sauna while Saturday was a bathhouse style complete with the “leaves”, some dried fish to snack on and some tea to sip.
The practices have been pretty much the same as they have always been. They always start by lining up and respectfully listening to the coach that is going to run practice. After the coach goes over specific points of emphasis, there is about 15 minutes of tumbling and active dynamic warm up followed by some drilling and situational wrestling. Every practice has included greco drilling and greco live followed by parterre work. For those that don't "believe in greco" you might want to take notice when one of the most powerful freestyle pockets in the world rely so heavily on it. We may also play foot tag or do some scramble drills but they are mixed in and different each practice. After the hour long "warm-up", the mats are cleared and the matches begin. Since this is one of the main national preparation camps for the Yarygin, those that are wrestling in the Yarygin wrestle in the first two rounds and those that are not follow after. We could do up to three matches but every day has had the same format.
The practices have been pretty much the same as they have always been. They always start by lining up and respectfully listening to the coach that is going to run practice. After the coach goes over specific points of emphasis, there is about 15 minutes of tumbling and active dynamic warm up followed by some drilling and situational wrestling. Every practice has included greco drilling and greco live followed by parterre work. For those that don't "believe in greco" you might want to take notice when one of the most powerful freestyle pockets in the world rely so heavily on it. We may also play foot tag or do some scramble drills but they are mixed in and different each practice. After the hour long "warm-up", the mats are cleared and the matches begin. Since this is one of the main national preparation camps for the Yarygin, those that are wrestling in the Yarygin wrestle in the first two rounds and those that are not follow after. We could do up to three matches but every day has had the same format.
A note on the matches: there is amazing competition as expected. But the one thing that is most prevalent is how offensive they force themselves to be throughout matches. The wrestlers do not take shots just to be offensive, but they utilize calculated attacks without the fear and stress that comes with trying to win a specific match. No one's keeping score and both athletes are looking for the next position to score from. The focus is drawn to winning each moment as apposed to the entire match.
After the matches everyone just goes and does there own thing. Some coaches grab athletes and work one on one. Some athletes get more live in or do some situations on their own. There is freedom to work on what you feel is your deficiency and the room is open as long as you are willing to work. What amazes me is the level of consistency and passion. It doesn’t seem like a sprint or this overwhelming burden to get ready for any particular tournament. Every single point scored isn’t validation of who they are, or are not, as a wrestler. There is consistent passion driven pace to their wrestling that charges the internal drive to be better than you think you could.
“There is also another problem some Americans have with wrestling - they flex incorrectly. When you grab the wrist, the forearm should flex but not the back and the legs. They should be loose and ready to explode. Why flex the neck if the wrist is being held?” I think of all of the young wrestlers I have seen over the years completely tire themselves out because of all the oxygen that is going to their over-stressed muscles. So, knowing how to flex is as important as when. The simplicity of this place is what I love. You know when and how to flex/work and when and how to relax/recover. I think our athletes would benefit from this simplicity. I personally believe the culture of the average wrestler in America does not provide the opportunity for this simplicity without that wrestler first shielding himself, or herself, from the things that will detract them from their biggest aspirations. If being the best in the world is your goal it is perfectly acceptable to make sure you are protecting yourself from things that will take away from the chances of that happening. Flex when it is time, relax when you should, and don’t ever let the two get mixed up.
There are anywhere from 20-25 coaches in the room here at all times. They seem to shift who will be the “head” coach for that day but all play a role and all have a plethora of wrestling knowledge. Watching the coaches, I am amazed at how well they work together for the common goal of Ossetian Wrestling. They do not care if the wrestler is from Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, Slovakia, Greece or America.
This led me to think, what if all of the talented coaches in Illinois got together a few times a year for the sole benefit of Illinois Wrestling? We have the kids; world team members, world medalists, and the best international wrestling state in the country. We have the coaches; I started to list the names of Illinois coaches that I respect but the the list grew to over 30 names and was still going. What is stopping us? Ego? Money? Time? Organization?
When they wrestle here, they wrestle not for Russia, but for Alania. They wrestle for something bigger than their own club, bigger than their own team and bigger than themselves. While their success does bring glory to their family, clubs and personal coaches, the combined net worth of their effort is used to strengthen the infrastructure that leads to future Ossetian success. This is a possibility in our state, as we have all of the raw material to be not just the greatest wrestling state in the country but one of the greatest wrestling pockets in the world. Dagestan, Ossetia, Tehran, Illinois.
