WEBVTT
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Right.
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Well, welcome to the Small Town Legends podcast.
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Today we have Bo Piper, and he is from Peonia, Colorado, a town of uh 1,500 people.
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He is a three-time Colorado State wrestling champion and a one-time runner-up.
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That was his freshman year.
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He he held the Colorado all-time pin leader until not too long ago, but he had 31 or 131 pins in 170 matches.
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Um, and he helped his team, uh, Peonia have two team titles in wrestling.
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And he wrestled at Penn State, uh, primary rallied around 157 pounds.
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And not only that, his dad was the coach, his dad is a Hall of Fame coach.
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Uh, he coached for Peonia for 21 years, leading them to five state championships.
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So, welcome, Bo.
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Thanks.
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Um, man, you did a great job in high school.
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You you have a lot to uh that we can draw from, and I'm excited to get this out to other small towns.
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And some of the questions I'm gonna have, um, obviously you're gonna be Penn State because I looked at your wrestling room that you had to wrestle against, and and just being in the same weight as Jason Knolf was that had to be crazy, right?
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Yeah, yeah, a lot of a lot of fun practices.
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Was he as intense at practice as he is everywhere else?
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Or yeah, I'd say whenever you wrestled Jason in practice, it was gonna be you know 100% the whole time and not a whole lot of a lot of let up, so uh just like his matches, I'd say.
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That was crazy.
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But let's let's start with your high school career.
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Um, obviously, wrestling's part of the family, and you have brothers?
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Uh, I had an older sister, no brother, sister, no brothers.
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So um, and your dad was your coach.
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So in high school, how did you manage to be that good?
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I mean, you had the record, the pin record.
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How'd you manage?
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What was it in high school that helped you be that good of a wrestler?
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What'd you do?
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Um, well, I guess uh the main thing is I had really good coaching.
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Uh, obviously, my dad taught me everything in wrestling, so uh kind of very fortunate there.
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And then not only that, but I had great teammates.
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And so we, you know, most of my high school teammates, we all grew up wrestling together from the time we were tiny.
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Uh, and I think wrestling is one of those sports where uh your teammates are really gonna, you know, be a huge part of how good you are.
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Uh, and so those were probably the two biggest things um with my high school wrestling success was just good coaching and and good teammates.
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Yeah, and I agree.
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Uh, sometimes in the smaller towns, that is a hard like uh we had uh Titus on one of our shows who's a coach at a junior college, and uh his wrestling room wasn't as good as yours.
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You guys won the state uh championship twice, so you obviously had a good room.
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But what was it that so I have a younger brother and he coaches his kids in wrestling and golf and and baseball?
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What what does what are some things that your dad did that really helped you as a high school kid to push yourself?
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Um, probably a lot of things.
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I think, especially in wrestling, the most important thing he did was uh he just always told me to have fun.
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Um every time I went out to wrestle a match from the time I was little until you know all the way through the end of college.
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Uh anytime I talked to my dad right before match, he'd tell me to just go have fun.
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Uh that was kind of kind of the end of it.
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There wasn't a whole lot of uh other stuff going into a match or or anything.
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It was just have fun.
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And I think that helps, especially in a sport like wrestling where uh there's a little bit of pressure just because it's uh an individual sport.
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And so yeah, he just always told me to have fun and and then yeah, let me go have fun, I guess.
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Gotcha.
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Well, did um so did you guys wrestle around since he was a wrestler, he was a good wrestler as well.
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I think I I think he was uh uh an all-American as well, four-time all-American uh national champ as well in '91.
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So did you guys wrestle around quite a bit?
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Uh yeah, growing up, I mean, not just wrestling, but he would just take me to practices all over so I could, you know, wrestle with other kids too.
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Uh me and my sister would actually wrestle a lot when we were really little.
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Uh, she would beat me up, but uh my dad never let her wrestle.
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Um, but well, until college, but she'd never done it before then.
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Um, so her and I used to wrestle, but uh yeah, me and my dad would roll around a little bit.
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Yeah, uh ladies' wrestling is is actually exploded, it seems like lately, which is kind of cool.
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So she must have been tough.
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Yeah, that kind of household for sure.
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So um, so let's go, let's kind of dig down a little bit.
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What were some of the things that you did workout wise and high school um to get ready for your matches or just to be uh ready in general?
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Um, are you thinking like in-season practice-wise or off-season stuff?
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Or let's do both.
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Let's start with with off-season, like when you're not wrestling.
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Of course, wrestling, I don't know if it was year-round for you or uh as much as you can in a small town, right?
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Right.
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That's what changes.
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I was a three-sport athlete, so you always just had the next sport, right?
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Uh, and a lot of people are because small towns they need everybody.
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Yep.
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Um, but what were some of the things that you did to get ready for a season?
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And then we'll we'll talk about in-season stuff.
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Uh yeah, in high school, I'd say in the off seasons, I'd typically get a lot of matches, whether it was, you know, tournaments that were happening um after the high school season, or uh you could always get around here, there's a lot of good wrestling camps, uh, a lot of good team camps.
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So you could get a ton of matches going to those and and just you know, trying to get as much mad experience as you can.
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Uh, and then another thing would be just you know traveling around.
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Uh, like you mentioned, in a small town, a lot of your teammates are doing other sports at different times of the year.
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Uh, so you kind of have to travel a little more when you're out here on the western slope if you're trying to wrestle at those different times of year.
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Uh, so I was fortunate to have some good partners, you know, in Grand Junction and and kind of a round that I could travel to, and they would travel up this way and and we could roll.
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So you've done mindset stuff in college, I'm assuming.
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Yeah.
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What would you um tell your young self now that you've been the Penn State, which is the pinnacle, especially when you went?
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Um, I mean, they crushing it.
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Um, what would you tell yourself just to help out a kid?
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What would be some things that you tell mindset-wise?
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Oh, that's a tough one.
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Um I don't know what I'd what I'd tell myself um exactly.
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I would say, you know, kind of the things my dad was already telling me at the time is just have fun, you know, it's wrestling, have fun, give your best effort, and then uh yeah, just go get what you want.
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I think that was those are kind of the main the main three things growing up.
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And then those were kind of the main three things when I got to college.
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It was just uh when I got a little older, I was able to to think about it a little bit more.
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Cool, cool.
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Did you do any vision stuff like I used to do a little bit of it, um, just think about a match or think about where I wanted to go that year, uh, if I uh wanted to be a state champ, kind of stuff.
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Um, did you ever do any vision stuff like that or takedowns or or anything like that?
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Uh in c in college, you know, kind of focusing on those goals and writing that stuff out.
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Uh as far as high school goes, I would just say I guess I was either constantly visualizing it or I wasn't because I don't really I don't recall you know intentionally doing it, but yeah, every time season was coming up or matches were coming up, it was yeah, I'm gonna go out there and and beat this guy up.
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That was kind of kind of the fun part of it.
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So it seems like you wrestled relaxed.
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There wasn't pressure because I've seen I've seen parents put a lot of pressure on their kids.
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Yeah.
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If if they didn't perform like they wanted them to, and they're coming off demand, whoa, you know, that that just puts too much pressure and it messes up that relationship.
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It sounds like you had a real good relationship with your dad, and there wasn't, it was just fun.
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Yeah, yeah.
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I mean, when I was losing it, it wasn't fun, but I was never, you know, getting scolded for losing.
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Uh, if I was, you know, if I maybe hung my head or was crying out there, because I'd cry sometimes when I was little in wrestling, yeah.
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Uh, I'd get in trouble for those things, but you know, I never came off the mat and and got in trouble for doing something, some technique wrong or for uh losing a match.
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You know, my dad would get on me if he didn't think I was giving my best effort, but outside of that, it was you know, good job, keep getting better.
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Yep.
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Yeah, and uh there's uh as I've my daughters are all graduated, and there seems to be a uh a perfect level of that pushing them but not pushing them too hard.
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And it sounds like your dad had uh, and probably your mom as well.
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So I think she was.
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I read um that she was an athlete too, or was that your sister?
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Uh both, yeah.
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Perfect.
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Well, let's get into probably what everyone wants in here, um, to know what the Penn State wrestling room was like, and and I think even even I played football in Adams State University was uh the school was bigger in my town, so it was a whole mind shift for me.
