What are you thankful for?

Thanks Giving is a time to spend with family and love ones, I pray you are doing that, or if you are reading this after thanksgiving I pray that you did that. Family is not perfect and times we want to avoid being with them but remember that that everyday is a gift from God and being able to do what you love to do is by his grace.

This thanksgiving we are away from home and immediate families. For me that means I am missing my wife and children, face-time helps but missing them all the same on the holiday.

I am so blessed because I get to be with my extended family, all the sons and brothers of the Greco-Roman family that are here with me in Baku.

We woke to today to and went to the gym and trained. I am thankful that I had this opportunity to do what I love to do. I was on the wrestling mats working with elite US wrestlers training along side the best wrestlers from many different nations.

This is the day we list all the things we are thankful for and reflect about how blessed we all are, so today I want you to think about what person in in your life this past year are you most thankful for and why?

For me it’s my amazing wife Angie. She supports and loves me. She understands me and understands that I am on a mission to create a legacy in Greco-Roman wrestling in this country. She understands that we may not always get to be together on holidays. When we are back together we enjoy each other company.

What experiences are you most grateful for this past year and what have you learned?

For me it was the chance to lead the US Greco-Roman team in the world championships in the US. As an athlete I never got to compete in the worlds in the US in 2001 the worlds were scheduled to take place in NY City in mid September. On 9-11-2001 we all remember what happened in NY that changed the world forever.

I learned that I want our team to compete in the US every year. I also learned that the men on US Greco-Roman team are fighters and they will give everything they have on the mats, win or loose.

What life lesson have you learned this year?

I’ve learned and I am still learning to slow down and take time to make decisions. Think more about all the different angles I can attack a challenge. I personal pride on being a take action guy. If there is something I want I start attacking and figure out how I am going to attack as I get going. This past year I have really start planning and strategizing how I am going to attack more. I still what to move forward and take action, but there is always time to think and plan so at least I know I am heading in the right direction.

Take the time to be with friends and family that’s what’s important in life. Take time to be grateful for the people, the experiences and the lessons that come into your life.

I am grateful to be here in Baku with the US Greco-Roman team training and competing. We are just getting started.

Building a legacy, movie night at OTC

We have the theater reserved for 7pm Thursday December 3rd

We are showing a favorite film of mine “I AM”

Park at the Bolder street entrance near the visitors center at the Olympic Training Center

I want to invite the entire Greco program. Current athletes young and old, veteran athletes, USA wrestling staff, coaches, volunteers and anyone who is apart of the wrestling family, or wants to be apart of the Greco program that lives here in Colorado, kids, parents, spouses family members bring them all.

I may not have everyone’s email so please help me spread the word. Since I am planning this from Baku I will not be making calls so let someone, know about this and join us.

The Greco team is all over the world right now some in Finland and others in Azerbaijan training and competing. We will all be back by the 30th of November. That first week back will be a rest week for all the athletes that have been traveling.

Before me there were some great Greco-Roman US wrestlers. The teams I was on had awesome Greco wrestlers. The generation after me was apart of that amazing team in 2007 that won the world championships in Baku.

The goal is not only to be the best team in the world, it’s to be the best team in the world consistently. To build the legacy of Greco-Roman in this country. To build a program that others want to be apart of athletes, donors, media, sponsors and fans. We are moving in the right direction but there is still a lot of work ahead.

You build a legacy by cultivating the right culture, leadership, expectations, beliefs, mindset, relationships and habits before you ever step on the mat. Culture drives expectations and beliefs; expectations and beliefs drive behavior; behavior drives habits; and habits create this future.

It all starts with building the right culture.

I love the sport of Greco-Roman, not only do I think it’s tougher, and more fun than the other styles of wrestling or MMA. I also think it’s a better product and more exciting, especially when we perform the way we did in Las Vegas at the world championships, fighting for every point and leaving it all on the mat.

We may not have gotten the results we wanted but the attitude and effort was there. This is something we can build on.