Told you I was not completely done with the tangents. Well, for the rest of today we are going to take a walk and see some sights. If you are in Graceland you go to Elvis’ grave-site and if you are in Ossetia you go to pay your respects to one of the most dynamic wrestlers of all time - Besik Kudukhov.
After the matches everyone just goes and does there own thing. Some coaches grab athletes and work one on one. Some athletes get more live in or do some situations on their own. There is freedom to work on what you feel is your deficiency and the room is open as long as you are willing to work. What amazes me is the level of consistency and passion. It doesn’t seem like a sprint or this overwhelming burden to get ready for any particular tournament. Every single point scored isn’t validation of who they are, or are not, as a wrestler. There is consistent passion driven pace to their wrestling that charges the internal drive to be better than you think you could.
“There is also another problem some Americans have with wrestling - they flex incorrectly. When you grab the wrist, the forearm should flex but not the back and the legs. They should be loose and ready to explode. Why flex the neck if the wrist is being held?” I think of all of the young wrestlers I have seen over the years completely tire themselves out because of all the oxygen that is going to their over-stressed muscles. So, knowing how to flex is as important as when. The simplicity of this place is what I love. You know when and how to flex/work and when and how to relax/recover. I think our athletes would benefit from this simplicity. I personally believe the culture of the average wrestler in America does not provide the opportunity for this simplicity without that wrestler first shielding himself, or herself, from the things that will detract them from their biggest aspirations. If being the best in the world is your goal it is perfectly acceptable to make sure you are protecting yourself from things that will take away from the chances of that happening. Flex when it is time, relax when you should, and don’t ever let the two get mixed up.
There are anywhere from 20-25 coaches in the room here at all times. They seem to shift who will be the “head” coach for that day but all play a role and all have a plethora of wrestling knowledge. Watching the coaches, I am amazed at how well they work together for the common goal of Ossetian Wrestling. They do not care if the wrestler is from Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, Slovakia, Greece or America.
This led me to think, what if all of the talented coaches in Illinois got together a few times a year for the sole benefit of Illinois Wrestling? We have the kids; world team members, world medalists, and the best international wrestling state in the country. We have the coaches; I started to list the names of Illinois coaches that I respect but the the list grew to over 30 names and was still going. What is stopping us? Ego? Money? Time? Organization?
When they wrestle here, they wrestle not for Russia, but for Alania. They wrestle for something bigger than their own club, bigger than their own team and bigger than themselves. While their success does bring glory to their family, clubs and personal coaches, the combined net worth of their effort is used to strengthen the infrastructure that leads to future Ossetian success. This is a possibility in our state, as we have all of the raw material to be not just the greatest wrestling state in the country but one of the greatest wrestling pockets in the world. Dagestan, Ossetia, Tehran, Illinois.
Told you I was not completely done with the tangents. Well, for the rest of today we are going to take a walk and see some sights. If you are in Graceland you go to Elvis’ grave-site and if you are in Ossetia you go to pay your respects to one of the most dynamic wrestlers of all time - Besik Kudukhov.
Here's to another great week of training and being involved in this great sport of ours.
Until next time,
Coach Medlin
Website - www.illinoisrtc.com
Donation Page - click HERE
Twitter - @illiniRTC
To Russia with the IRTC
While I was in the Marine Corps Infantry I had staff sergeant who did his best to keep me on the right path by “learning” me to do things right. Whether they offended my delicate and sensitive nature, did not affect his willingness to sharing his philosophies. One thing he told me that stuck is that “you never shoot a large caliber man with a small caliber bullet”. It has been something that has popped up a lot over the years but I tended to see its applications the most is in our sport. Don’t ever underestimate what it's going to take to reach your goals for the next year. Make sure your caliber of training is greater than your aspirations.