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Um, so what was that like?
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You're you're you've watched these guys, it might be different because it seemed like you that was your team.
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I think I read something, and that was your team.
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I think it was when your your junior year or something, they had something on you, and that was your team.
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And now did they recruit you or did you go to them?
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Um, how did that work first?
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Uh, I guess a little bit of both.
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Um my senior year, I was kind of getting recruited, and maybe a little bit my junior year.
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I don't I didn't pay attention a whole lot.
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Um, my dad would kind of just tell coaches, yeah, he's gonna finish high school wrestling and then uh decide what he where he wants to wrestle after that.
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Uh and so my dad really kind of didn't have me do any of that leading up to my senior year, um, and even like through the state tournament my senior year.
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So I hadn't really talked to a whole lot of coaches or anything.
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Uh, I think at the beginning of my senior year, my dad had, you know, emailed Coach Kale or reached out and said, hey, uh, just kind of let him know it was my senior year and I was about to, you know, finish up high school.
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Uh, and then didn't hear back for a long time.
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And then, you know, after state tournament my senior year, Coach Kale reached back out.
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Uh, and then, you know, I had talked to a few other colleges at that time around here uh and a few other Division I schools, but uh once I went out and visited there, kind of uh felt like an easy decision.
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Yeah, what was that visit like?
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Uh what how'd that how'd that go for you?
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Uh it was kind of an interesting time because it was it was like right before the Olympic trials, I think, that year in 2016.
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Uh so basically just me and my dad flew out there and you know went to dinner with the coaches and uh yeah, I don't know, it felt surreal at the time, and even thinking back, it it kind of feels that way.
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Uh but you know, we watched practice and some workouts and yeah, it was uh it was cool, but after seeing it, it was uh hard to think about wrestling anywhere else.
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Oh, I'm sure.
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I'm sure.
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Did you visit any other schools or was that the only one?
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Uh some unofficial visits, but that was my only, I guess I'd probably my only official visit.
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I'm not, I don't remember doing another one.
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So yeah, that would I I I imagine uh I would it's crazy though, just small town you're going to the biggest program in wrestling.
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There is there is there isn't a better program out there right now than than Ben State, even at the time, were they on five national championships by the time you got there, or uh something?
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Four maybe, you know, five, yeah, somewhere in there, four or five.
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Maybe all the wrestlers we were watching, you know, Bo Nichols and and Jason Knopf and and and what was it, Mark Hall, and and I think your weight class was was Joseph.
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Uh no, I was above that, wasn't he?
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Oh, Zayn, rougher, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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That's a crazy that's I can't even imagine um being in that room being with that much talent all the time.
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So take us into the wrestling room.
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What is it uh in that wrestling room that might help uh high school coaches from small town towns?
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Um, what is it in a wrestling room that that Kel does?
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Because he's from Utah, which I think is cool.
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I can't remember I remember wrestling at the Warrior, and I thought he was there.
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Yeah, they wasat used to go.
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I think he wrestled there a couple times.
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Yeah, because I remember so I do remember.
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I think I I placed fifth at the war, so we had to stick around.
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Um and uh and he was wrestling another guy, a four uh ended up being a four-time state champion.
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It was a two-to-one match.
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It was crazy.
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I didn't know who he was because back in those days we didn't have social media, but I just knew everyone was watching that match, and it was a big deal.
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My that's my claim to fame.
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Yours is yours is much better.
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But what is it that he does?
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How does he develop his his athletes?
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Um, yeah, that's a big question.
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Uh I'd say there's probably any trade secrets, but just yeah, want to help small towns get better.
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Yeah, I would say there's there's no one thing.
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Uh, I'd say the most important thing is just who he is as a person.
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Uh you know, very light.
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He doesn't, you know, make things too serious for you.
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Uh, and he just uh I think the way they handle things in the room, all the coaching staff is they're just honest, good people.
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And uh I think the biggest lesson is you know, that's who you are.
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It's just gonna translate to success for whoever you're trying to help.
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Uh and so I think that's a big part of it.
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And then, yeah, there was always a lot of mindset stuff.
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We would Coach Kale would, you know, give us some talks before practice, and then I would just say, yeah, it was always fun.
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You know, it was never, you know, the coaches there always kept it fun, and I think that's the most important thing, especially in wrestling.
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It seems like that's a theme throughout your wrestling career is is fun.
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Um, and I think that's important.
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Uh sometimes uh there's too much pressure on kids, and I think they explode from not having fun.
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Um so what is it?
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Uh so what were some of the things like um technique wise?
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Did you guys do a lot of technique?
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Did you do a lot of conditioning?
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I I've I've heard it said, and I think it was true, and I can't remember um who's the guy that uh Mr.
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Funk that started all the weird wrestling stuff that we see now.
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Yes, yeah, I think it was him.
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He was evaluating Penn State in Iowa, and he was looking at the Iowa wrestlers at the end of the year, and all of them needed taped up, they're hurt, all that kind of stuff.
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And it just seems like Penn State's wrestlers are just they're hitting their groove when it comes time to to the end of the year.
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Um, so it seems I don't know what the difference was.
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He he said that Iowa seems like they just push their kids too hard and they break towards the end of the year.
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I don't know.
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He knows more stuff than I do.
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But uh how do they do that for you guys as a um to keep you guys at the peak performance at the end of the year?
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Um, you know, I would say just the entire coaching staff while I was there.
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It was um all of our training was very intentional, uh, whether it was a you know a hard practice day or a lighter day or an off day, uh it was all you know, I'm sure it was planned out, you know, probably more than a year in advance, whenever you know we got our schedule.
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Uh I think coaches did a really good job of just you know planning the entire season and then evaluating as you go and making maybe small adjustments and you know, trying to keep everyone you know feeling their best by the end of the year.
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Uh did they um just develop a wrestler?
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Because it it seems like uh when I read Dan Gable's book, he's a very intense guy.
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When I look at Kill, he's just a very level guy.
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Two different kinds, and I think it's a different time.
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I don't think Dan Gable would be as as good now because people don't take that intensity.
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Um, so him being level like that.
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Uh do they develop their wrestlers?
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Because it seems like some other programs, and I'll just say Iowa, would would uh you you become an Iowa person, but it seems uh from what Ben said that Penn State develops the wrestlers who you are.
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It's not a you have to be us, it's we're developing you and you'll help us, but yeah, I would say uh, you know, I don't know exactly how the other programs do it, you know, in their training, but I would say uh a big part of in the room was a lot of the practice and practice time was just on our own.
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Uh as far as we worked on what we thought we needed to work on and uh put time into the techniques that had gotten us to where we were at and that you know we were planning on using in our matches.
00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:03.359
There was no uh big formula of you know, this move, this move, and this move.
00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:07.599
It was you know, go do what you're good at, and yeah, it's hard.
00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:10.880
That's what that's what it seemed like the case was.
00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:12.240
Go do what you're good at.
00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:14.160
We'll just make you better at what you do.
00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:16.319
Yeah, you're already comfortable with that.
00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:25.680
And it seems like that's I think high school is a little different because you're still learning a lot more how to be good and and find just the little things.
00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:27.519
Let's kind of transition here.
00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:33.920
So I always want to talk about this too because I failed at this part when I was in college.
00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:42.000
I did not do the grades, um, and that cost me that cost me my my high or my college career.
00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:44.160
Uh, how did you manage that in college?
00:18:44.720 --> 00:19:00.799
Um I definitely a little bit of an adjustment, um, going from you know, pay on you to you know huge classrooms, but uh yeah, I think the biggest thing was just going to class and and paying attention, you know.
00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:06.240
Um, I didn't study a really hard uh field of study.
00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:07.680
I wasn't an engineer or anything like that.
00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:10.720
So I'm guessing there's a lot more to it when you're studying things like that.
00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:16.559
But for a lot of degrees, I think if you just go to class and pay attention, you're you're probably gonna do all right.
00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:22.000
Um just kind of take care of business on that side of the thing.
00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:30.960
I found every college, I didn't, like I said, I didn't take advantage of it, but every college, every sports program has people to help you, right?
00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:33.279
There's there's a ton of help out there.
