April 29 2008 After the US Open.
I went into the US Open seeded 3rd knowing I have never placed in this tournament before. I knew that I was the best wrestler in the bracket. I knew that I could beat everyone in the bracket. Before the tournament I was coming off a win at University Nationals – being named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. I also had 2 weeks of training down in Naperville, IL at the Overtime School of Wrestling with the best men from the NYAC freestyle wrestling club. I was physically prepared and ready to go. However I learned that being physically ready is not everything. Wrestling is a lot more mental than one would think. I won my first match 3-3 and 3-0 and felt great. I moved really well my shots were on… I was ready to go. My next match was against a guy I have never lost to before. Unfortunately, I played into his game of not wrestling – making it a one shot match and lost. Poor move on my part. All I needed to do was turn it into a wrestling match and I would have won. The next match I did the same thing – wrestling a guy that I have beaten before. It took me a period to get warmed up, but when I did – I attacked and scored. I was winning the final period 1-1 with 13 seconds left and that when I made the mental mistake of taking a bad shot and my tournament was over. Here is my record against the top 8 finishers
1 0-0
2 2-1
3 3-1
4 0-2
5 1-0
6 1-0
7 2-3
8 3-1
My past shows that I have the ability to beat all these wrestlers, but I have to be in the right mind set. I have to step out there and out-wrestle my opponents. Making it a wrestling match and not falling into their plans of just standing around and making it a one point match. I have nothing to lose at this point. If I choose to and wrestle my best I will be wrestling in the Olympic Games. I do not look at my performance at the US Nationals a failure. I am disappointed in it, but I know I did not get beat by people who were better or out-wrestled me. I beat my self by holding back and not going after my goal. These next few weeks in my training I will be getting ready to let loose. And to train my self for when I wrestle that it be with everything I have. And finally, to wrestle to reach my goal which is to be on the Olympic Team. Until next time, take care everyone.
Jake