Fast forward more years than I want to admit and here I am on a plane headed to North Ossetia in the Caucasus Mountains. For those of you that don’t know the Caucasus region, it is the epicenter of freestyle wrestling in the world. If you want to learn to Thai-box you go to Bangkok, if you want to learn soccer you go to Brazil and if you are training to be the best freestyle wrestler in the world you go to the Vladikavkaz. Vladikavkaz population 300,000 is home to the more world medals than any other part of the world. And after a couple stops in England and Moscow that is where the IRTC will set up camp for the next three weeks.
This will be my third trip there in the past couple years and it has always been an enriching experience where the athletes leave better physically and emotionally and more connected to the great sport of wrestling. If you haven’t been lucky enough to be in these types of rooms the way I explain it to people is… You know that way kids are smiling and joking and playing while messing around before practice? Whether its playing soccer or tag or handball or USA Regional Training Center Sponsored SPIKEBALL, they aren’t thinking of anything but their own enjoyment and all the while they are still staying in the moment. Coaches don’t have to coach this phenomenon. Athletes do this on their own with no one staring over their shoulder making them react a certain way. That is how practice is in Vladikavkaz - that is how the whole practice is. This small Ossetian community has developed a championship breeding culture from thousands of years perfecting the way they train combat athletes. This culture breeds inventiveness, a constant progression, and a general love the sport of wrestling. It is not “easy” but it is enjoyable. It is not “fun” but it is rewarding. It is nothing to see 2016 Olympic Champion Soslan Romanov grab a youngster and drill with him after his match or Alan Zaseev wrestle a brawl of a match and then turn around and hug and laugh with his opponent as they cool down jogging.
Not to sound too preachy, but something that I find disturbing is that while our sport is truly beautiful with many life altering positive characteristics it is viewed by many of its participants as a burden. Something to be gotten through so the rest of their “life” can be enjoyed. Tragically referred to as “the grind” this sport will never be easy but that is the main reason it is so rewarding. Violent chess; where you must out think and out maneuver an equally sized opponent with nothing but your experience and your earned athleticism. The time you are lucky enough to call yourself a wrestler should be celebrated and viewed as a gift and it is the reason we have chosen to travel 6000 miles to have the IRTC January Camp.
Well that is enough of the tangents (for now).
Tomorrow we will end in Vladikavkaz and have a Sauna and get the body ready to scrap the day after. Before I end, I want to thank the sponsors of the Illinois Regional Training Center. Without your generous support we would never have been afforded the opportunity to chase the dreams of being the best in the world to all corners of the world. If you haven’t done so, I strongly urge you to join this great organization to continue to help Illinois most promising stars have an opportunity to succeed on the World and Olympic level.
I will be trying to do at least weekly updates so until next time - have a great weekend and good luck to everyone competing - enjoy the fight and enjoy your time in this great sport.
Coach Medlin
Website - www.illinoisrtc.com
Donation Page - click HERE
Twitter - @illiniRTC
Fast forward more years than I want to admit and here I am on a plane headed to North Ossetia in the Caucasus Mountains. For those of you that don’t know the Caucasus region, it is the epicenter of freestyle wrestling in the world. If you want to learn to Thai-box you go to Bangkok, if you want to learn soccer you go to Brazil and if you are training to be the best freestyle wrestler in the world you go to the Vladikavkaz. Vladikavkaz population 300,000 is home to the more world medals than any other part of the world. And after a couple stops in England and Moscow that is where the IRTC will set up camp for the next three weeks.
This will be my third trip there in the past couple years and it has always been an enriching experience where the athletes leave better physically and emotionally and more connected to the great sport of wrestling. If you haven’t been lucky enough to be in these types of rooms the way I explain it to people is… You know that way kids are smiling and joking and playing while messing around before practice? Whether its playing soccer or tag or handball or USA Regional Training Center Sponsored SPIKEBALL, they aren’t thinking of anything but their own enjoyment and all the while they are still staying in the moment. Coaches don’t have to coach this phenomenon. Athletes do this on their own with no one staring over their shoulder making them react a certain way. That is how practice is in Vladikavkaz - that is how the whole practice is. This small Ossetian community has developed a championship breeding culture from thousands of years perfecting the way they train combat athletes. This culture breeds inventiveness, a constant progression, and a general love the sport of wrestling. It is not “easy” but it is enjoyable. It is not “fun” but it is rewarding. It is nothing to see 2016 Olympic Champion Soslan Romanov grab a youngster and drill with him after his match or Alan Zaseev wrestle a brawl of a match and then turn around and hug and laugh with his opponent as they cool down jogging.