00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:37.519
Uh and and I wish I would have done some of that, but I did not.
00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:41.599
Um, but that's why we're doing some of this so kids will reach their full potential.
00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:42.960
That is a goal.
00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:44.720
Did you ever struggle?
00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.960
Um, it could be college, it could be high school.
00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:52.960
Did you ever struggle on on your purpose of wrestling and or did you always have fun and want to do it?
00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:56.319
Was there any time that you struggled with Keep on going or not?
00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:58.319
Uh for me, I was pretty fortunate.
00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:03.119
I, you know, never really had a time where I was wrestling where I didn't want to be wrestling.
00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:06.079
Uh, I got really lucky in a lot of ways.
00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:08.880
Uh, you know, I didn't have any major injuries.
00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:14.319
I know those are kind of some things that are hard to come back from, especially when you get older and you're in college.
00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:21.200
But uh yeah, I had a really you know fortunate career and uh I was always in a place where wrestling was fun.
00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:29.440
And so I think there's definitely situations where wrestling cannot be fun, but I was you know really lucky to be in places where it it was always fun.
00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:34.480
So you're a coach now, you're assistant coach at uh Colorado Mesa.
00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:36.079
How how do you like that?
00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:37.599
How do you like being a coach?
00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:38.799
It's great, yeah.
00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:44.079
Um basically the same thing as when I was in college, I just get to go in and and wrestle.
00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:48.000
And so, you know, same thing, go in, have fun wrestling.
00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:51.680
There's yeah, not much else I could ask for.
00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:54.559
So let's let's do some more coach.
00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:57.200
Did you guys have in small towns?
00:20:57.279 --> 00:21:00.640
It's different than some other towns, the big towns, I think.
00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:15.039
Uh, but you you have like I had a a coach that worked a full-time job in the oil field and then wrestled with me because there was I didn't have enough people in my weight that would give me uh what I needed and challenge me enough.
00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:17.200
Uh, did you have a lot of that in Payonia too?
00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:21.759
Or um, yeah, I think in Payonia we had a lot, especially when my dad was coaching.
00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:39.759
There was a lot of people in the community, whether it was, you know, my other teammates' parents or or just people who had wrestled there before and were just still in the area that would, you know, put a lot of help into the program and and were always around, whether it was uh inside the room or with fundraisers and running tournaments and stuff like that.
00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:51.279
I think it was just a you know great wrestling community and uh that really helped all of us who were wrestling there have you know all the resources we needed to just focus on wrestling.
00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:59.519
Um so with those assistant coaches and and I'm sure they helped other people on your team.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.000
Um, does any of them stick out?
00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:10.319
Is there any uh an instant where because you had your dad, and that's uh that would be I don't know what that'd have been like, that'd have been different.
00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:14.160
Um but was there any assistant coaches that did something?
00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:25.839
Because I think sometimes they don't get the the do that they deserve because they put in a lot of time, they're working hard, and now they're they're wrestling us, and then they gotta go to work the next day.
00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:27.279
We just gotta go to school, right?
00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:28.720
Right, yeah.
00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:34.240
So is there any uh you remember any time where they helped you or helped other kids?
00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:40.400
And what are some things that that you saw that some of the assistant coaches did just to help the team?
00:22:40.880 --> 00:23:07.279
Yeah, I would say I I mean all the time they were in the room, and and there's four or five maybe when I was in high school, and so uh hate to name them and miss any of them, but you know, they helped me with my wrestling anytime you know I needed help, and not just that, but they were helping all the other kids in the room who, especially with that, you know, some of the guys who hadn't wrestled as much as the rest of us who needed a lot more help uh in the practice room when we were doing technique.
00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:14.559
And so having all those other coaches to help those kids uh isn't just helping those kids, it's helping everyone who's wrestling with them during practice.
00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:28.240
And so, you know, any anytime you can bring up, you know, the kids who haven't wrestled before and and help them find success on the mat as any type of coach, uh I think you help the team uh overall in a lot of different ways.
00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:34.480
Yeah, my my wife called it that she's a wrestling widow when it's season because she doesn't see me.
00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:38.079
It's a lot of work to be, you know, a wrestling coach.
00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:41.599
You gotta know where every kid's gotta go and all that kind of stuff.
00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:44.240
So I definitely appreciate those guys putting in that time.
00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:46.880
And so I didn't ask this question.
00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:53.680
We're talking about Penn State, but I know what it's like to wrestle in a small room or in a small crowd.
00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:58.720
What was it like to wrestle in a big big tin duel?
00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:03.039
Which I saw you wrestle, I think it was a kid from Iowa, Cammer.
00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:07.119
Uh, he was second at the time, I think.
00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:09.039
Um, and you were a freshman.
00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:10.160
Were you red shirted?
00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:12.000
Uh that was after my redshirt year.
00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:13.440
That was my red shirt freshman year.
00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:18.160
So red shirt, so you you did have, and and and I think Jason was hurt, yeah.
00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:20.799
So you got in there, and just that caliber.
00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:22.640
Well, what is it like in those duels?
00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:26.480
It from on the TV, I've never been, obviously, it's too far for me to go.
00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:30.240
I'd love to go, but what was it like in some of those big duels like that?
00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:31.680
Uh it was awesome.
00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:33.680
Uh yeah, especially the home ones.
00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:35.519
Uh away duels were really fun too.
00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:40.079
But the home duels, uh yeah, I don't even know.
00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:48.880
Don't know what I'd explain it as, but it's just, you know, at least outside of the match, it was all, you know, something I'd never never really experienced before.
00:24:49.039 --> 00:25:02.000
Is basically like being, you know, in the state finals of a tournament, or like at the state tournament, you're in the finals uh and you're the only guy wrestling, and and the whole crowds there watching that match is kind of what it was like for every duel uh in college.
00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:17.279
And so, you know, all the stuff outside of the match was cool and different, but uh, you know, once once the match starts, you don't you don't really notice any of it anymore out there on the mat under the light, and it's kind of the same, same thing as as high school.
00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:22.079
Yeah, just watching it and they have the fire and all that kind of stuff.
00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:23.519
It it's it's crazy.
00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:25.759
And it is, uh I agree with you.
00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:29.200
It would be like, I think there is, I don't know, I forgot.
00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:34.720
You guys had Pepsi Center, I had McNichols Arena, same, you know, thousands of people.
00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:36.400
There was five matches going on.
00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:38.160
I love the parade of champions.
00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:44.160
There's nothing like to me that parade of champions where you go out, shake hands, all that kind of stuff.
00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:48.799
Um the guy I lost to in the state finals actually lives close.
00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:50.319
I'm trying to get him on the show.
00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:51.839
He was a coach's son too.
00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:53.039
Oh man.
00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:59.200
Just um, just those little I think I learned more from losses than I did from wins.
00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:02.400
But that's something we we can cover too.
00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:04.880
We'll wrap it up here in a minute.
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:07.920
But your freshman year, you were the runner up.
00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:10.799
What happened in that that finals match?
00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:14.799
And did that that drive you to be better the next year?
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:17.440
Uh yeah, I just I wasn't good enough yet.
00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:20.880
You know, I was uh I was already okay at wrestling.
00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:28.000
I was, you know, good enough to make the finals, and I'd you know beaten some other finalists at other weights uh that same year.
00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:34.720
Uh, but at the weight I was wrestling, I you know went out and and lost that match, and I, you know, just wasn't good enough yet.
00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:39.599
Uh yeah, and I probably cried in the tunnel for an hour after that match and I was pretty mad.
00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:44.559
Uh and then uh looking back though, I'm glad I didn't win that match.
00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:54.640
Just because yeah, between you know, probably the three months after the state tournament that year uh is probably the most I ever improved in wrestling.
00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:58.160
I just you know got way better in that short amount of time.
00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:03.519
Uh I think a kid that beat me my freshman year, not at state, but in another tournament.
00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:16.240
Um I think I ended up maybe tech falling him that summer, just a couple months after the state tournament, just because I you know spent those months in the wrestling room and I was uh yeah, pretty mad that I didn't win as a freshman.
00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:19.839
Uh so yeah, I think it was really good.