Not to sound too preachy, but something that I find disturbing is that while our sport is truly beautiful with many life altering positive characteristics it is viewed by many of its participants as a burden. Something to be gotten through so the rest of their “life” can be enjoyed. Tragically referred to as “the grind” this sport will never be easy but that is the main reason it is so rewarding. Violent chess; where you must out think and out maneuver an equally sized opponent with nothing but your experience and your earned athleticism. The time you are lucky enough to call yourself a wrestler should be celebrated and viewed as a gift and it is the reason we have chosen to travel 6000 miles to have the IRTC January Camp.
Well that is enough of the tangents (for now).
Tomorrow we will end in Vladikavkaz and have a Sauna and get the body ready to scrap the day after. Before I end, I want to thank the sponsors of the Illinois Regional Training Center. Without your generous support we would never have been afforded the opportunity to chase the dreams of being the best in the world to all corners of the world. If you haven’t done so, I strongly urge you to join this great organization to continue to help Illinois most promising stars have an opportunity to succeed on the World and Olympic level.
I will be trying to do at least weekly updates so until next time - have a great weekend and good luck to everyone competing - enjoy the fight and enjoy your time in this great sport.
Coach Medlin
Website - www.illinoisrtc.com
Donation Page - click HERE
Twitter - @illiniRTC
IRTC Update Post World Club's Cup
IRTC Members and Supporters,
The World’s Club Cup in Tehran, Iran. A dual team pool format tournament with some of the greatest wrestlers in the world. Isaiah was all set to compete for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, the defending champions and the premiere wrestling club in the United States. That is until he became ill at the end of the week and was forced to pull out the night before we were scheduled to depart for Iran. After the Iowa dual, it was determined that Isaiah would not be allowed to travel because of his illness. As you can imagine, he took this news pretty hard but has used the experience to motivate himself. Not all experiences have to end on a positive note to help you gain a better perspective. Not being able to compete when he wanted to so badly has helped him remember that wrestling is a privilege. When you get the opportunity to do what you love you should cherish every second because it can all be taken away just as fast.
I would like to thank Titan Mercury for all of their hard work and dedication to the sport of wrestling. You couldn’t believe all of the man hours it takes to put something like this together, and in Iran no less. With all of the pieces that have to fit correctly together, I am in awe that they take on this challenge every year. Everyone from their travel coordinator to their coaching staff are world class people and we hope that they have much continued success. Since the tournament, Isaiah has fully recovered, caught up on his studies and has put the blinders on with nothing but the Midland’s Tournament in his sights.
As for the IRTC, we are currently training for the upcoming winter tournament season. Zane Richards is healthy for the first time in a long time and is looking as sharp as ever. At the end of the month he is off to Vladikavkaz, Ossetia for a three week training camp in one of the greatest training environments in the world. This small part of the world has produced more medals in freestyle wrestling than any other by a landslide. Since the Yarygin Tournament is set for the end of the month the gyms in Ossetia will be electric with excitement and we look forward to a great few weeks. At the end of the training phase, he will compete in a series of duals in Ossetia and Dagestan just to add a little more excitement to an already amazing trip. As a long time member of the Illinois wrestling community, it is exciting to see this young man get these opportunities. This is truly what the IRTC should be used for; to give the best in Illinois world class training so that they may have the opportunity to compete for world and Olympic titles.
Finally, the IRTC would like to wish the Illinois Wrestling Family happy holidays. May your travel be safe, your scales be light and your time with family and friends be enjoyable. Thank you to all that have become active members of the IRTC by donating.
Until next time,
Coach Medlin
The World’s Club Cup in Tehran, Iran. A dual team pool format tournament with some of the greatest wrestlers in the world. Isaiah was all set to compete for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, the defending champions and the premiere wrestling club in the United States. That is until he became ill at the end of the week and was forced to pull out the night before we were scheduled to depart for Iran. After the Iowa dual, it was determined that Isaiah would not be allowed to travel because of his illness. As you can imagine, he took this news pretty hard but has used the experience to motivate himself. Not all experiences have to end on a positive note to help you gain a better perspective. Not being able to compete when he wanted to so badly has helped him remember that wrestling is a privilege. When you get the opportunity to do what you love you should cherish every second because it can all be taken away just as fast.