00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:30.480
And I think part of uh um I have a uh a little journal, it's called Win or Learn, not Win or Lose, Win or Learn.
00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:36.640
And I think I've I've learned we used to go, I think it was Deshayne, Utah, which had some great teams.
00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:44.400
I got throttled, but I learned more from this kid that just you know tech followed me, um, unfortunately, but that happens.
00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:45.359
But he was so good.
00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:48.400
I mean, Utah had some crazy teams over there.
00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:50.559
Did you guys do much wrestling with Utah?
00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:58.799
Uh, we would see some of them at the Warrior and then during some summer stuff and and off-season tournaments, but we didn't uh we didn't go out there a whole lot when I was in high school.
00:27:59.119 --> 00:27:59.759
Gotcha.
00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:04.480
Well, how is you're getting ready for a wrestling season as a college coach?
00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:07.519
Um, how are you guys looking?
00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:09.759
Uh, I think good this year, yeah.
00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:21.039
Uh, I think every college coach for the most part this time of year thinks they're gonna have a good year because you just watch your uh your guys in the room winning all the time, even though they're beating the other guys in the room, right?
00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:34.880
Uh I think once they start competing, which you know, our guys will compete here uh in the next month, uh, that's when you can really figure out what what you need to start focusing on in practice, and and that's when it gets a little more fun.
00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:37.519
So Division II, are they still in the RMAC?
00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:38.799
Is that still a league they're in?
00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:39.599
Yep.
00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:58.000
So the difference between so if a kid's deciding, do I want to go to a big school, say he's really good, um, or do I want to go to to uh D2 school, which which may say is, what what are some benefits from going to a a smaller school?
00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:00.799
Uh I would say there's a lot of benefits.
00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:04.000
Um, let me think for a second on that.
00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:15.839
Um I think especially just the way things are right now with Division I wrestling has more of a roster limit than they used to.
00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:21.039
So those division one teams are are limited to the number of you know college guys they can have in the room.
00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:33.039
Uh and so whether you have the opportunity to go division one or division two, um, if you're ready to go division one and you know you think you'll you'll compete right away and and be able to get a lot of matches and experience, I think that's great.
00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:40.000
Uh and if you're not, I think it's you know great to go division two as well because you're gonna likely see a lot more mat time.
00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:41.599
Um depends on where you're at.
00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:44.160
You know, there's some kids that are ready right away.
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:48.720
Um, and just kind of the way things are with transfers and and kids moving around a lot.
00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:52.720
I think there's definitely a lot of opportunity, whichever way you go.
00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:55.599
Uh just because it's totally different now, isn't it?
00:29:56.079 --> 00:30:04.880
Yeah, we uh even this year, one of our guys uh from Colorado Mesa, uh he was a couple time all American and uh he's at Northern Colorado this year.
00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:16.319
Uh so he started out Division II and and you know got some experience in a lot of matches, and now uh he transferred to Division One and is is looking to you know hopefully have a great season and and have success there as well.
00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:17.359
That's cool.
00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:18.799
Yeah, it's different.
00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:22.400
It's different now that they can transfer, and that's a whole new world.
00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:23.119
Oh, yeah.
00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:25.359
That uh wasn't the case.
00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:38.960
I left I left Adam State to go to the Mesa, and you would have had to stay out a year, and I didn't have the grade, so I'll I messed that up, but it's totally different, but uh very interesting.
00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:41.759
So Colorado wrestling.
00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:45.039
Where do you see Colorado wrestling, high school wrestling at?
00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:48.079
How do you how do you see it nowadays in the small towns?
00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:53.519
Um, I think right now there's a lot of opportunity, uh, even for small town kids.
00:30:53.759 --> 00:31:05.200
Um, the western slope's always gonna be a little bit different because we're pretty spread out on this side of the state where you have to, you know, you have to travel quite a bit if you're trying to to get club practices or that off-season wrestling.
00:31:05.359 --> 00:31:22.640
Um, but on the other side of the state, and even you know, more and more on the western slope, you're seeing, you know, some of these clubs that are uh just allowing kids from different schools to train together and uh yeah, get in the room and and have more partners and then still wrestle at their you know same high schools.
00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:25.839
Uh and so I think it's yeah, really helping Colorado wrestling.
00:31:25.920 --> 00:31:31.920
Uh there's some some clubs that are doing a really good job developing high school wrestlers and and youth wrestlers in Colorado.
00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:34.799
And yeah, I think it's uh I think it's good.
00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:37.599
What are some good camps that you would recommend?
00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:39.119
Camps.
00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:44.000
Oh well, if Colorado Mace is doing a camp, that's gotta get there.
00:31:45.119 --> 00:31:46.000
When's that camp?
00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:47.200
I don't know.
00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:58.160
Last year we did it a little bit different where we kind of had like an open uh club practice for the summer instead of just a normal camp, uh more for local kids.
00:31:58.480 --> 00:32:02.400
Um lot to see, see what this next year looks like.
00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:15.920
Um yeah, I hate to shout out the western camp because they're our rivals, but they've they've definitely got some of the best camps, uh wrestling camps you can find, especially uh in the western, western states out here.
00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:19.599
They have uh they run a ton of kids through there and and do a really good job.
00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:19.920
Yeah.
00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:22.880
And they have since uh since I was little, they've been doing that.
00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:25.599
So they they've definitely got a great camp.
00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:28.160
Have you ever thought of doing a camp yourself?
00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:30.000
Uh I do some camps.
00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:35.359
Um, most of the time just people reaching out to me and and so I'll travel somewhere and and do some clinics.
00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:43.440
Um, I do some club practices for for high school and uh and younger kids uh during the season a little bit.
00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:54.240
Um, but yeah, I'm usually really busy in the summer, so I don't I don't plan a whole lot of time for camps, but uh I do like doing them when I when I have the time.
00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:56.720
Well, I appreciate you being on the show.
00:32:56.799 --> 00:33:07.200
Is there any last words that you want to give a coach, a high school athlete, any last thoughts uh motivation-wise, uh anything like that?
00:33:08.160 --> 00:33:17.440
Um I would say definitely, you know, when you're whether it's high school sports or college, uh, you should always take your training and your lifestyle seriously.
00:33:17.519 --> 00:33:21.359
Uh, but don't take yourself too seriously, especially when it comes to sports.
00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:24.240
Uh, I think, you know, just playing a game.
00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:27.599
Uh, that's that's kind of what it is, and you should be having fun with it.
00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:32.720
And and you're gonna learn a lot, and you should be, you know, competitive enough that you wanna you want to win at it.
00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:41.680
Uh, but at the end of the day, it's just they're just sports and they're supposed to be fun and and teach you lessons and uh yeah, make sure you enjoy it.
00:33:41.920 --> 00:33:42.400
Perfect.
00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:44.160
Did you um real quick?
00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:50.559
I I wanted to throw this in there because uh you said lifestyle, and I think eating is a huge part of that.
00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:52.880
And I was terrible in high school, terrible.
00:33:53.359 --> 00:33:53.839
Me too.
00:33:54.799 --> 00:33:56.720
I mean, all of it you were still a stud.
00:33:57.039 --> 00:33:59.359
I don't know how you did that, but uh probably my mom.
00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:02.480
My mom was a great cook, so she she kept me healthy.
00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:03.200
Right.
00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:05.759
Now, did any of that change when you went to college?
00:34:05.920 --> 00:34:07.839
Did you learn some things about eating?
00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:09.760
Yeah, I uh I learned a lot.
00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:12.400
Uh it took me, you know, a year or two.
00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:21.679
Uh but yeah, hydration and and and nutrition is super important, especially in wrestling or any sport where you're trying to make a weight class.
00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:24.880
Um, it's not even the same as normal nutrition.
00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:27.920
You have to you really have to learn a lot to to do it well.
00:34:28.079 --> 00:34:33.119
And and that was another thing that you know my college coaches were really good at was the nutrition side of it.
00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:38.159
Uh yeah, I yeah learned more than than I think I even remember anymore.
00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:38.880
Right.
00:34:39.039 --> 00:34:43.360
All of us just were real fat, and then we're like, oh crap, I gotta gotta lose weight.
00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:45.280
And I remember people spitting on the bus.