I would like to thank Titan Mercury for all of their hard work and dedication to the sport of wrestling. You couldn’t believe all of the man hours it takes to put something like this together, and in Iran no less. With all of the pieces that have to fit correctly together, I am in awe that they take on this challenge every year. Everyone from their travel coordinator to their coaching staff are world class people and we hope that they have much continued success. Since the tournament, Isaiah has fully recovered, caught up on his studies and has put the blinders on with nothing but the Midland’s Tournament in his sights.
As for the IRTC, we are currently training for the upcoming winter tournament season. Zane Richards is healthy for the first time in a long time and is looking as sharp as ever. At the end of the month he is off to Vladikavkaz, Ossetia for a three week training camp in one of the greatest training environments in the world. This small part of the world has produced more medals in freestyle wrestling than any other by a landslide. Since the Yarygin Tournament is set for the end of the month the gyms in Ossetia will be electric with excitement and we look forward to a great few weeks. At the end of the training phase, he will compete in a series of duals in Ossetia and Dagestan just to add a little more excitement to an already amazing trip. As a long time member of the Illinois wrestling community, it is exciting to see this young man get these opportunities. This is truly what the IRTC should be used for; to give the best in Illinois world class training so that they may have the opportunity to compete for world and Olympic titles.
Finally, the IRTC would like to wish the Illinois Wrestling Family happy holidays. May your travel be safe, your scales be light and your time with family and friends be enjoyable. Thank you to all that have become active members of the IRTC by donating.
Until next time,
Coach Medlin
U23 World Championships - Bydboszcz, Poland
IRTC Members and Supporters,
We just got back from Bydgoszcz, Poland for the U23 World Championships and I just wanted to send out some key points from our trip so you could share in our experience. I hope you enjoy.
The “official” start to this journey was on November 20th. When most people were headed back home to enjoy time with friends and family for Thanksgiving we started our journey across the pond. But the real journey started 3.5 months before when preparations began for the trials and the subsequent world championships. It was known that in order for Isaiah to accomplish his very lofty goal of becoming a world champion we were going to have to be all encompassing with his training. I will save you a few hours of reading by omitting the details of the past few months but I do think we actively swept out each corner and can live with the satisfaction that the training was approached the correct way with the correct intentions.
Back to the trip: On November 20th we took off from Champaign and after a couple plane rides and a 4 hour bus ride we arrived in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Since he was going to be the last day of competition he had a couple days to train, make weight, and get acclimated to the climate and the time zone. I feel that the USA Wrestling staff did a great job of making sure all of the athletes had exactly what they needed to be successful. I think we all owe Teague Moore, Bill Zadick, Paul Kieblesz and Joe Russell a sincere thank you for taking care of all of the details from training facilities to dinner plans. They made sure everything was in order so the athletes could focus solely on doing well in the tournament. They even arranged for us to have a Thanksgiving meal together, complete with turkey and stuffing. They are all amazing individuals and are big reasons why USA Wrestling has gained so much momentum the last few years.
I think if you are reading this you already understand that Isaiah took 5th in the tournament. He dropped a very close and hard fought match to Russia's Gadzhi Nabiev, the eventual champ, 6-5 in the first round. After that match he defeated the Lithuanian and the Kazakhstan wrestlers, both by technical fall, to reach the bronze medal match. In the bronze medal match Isaiah was defeated by the European Champion Kentchadze from the Republic of Georgia. Most of the time in our sport we read results and they tell the majority of the story. I would say that is not the case with this trip. Everything from the travel, to the food, to the opponents, to the style and flow of the tournament were all new to Isaiah. While I can’t say that it went perfect I can say that he approached each step of the way with a perfect attitude. It is not easy to say that you want to be a world champion, a full time student, a captain of a big ten wrestling team and all the while doing everything possible to end at the top of the podium in March. But it is unfathomably not easy to do all of those things when you have such an unwavering internal expectation of your effort and results.