00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:47.199
And yeah, that's all the hard way.
00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:48.079
Yeah, right.
00:34:48.239 --> 00:34:51.760
And it's and I know now I wish I would have known some of that then.
00:34:51.840 --> 00:34:55.920
So again, thanks for being on the Small Town Legends podcast.
00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:56.880
We appreciate you.
00:34:57.119 --> 00:35:00.480
Yeah, we'll be looking out to see what happens with uh Mesa.
00:35:01.119 --> 00:35:02.159
Absolutely, thank you.
00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:04.000
You bet we'll talk to you later, buddy.
00:35:04.239 --> 00:35:05.039
Sounds good, thanks.
00:35:05.199 --> 00:35:05.840
All right, bye.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:00.400
Right.
00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:03.040
Well, welcome to the Small Town Legends podcast.
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:09.599
Today we have Bo Piper, and he is from Peonia, Colorado, a town of uh 1,500 people.
00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:15.039
He is a three-time Colorado State wrestling champion and a one-time runner-up.
00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:17.120
That was his freshman year.
00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:27.519
He he held the Colorado all-time pin leader until not too long ago, but he had 31 or 131 pins in 170 matches.
00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:35.039
Um, and he helped his team, uh, Peonia have two team titles in wrestling.
00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:42.320
And he wrestled at Penn State, uh, primary rallied around 157 pounds.
00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:47.920
And not only that, his dad was the coach, his dad is a Hall of Fame coach.
00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:54.240
Uh, he coached for Peonia for 21 years, leading them to five state championships.
00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:55.600
So, welcome, Bo.
00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:56.799
Thanks.
00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:59.920
Um, man, you did a great job in high school.
00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:06.799
You you have a lot to uh that we can draw from, and I'm excited to get this out to other small towns.
00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:20.560
And some of the questions I'm gonna have, um, obviously you're gonna be Penn State because I looked at your wrestling room that you had to wrestle against, and and just being in the same weight as Jason Knolf was that had to be crazy, right?
00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:23.840
Yeah, yeah, a lot of a lot of fun practices.
00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:27.200
Was he as intense at practice as he is everywhere else?
00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:39.040
Or yeah, I'd say whenever you wrestled Jason in practice, it was gonna be you know 100% the whole time and not a whole lot of a lot of let up, so uh just like his matches, I'd say.
00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:40.959
That was crazy.
00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:43.680
But let's let's start with your high school career.
00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:48.400
Um, obviously, wrestling's part of the family, and you have brothers?
00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:51.599
Uh, I had an older sister, no brother, sister, no brothers.
00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:54.959
So um, and your dad was your coach.
00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:59.040
So in high school, how did you manage to be that good?
00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:01.120
I mean, you had the record, the pin record.
00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:01.920
How'd you manage?
00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:05.840
What was it in high school that helped you be that good of a wrestler?
00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:07.040
What'd you do?
00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:10.879
Um, well, I guess uh the main thing is I had really good coaching.
00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:17.759
Uh, obviously, my dad taught me everything in wrestling, so uh kind of very fortunate there.
00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:21.199
And then not only that, but I had great teammates.
00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:26.240
And so we, you know, most of my high school teammates, we all grew up wrestling together from the time we were tiny.
00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:34.719
Uh, and I think wrestling is one of those sports where uh your teammates are really gonna, you know, be a huge part of how good you are.
00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:43.199
Uh, and so those were probably the two biggest things um with my high school wrestling success was just good coaching and and good teammates.
00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:44.560
Yeah, and I agree.
00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:56.240
Uh, sometimes in the smaller towns, that is a hard like uh we had uh Titus on one of our shows who's a coach at a junior college, and uh his wrestling room wasn't as good as yours.
00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:01.039
You guys won the state uh championship twice, so you obviously had a good room.
00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:09.599
But what was it that so I have a younger brother and he coaches his kids in wrestling and golf and and baseball?
00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:19.199
What what does what are some things that your dad did that really helped you as a high school kid to push yourself?
00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:22.639
Um, probably a lot of things.
00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:28.400
I think, especially in wrestling, the most important thing he did was uh he just always told me to have fun.
00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:34.719
Um every time I went out to wrestle a match from the time I was little until you know all the way through the end of college.
00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:38.800
Uh anytime I talked to my dad right before match, he'd tell me to just go have fun.
00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:41.199
Uh that was kind of kind of the end of it.
00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:46.719
There wasn't a whole lot of uh other stuff going into a match or or anything.
00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:47.759
It was just have fun.
00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:55.120
And I think that helps, especially in a sport like wrestling where uh there's a little bit of pressure just because it's uh an individual sport.
00:03:55.360 --> 00:04:01.680
And so yeah, he just always told me to have fun and and then yeah, let me go have fun, I guess.
00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:02.400
Gotcha.
00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:07.520
Well, did um so did you guys wrestle around since he was a wrestler, he was a good wrestler as well.
00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:16.720
I think I I think he was uh uh an all-American as well, four-time all-American uh national champ as well in '91.
00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:18.879
So did you guys wrestle around quite a bit?
00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:28.240
Uh yeah, growing up, I mean, not just wrestling, but he would just take me to practices all over so I could, you know, wrestle with other kids too.
00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:32.079
Uh me and my sister would actually wrestle a lot when we were really little.
00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:35.839
Uh, she would beat me up, but uh my dad never let her wrestle.
00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:40.720
Um, but well, until college, but she'd never done it before then.
00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:45.759
Um, so her and I used to wrestle, but uh yeah, me and my dad would roll around a little bit.
00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:51.920
Yeah, uh ladies' wrestling is is actually exploded, it seems like lately, which is kind of cool.
00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:53.920
So she must have been tough.
00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:56.720
Yeah, that kind of household for sure.
00:04:56.800 --> 00:05:01.439
So um, so let's go, let's kind of dig down a little bit.
00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:11.759
What were some of the things that you did workout wise and high school um to get ready for your matches or just to be uh ready in general?
00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:16.959
Um, are you thinking like in-season practice-wise or off-season stuff?
00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:18.000
Or let's do both.
00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:22.319
Let's start with with off-season, like when you're not wrestling.
00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:29.519
Of course, wrestling, I don't know if it was year-round for you or uh as much as you can in a small town, right?
00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:29.920
Right.
00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:30.959
That's what changes.
00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:35.839
I was a three-sport athlete, so you always just had the next sport, right?
00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.199
Uh, and a lot of people are because small towns they need everybody.
00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:39.759
Yep.
00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:44.000
Um, but what were some of the things that you did to get ready for a season?
00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:47.040
And then we'll we'll talk about in-season stuff.
00:05:47.279 --> 00:06:02.959
Uh yeah, in high school, I'd say in the off seasons, I'd typically get a lot of matches, whether it was, you know, tournaments that were happening um after the high school season, or uh you could always get around here, there's a lot of good wrestling camps, uh, a lot of good team camps.
00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:08.480
So you could get a ton of matches going to those and and just you know, trying to get as much mad experience as you can.
00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:12.160
Uh, and then another thing would be just you know traveling around.
00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:18.240
Uh, like you mentioned, in a small town, a lot of your teammates are doing other sports at different times of the year.
00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:25.040
Uh, so you kind of have to travel a little more when you're out here on the western slope if you're trying to wrestle at those different times of year.
00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:34.399
Uh, so I was fortunate to have some good partners, you know, in Grand Junction and and kind of a round that I could travel to, and they would travel up this way and and we could roll.
00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:37.839
So you've done mindset stuff in college, I'm assuming.
00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:38.480
Yeah.
00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:46.480
What would you um tell your young self now that you've been the Penn State, which is the pinnacle, especially when you went?
00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:49.439
Um, I mean, they crushing it.
00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:53.439
Um, what would you tell yourself just to help out a kid?
00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:56.639
What would be some things that you tell mindset-wise?
00:06:58.000 --> 00:06:59.439
Oh, that's a tough one.
00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:05.680
Um I don't know what I'd what I'd tell myself um exactly.
00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:16.319
I would say, you know, kind of the things my dad was already telling me at the time is just have fun, you know, it's wrestling, have fun, give your best effort, and then uh yeah, just go get what you want.
00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:20.000
I think that was those are kind of the main the main three things growing up.
00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:22.639
And then those were kind of the main three things when I got to college.
00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:27.040
It was just uh when I got a little older, I was able to to think about it a little bit more.
00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:28.000
Cool, cool.
00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:40.319
Did you do any vision stuff like I used to do a little bit of it, um, just think about a match or think about where I wanted to go that year, uh, if I uh wanted to be a state champ, kind of stuff.
00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:46.319
Um, did you ever do any vision stuff like that or takedowns or or anything like that?
00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:50.639
Uh in c in college, you know, kind of focusing on those goals and writing that stuff out.
00:07:50.720 --> 00:08:09.040
Uh as far as high school goes, I would just say I guess I was either constantly visualizing it or I wasn't because I don't really I don't recall you know intentionally doing it, but yeah, every time season was coming up or matches were coming up, it was yeah, I'm gonna go out there and and beat this guy up.
00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:11.120
That was kind of kind of the fun part of it.
00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:14.959
So it seems like you wrestled relaxed.
00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:19.199
There wasn't pressure because I've seen I've seen parents put a lot of pressure on their kids.
00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:19.920
Yeah.
00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:29.600
If if they didn't perform like they wanted them to, and they're coming off demand, whoa, you know, that that just puts too much pressure and it messes up that relationship.
00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:33.759
It sounds like you had a real good relationship with your dad, and there wasn't, it was just fun.
00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:34.879
Yeah, yeah.
00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:40.480
I mean, when I was losing it, it wasn't fun, but I was never, you know, getting scolded for losing.
00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:47.519
Uh, if I was, you know, if I maybe hung my head or was crying out there, because I'd cry sometimes when I was little in wrestling, yeah.
00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:57.120
Uh, I'd get in trouble for those things, but you know, I never came off the mat and and got in trouble for doing something, some technique wrong or for uh losing a match.
00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:04.320
You know, my dad would get on me if he didn't think I was giving my best effort, but outside of that, it was you know, good job, keep getting better.
00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:06.240
Yep.
00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:17.360
Yeah, and uh there's uh as I've my daughters are all graduated, and there seems to be a uh a perfect level of that pushing them but not pushing them too hard.
00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:21.039
And it sounds like your dad had uh, and probably your mom as well.
00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:22.399
So I think she was.
00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:26.240
I read um that she was an athlete too, or was that your sister?
00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:27.600
Uh both, yeah.
00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:28.720
Perfect.
00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:50.879
Well, let's get into probably what everyone wants in here, um, to know what the Penn State wrestling room was like, and and I think even even I played football in Adams State University was uh the school was bigger in my town, so it was a whole mind shift for me.
00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:52.799
Um, so what was that like?
00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:59.120
You're you're you've watched these guys, it might be different because it seemed like you that was your team.
00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:01.840
I think I read something, and that was your team.
00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:07.919
I think it was when your your junior year or something, they had something on you, and that was your team.
00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:13.120
And now did they recruit you or did you go to them?
00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:15.120
Um, how did that work first?
00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:17.279
Uh, I guess a little bit of both.
00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:22.320
Um my senior year, I was kind of getting recruited, and maybe a little bit my junior year.
00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:24.399
I don't I didn't pay attention a whole lot.
00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:32.399
Um, my dad would kind of just tell coaches, yeah, he's gonna finish high school wrestling and then uh decide what he where he wants to wrestle after that.
00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:41.600
Uh and so my dad really kind of didn't have me do any of that leading up to my senior year, um, and even like through the state tournament my senior year.
00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:44.799
So I hadn't really talked to a whole lot of coaches or anything.
00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:57.360
Uh, I think at the beginning of my senior year, my dad had, you know, emailed Coach Kale or reached out and said, hey, uh, just kind of let him know it was my senior year and I was about to, you know, finish up high school.
00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:00.080
Uh, and then didn't hear back for a long time.
00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:04.559
And then, you know, after state tournament my senior year, Coach Kale reached back out.
00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:16.399
Uh, and then, you know, I had talked to a few other colleges at that time around here uh and a few other Division I schools, but uh once I went out and visited there, kind of uh felt like an easy decision.
00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:18.399
Yeah, what was that visit like?
00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:21.120
Uh what how'd that how'd that go for you?
00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:27.759
Uh it was kind of an interesting time because it was it was like right before the Olympic trials, I think, that year in 2016.
00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:38.399
Uh so basically just me and my dad flew out there and you know went to dinner with the coaches and uh yeah, I don't know, it felt surreal at the time, and even thinking back, it it kind of feels that way.
00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:49.120
Uh but you know, we watched practice and some workouts and yeah, it was uh it was cool, but after seeing it, it was uh hard to think about wrestling anywhere else.
00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:50.159
Oh, I'm sure.
00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:50.720
I'm sure.
00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:53.039
Did you visit any other schools or was that the only one?
00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:58.000
Uh some unofficial visits, but that was my only, I guess I'd probably my only official visit.
00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:00.720
I'm not, I don't remember doing another one.
00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:12.080
So yeah, that would I I I imagine uh I would it's crazy though, just small town you're going to the biggest program in wrestling.
00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:22.159
There is there is there isn't a better program out there right now than than Ben State, even at the time, were they on five national championships by the time you got there, or uh something?
00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:25.519
Four maybe, you know, five, yeah, somewhere in there, four or five.
00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:37.840
Maybe all the wrestlers we were watching, you know, Bo Nichols and and Jason Knopf and and and what was it, Mark Hall, and and I think your weight class was was Joseph.
00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:40.480
Uh no, I was above that, wasn't he?
00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:42.799
Oh, Zayn, rougher, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:52.159
That's a crazy that's I can't even imagine um being in that room being with that much talent all the time.
00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:55.039
So take us into the wrestling room.
00:12:55.279 --> 00:13:03.039
What is it uh in that wrestling room that might help uh high school coaches from small town towns?
00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:05.840
Um, what is it in a wrestling room that that Kel does?
00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:08.399
Because he's from Utah, which I think is cool.
00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:13.519
I can't remember I remember wrestling at the Warrior, and I thought he was there.
00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:16.000
Yeah, they wasat used to go.
00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:17.519
I think he wrestled there a couple times.
00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:19.600
Yeah, because I remember so I do remember.
00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:23.039
I think I I placed fifth at the war, so we had to stick around.
00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:31.120
Um and uh and he was wrestling another guy, a four uh ended up being a four-time state champion.
00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:32.000
It was a two-to-one match.
00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:32.480
It was crazy.
00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:39.679
I didn't know who he was because back in those days we didn't have social media, but I just knew everyone was watching that match, and it was a big deal.
00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:41.519
My that's my claim to fame.
00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:43.440
Yours is yours is much better.
00:13:43.759 --> 00:13:45.200
But what is it that he does?
00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:48.720
How does he develop his his athletes?
00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:51.679
Um, yeah, that's a big question.
00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:58.159
Uh I'd say there's probably any trade secrets, but just yeah, want to help small towns get better.
00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:00.720
Yeah, I would say there's there's no one thing.
00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:04.399
Uh, I'd say the most important thing is just who he is as a person.
00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:07.919
Uh you know, very light.
00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:11.120
He doesn't, you know, make things too serious for you.
00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:18.720
Uh, and he just uh I think the way they handle things in the room, all the coaching staff is they're just honest, good people.
00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:22.639
And uh I think the biggest lesson is you know, that's who you are.
00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:26.480
It's just gonna translate to success for whoever you're trying to help.
00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:28.559
Uh and so I think that's a big part of it.
00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:31.679
And then, yeah, there was always a lot of mindset stuff.
00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:39.840
We would Coach Kale would, you know, give us some talks before practice, and then I would just say, yeah, it was always fun.
00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:46.639
You know, it was never, you know, the coaches there always kept it fun, and I think that's the most important thing, especially in wrestling.
00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:52.000
It seems like that's a theme throughout your wrestling career is is fun.
00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:54.080
Um, and I think that's important.
00:14:54.879 --> 00:15:01.279
Uh sometimes uh there's too much pressure on kids, and I think they explode from not having fun.
00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:04.559
Um so what is it?
00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:08.799
Uh so what were some of the things like um technique wise?