We have a strong role model for the youth of Illinois in Isaiah Martinez. He is a consummate worker, a student of the sport and a person with a steadfast value system that guides him to academic and athletic success. Elite athletes don’t become elite by winning they become elite by holding themselves to a superior standard than their competitors. While he didn't get the shiny gold medal that he wanted, he did get something that will allow him to build himself up for next time and that is more valuable for him at this point in his career.
Next up for the IRTC is the World Club Cup in Tehran, Iran next week. Isaiah will be competing for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club and will get to compete against four of the best wrestlers in the world while competing with some of the best wrestlers in America. After the World Club Cup, we will return for a few weeks and then IRTC athlete Zane Richards will be off to Vladikavkaz, Russia for a three week training camp that will officially start his bid for the 2018 USA World Team.
Finally, I want to send a special thank you to all that have joined the Illinois Regional Training Center by donating and I encourage anyone that hasn’t to please do so. Without the dedication from our loyal members, we would not be able to give these athletes the best training and competition opportunities possible.
Thank you all and until next time,
Coach Medlin
We just got back from Bydgoszcz, Poland for the U23 World Championships and I just wanted to send out some key points from our trip so you could share in our experience. I hope you enjoy.
The “official” start to this journey was on November 20th. When most people were headed back home to enjoy time with friends and family for Thanksgiving we started our journey across the pond. But the real journey started 3.5 months before when preparations began for the trials and the subsequent world championships. It was known that in order for Isaiah to accomplish his very lofty goal of becoming a world champion we were going to have to be all encompassing with his training. I will save you a few hours of reading by omitting the details of the past few months but I do think we actively swept out each corner and can live with the satisfaction that the training was approached the correct way with the correct intentions.
Back to the trip: On November 20th we took off from Champaign and after a couple plane rides and a 4 hour bus ride we arrived in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Since he was going to be the last day of competition he had a couple days to train, make weight, and get acclimated to the climate and the time zone. I feel that the USA Wrestling staff did a great job of making sure all of the athletes had exactly what they needed to be successful. I think we all owe Teague Moore, Bill Zadick, Paul Kieblesz and Joe Russell a sincere thank you for taking care of all of the details from training facilities to dinner plans. They made sure everything was in order so the athletes could focus solely on doing well in the tournament. They even arranged for us to have a Thanksgiving meal together, complete with turkey and stuffing. They are all amazing individuals and are big reasons why USA Wrestling has gained so much momentum the last few years.
I think if you are reading this you already understand that Isaiah took 5th in the tournament. He dropped a very close and hard fought match to Russia's Gadzhi Nabiev, the eventual champ, 6-5 in the first round. After that match he defeated the Lithuanian and the Kazakhstan wrestlers, both by technical fall, to reach the bronze medal match. In the bronze medal match Isaiah was defeated by the European Champion Kentchadze from the Republic of Georgia. Most of the time in our sport we read results and they tell the majority of the story. I would say that is not the case with this trip. Everything from the travel, to the food, to the opponents, to the style and flow of the tournament were all new to Isaiah. While I can’t say that it went perfect I can say that he approached each step of the way with a perfect attitude. It is not easy to say that you want to be a world champion, a full time student, a captain of a big ten wrestling team and all the while doing everything possible to end at the top of the podium in March. But it is unfathomably not easy to do all of those things when you have such an unwavering internal expectation of your effort and results.
We have a strong role model for the youth of Illinois in Isaiah Martinez. He is a consummate worker, a student of the sport and a person with a steadfast value system that guides him to academic and athletic success. Elite athletes don’t become elite by winning they become elite by holding themselves to a superior standard than their competitors. While he didn't get the shiny gold medal that he wanted, he did get something that will allow him to build himself up for next time and that is more valuable for him at this point in his career.
Next up for the IRTC is the World Club Cup in Tehran, Iran next week. Isaiah will be competing for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club and will get to compete against four of the best wrestlers in the world while competing with some of the best wrestlers in America. After the World Club Cup, we will return for a few weeks and then IRTC athlete Zane Richards will be off to Vladikavkaz, Russia for a three week training camp that will officially start his bid for the 2018 USA World Team.
Finally, I want to send a special thank you to all that have joined the Illinois Regional Training Center by donating and I encourage anyone that hasn’t to please do so. Without the dedication from our loyal members, we would not be able to give these athletes the best training and competition opportunities possible.
Thank you all and until next time,
Coach Medlin