00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:10.240
Did you guys do a lot of technique?
00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:12.159
Did you do a lot of conditioning?
00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:20.799
I I've I've heard it said, and I think it was true, and I can't remember um who's the guy that uh Mr.
00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:24.320
Funk that started all the weird wrestling stuff that we see now.
00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:27.039
Yes, yeah, I think it was him.
00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:37.440
He was evaluating Penn State in Iowa, and he was looking at the Iowa wrestlers at the end of the year, and all of them needed taped up, they're hurt, all that kind of stuff.
00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:44.480
And it just seems like Penn State's wrestlers are just they're hitting their groove when it comes time to to the end of the year.
00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:48.080
Um, so it seems I don't know what the difference was.
00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:55.120
He he said that Iowa seems like they just push their kids too hard and they break towards the end of the year.
00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:55.919
I don't know.
00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:58.559
He knows more stuff than I do.
00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:06.080
But uh how do they do that for you guys as a um to keep you guys at the peak performance at the end of the year?
00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:12.000
Um, you know, I would say just the entire coaching staff while I was there.
00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:27.600
It was um all of our training was very intentional, uh, whether it was a you know a hard practice day or a lighter day or an off day, uh it was all you know, I'm sure it was planned out, you know, probably more than a year in advance, whenever you know we got our schedule.
00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:41.919
Uh I think coaches did a really good job of just you know planning the entire season and then evaluating as you go and making maybe small adjustments and you know, trying to keep everyone you know feeling their best by the end of the year.
00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:47.039
Uh did they um just develop a wrestler?
00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:53.279
Because it it seems like uh when I read Dan Gable's book, he's a very intense guy.
00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:57.120
When I look at Kill, he's just a very level guy.
00:16:57.360 --> 00:16:59.840
Two different kinds, and I think it's a different time.
00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:05.599
I don't think Dan Gable would be as as good now because people don't take that intensity.
00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:09.440
Um, so him being level like that.
00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:13.279
Uh do they develop their wrestlers?
00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:26.400
Because it seems like some other programs, and I'll just say Iowa, would would uh you you become an Iowa person, but it seems uh from what Ben said that Penn State develops the wrestlers who you are.
00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:46.640
It's not a you have to be us, it's we're developing you and you'll help us, but yeah, I would say uh, you know, I don't know exactly how the other programs do it, you know, in their training, but I would say uh a big part of in the room was a lot of the practice and practice time was just on our own.
00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:59.119
Uh as far as we worked on what we thought we needed to work on and uh put time into the techniques that had gotten us to where we were at and that you know we were planning on using in our matches.
00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:03.359
There was no uh big formula of you know, this move, this move, and this move.
00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:07.599
It was you know, go do what you're good at, and yeah, it's hard.
00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:10.880
That's what that's what it seemed like the case was.
00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:12.240
Go do what you're good at.
00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:14.160
We'll just make you better at what you do.
00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:16.319
Yeah, you're already comfortable with that.
00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:25.680
And it seems like that's I think high school is a little different because you're still learning a lot more how to be good and and find just the little things.
00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:27.519
Let's kind of transition here.
00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:33.920
So I always want to talk about this too because I failed at this part when I was in college.
00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:42.000
I did not do the grades, um, and that cost me that cost me my my high or my college career.
00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:44.160
Uh, how did you manage that in college?
00:18:44.720 --> 00:19:00.799
Um I definitely a little bit of an adjustment, um, going from you know, pay on you to you know huge classrooms, but uh yeah, I think the biggest thing was just going to class and and paying attention, you know.
00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:06.240
Um, I didn't study a really hard uh field of study.
00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:07.680
I wasn't an engineer or anything like that.
00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:10.720
So I'm guessing there's a lot more to it when you're studying things like that.
00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:16.559
But for a lot of degrees, I think if you just go to class and pay attention, you're you're probably gonna do all right.
00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:22.000
Um just kind of take care of business on that side of the thing.
00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:30.960
I found every college, I didn't, like I said, I didn't take advantage of it, but every college, every sports program has people to help you, right?
00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:33.279
There's there's a ton of help out there.
00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:37.519
Uh and and I wish I would have done some of that, but I did not.
00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:41.599
Um, but that's why we're doing some of this so kids will reach their full potential.
00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:42.960
That is a goal.
00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:44.720
Did you ever struggle?
00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.960
Um, it could be college, it could be high school.
00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:52.960
Did you ever struggle on on your purpose of wrestling and or did you always have fun and want to do it?
00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:56.319
Was there any time that you struggled with Keep on going or not?
00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:58.319
Uh for me, I was pretty fortunate.
00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:03.119
I, you know, never really had a time where I was wrestling where I didn't want to be wrestling.
00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:06.079
Uh, I got really lucky in a lot of ways.
00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:08.880
Uh, you know, I didn't have any major injuries.
00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:14.319
I know those are kind of some things that are hard to come back from, especially when you get older and you're in college.
00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:21.200
But uh yeah, I had a really you know fortunate career and uh I was always in a place where wrestling was fun.
00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:29.440
And so I think there's definitely situations where wrestling cannot be fun, but I was you know really lucky to be in places where it it was always fun.
00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:34.480
So you're a coach now, you're assistant coach at uh Colorado Mesa.
00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:36.079
How how do you like that?
00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:37.599
How do you like being a coach?
00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:38.799
It's great, yeah.
00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:44.079
Um basically the same thing as when I was in college, I just get to go in and and wrestle.
00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:48.000
And so, you know, same thing, go in, have fun wrestling.
00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:51.680
There's yeah, not much else I could ask for.
00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:54.559
So let's let's do some more coach.
00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:57.200
Did you guys have in small towns?
00:20:57.279 --> 00:21:00.640
It's different than some other towns, the big towns, I think.
00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:15.039
Uh, but you you have like I had a a coach that worked a full-time job in the oil field and then wrestled with me because there was I didn't have enough people in my weight that would give me uh what I needed and challenge me enough.
00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:17.200
Uh, did you have a lot of that in Payonia too?
00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:21.759
Or um, yeah, I think in Payonia we had a lot, especially when my dad was coaching.
00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:39.759
There was a lot of people in the community, whether it was, you know, my other teammates' parents or or just people who had wrestled there before and were just still in the area that would, you know, put a lot of help into the program and and were always around, whether it was uh inside the room or with fundraisers and running tournaments and stuff like that.
00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:51.279
I think it was just a you know great wrestling community and uh that really helped all of us who were wrestling there have you know all the resources we needed to just focus on wrestling.
00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:59.519
Um so with those assistant coaches and and I'm sure they helped other people on your team.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.000
Um, does any of them stick out?
00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:10.319
Is there any uh an instant where because you had your dad, and that's uh that would be I don't know what that'd have been like, that'd have been different.
00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:14.160
Um but was there any assistant coaches that did something?
00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:25.839
Because I think sometimes they don't get the the do that they deserve because they put in a lot of time, they're working hard, and now they're they're wrestling us, and then they gotta go to work the next day.
00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:27.279
We just gotta go to school, right?
00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:28.720
Right, yeah.
00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:34.240
So is there any uh you remember any time where they helped you or helped other kids?
00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:40.400
And what are some things that that you saw that some of the assistant coaches did just to help the team?
00:22:40.880 --> 00:23:07.279
Yeah, I would say I I mean all the time they were in the room, and and there's four or five maybe when I was in high school, and so uh hate to name them and miss any of them, but you know, they helped me with my wrestling anytime you know I needed help, and not just that, but they were helping all the other kids in the room who, especially with that, you know, some of the guys who hadn't wrestled as much as the rest of us who needed a lot more help uh in the practice room when we were doing technique.
00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:14.559
And so having all those other coaches to help those kids uh isn't just helping those kids, it's helping everyone who's wrestling with them during practice.
00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:28.240
And so, you know, any anytime you can bring up, you know, the kids who haven't wrestled before and and help them find success on the mat as any type of coach, uh I think you help the team uh overall in a lot of different ways.
00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:34.480
Yeah, my my wife called it that she's a wrestling widow when it's season because she doesn't see me.
00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:38.079
It's a lot of work to be, you know, a wrestling coach.
00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:41.599
You gotta know where every kid's gotta go and all that kind of stuff.
00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:44.240
So I definitely appreciate those guys putting in that time.
00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:46.880
And so I didn't ask this question.
00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:53.680
We're talking about Penn State, but I know what it's like to wrestle in a small room or in a small crowd.
00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:58.720
What was it like to wrestle in a big big tin duel?
00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:03.039
Which I saw you wrestle, I think it was a kid from Iowa, Cammer.
00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:07.119
Uh, he was second at the time, I think.
00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:09.039
Um, and you were a freshman.
00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:10.160
Were you red shirted?
00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:12.000
Uh that was after my redshirt year.
00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:13.440
That was my red shirt freshman year.
00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:18.160
So red shirt, so you you did have, and and and I think Jason was hurt, yeah.
00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:20.799
So you got in there, and just that caliber.
00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:22.640
Well, what is it like in those duels?
00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:26.480
It from on the TV, I've never been, obviously, it's too far for me to go.
00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:30.240
I'd love to go, but what was it like in some of those big duels like that?
00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:31.680
Uh it was awesome.
00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:33.680
Uh yeah, especially the home ones.
00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:35.519
Uh away duels were really fun too.
00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:40.079
But the home duels, uh yeah, I don't even know.
00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:48.880
Don't know what I'd explain it as, but it's just, you know, at least outside of the match, it was all, you know, something I'd never never really experienced before.
00:24:49.039 --> 00:25:02.000
Is basically like being, you know, in the state finals of a tournament, or like at the state tournament, you're in the finals uh and you're the only guy wrestling, and and the whole crowds there watching that match is kind of what it was like for every duel uh in college.
00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:17.279
And so, you know, all the stuff outside of the match was cool and different, but uh, you know, once once the match starts, you don't you don't really notice any of it anymore out there on the mat under the light, and it's kind of the same, same thing as as high school.
00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:22.079
Yeah, just watching it and they have the fire and all that kind of stuff.
00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:23.519
It it's it's crazy.
00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:25.759
And it is, uh I agree with you.
00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:29.200
It would be like, I think there is, I don't know, I forgot.
00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:34.720
You guys had Pepsi Center, I had McNichols Arena, same, you know, thousands of people.
00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:36.400
There was five matches going on.
00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:38.160
I love the parade of champions.
00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:44.160
There's nothing like to me that parade of champions where you go out, shake hands, all that kind of stuff.
00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:48.799
Um the guy I lost to in the state finals actually lives close.
00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:50.319
I'm trying to get him on the show.
00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:51.839
He was a coach's son too.
00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:53.039
Oh man.
00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:59.200
Just um, just those little I think I learned more from losses than I did from wins.
00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:02.400
But that's something we we can cover too.
00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:04.880
We'll wrap it up here in a minute.
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:07.920
But your freshman year, you were the runner up.
00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:10.799
What happened in that that finals match?
00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:14.799
And did that that drive you to be better the next year?
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:17.440
Uh yeah, I just I wasn't good enough yet.
00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:20.880
You know, I was uh I was already okay at wrestling.
00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:28.000
I was, you know, good enough to make the finals, and I'd you know beaten some other finalists at other weights uh that same year.
00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:34.720
Uh, but at the weight I was wrestling, I you know went out and and lost that match, and I, you know, just wasn't good enough yet.
00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:39.599
Uh yeah, and I probably cried in the tunnel for an hour after that match and I was pretty mad.
00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:44.559
Uh and then uh looking back though, I'm glad I didn't win that match.
00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:54.640
Just because yeah, between you know, probably the three months after the state tournament that year uh is probably the most I ever improved in wrestling.
00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:58.160
I just you know got way better in that short amount of time.
00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:03.519
Uh I think a kid that beat me my freshman year, not at state, but in another tournament.
00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:16.240
Um I think I ended up maybe tech falling him that summer, just a couple months after the state tournament, just because I you know spent those months in the wrestling room and I was uh yeah, pretty mad that I didn't win as a freshman.
00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:19.839
Uh so yeah, I think it was really good.
00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:30.480
And I think part of uh um I have a uh a little journal, it's called Win or Learn, not Win or Lose, Win or Learn.
00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:36.640
And I think I've I've learned we used to go, I think it was Deshayne, Utah, which had some great teams.
00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:44.400
I got throttled, but I learned more from this kid that just you know tech followed me, um, unfortunately, but that happens.
00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:45.359
But he was so good.
00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:48.400
I mean, Utah had some crazy teams over there.
00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:50.559
Did you guys do much wrestling with Utah?
00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:58.799
Uh, we would see some of them at the Warrior and then during some summer stuff and and off-season tournaments, but we didn't uh we didn't go out there a whole lot when I was in high school.
00:27:59.119 --> 00:27:59.759
Gotcha.
00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:04.480
Well, how is you're getting ready for a wrestling season as a college coach?
00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:07.519
Um, how are you guys looking?
00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:09.759
Uh, I think good this year, yeah.
00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:21.039
Uh, I think every college coach for the most part this time of year thinks they're gonna have a good year because you just watch your uh your guys in the room winning all the time, even though they're beating the other guys in the room, right?
00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:34.880
Uh I think once they start competing, which you know, our guys will compete here uh in the next month, uh, that's when you can really figure out what what you need to start focusing on in practice, and and that's when it gets a little more fun.
00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:37.519
So Division II, are they still in the RMAC?
00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:38.799
Is that still a league they're in?
00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:39.599
Yep.
00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:58.000
So the difference between so if a kid's deciding, do I want to go to a big school, say he's really good, um, or do I want to go to to uh D2 school, which which may say is, what what are some benefits from going to a a smaller school?
00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:00.799
Uh I would say there's a lot of benefits.
00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:04.000
Um, let me think for a second on that.
00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:15.839
Um I think especially just the way things are right now with Division I wrestling has more of a roster limit than they used to.
00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:21.039
So those division one teams are are limited to the number of you know college guys they can have in the room.
00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:33.039
Uh and so whether you have the opportunity to go division one or division two, um, if you're ready to go division one and you know you think you'll you'll compete right away and and be able to get a lot of matches and experience, I think that's great.
00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:40.000
Uh and if you're not, I think it's you know great to go division two as well because you're gonna likely see a lot more mat time.
00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:41.599
Um depends on where you're at.
00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:44.160
You know, there's some kids that are ready right away.
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:48.720
Um, and just kind of the way things are with transfers and and kids moving around a lot.
00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:52.720
I think there's definitely a lot of opportunity, whichever way you go.
00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:55.599
Uh just because it's totally different now, isn't it?
00:29:56.079 --> 00:30:04.880
Yeah, we uh even this year, one of our guys uh from Colorado Mesa, uh he was a couple time all American and uh he's at Northern Colorado this year.
00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:16.319
Uh so he started out Division II and and you know got some experience in a lot of matches, and now uh he transferred to Division One and is is looking to you know hopefully have a great season and and have success there as well.
00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:17.359
That's cool.
00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:18.799
Yeah, it's different.
00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:22.400
It's different now that they can transfer, and that's a whole new world.
00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:23.119
Oh, yeah.
00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:25.359
That uh wasn't the case.
00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:38.960
I left I left Adam State to go to the Mesa, and you would have had to stay out a year, and I didn't have the grade, so I'll I messed that up, but it's totally different, but uh very interesting.
00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:41.759
So Colorado wrestling.
00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:45.039
Where do you see Colorado wrestling, high school wrestling at?
00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:48.079
How do you how do you see it nowadays in the small towns?
00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:53.519
Um, I think right now there's a lot of opportunity, uh, even for small town kids.
00:30:53.759 --> 00:31:05.200
Um, the western slope's always gonna be a little bit different because we're pretty spread out on this side of the state where you have to, you know, you have to travel quite a bit if you're trying to to get club practices or that off-season wrestling.
00:31:05.359 --> 00:31:22.640
Um, but on the other side of the state, and even you know, more and more on the western slope, you're seeing, you know, some of these clubs that are uh just allowing kids from different schools to train together and uh yeah, get in the room and and have more partners and then still wrestle at their you know same high schools.
00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:25.839
Uh and so I think it's yeah, really helping Colorado wrestling.
00:31:25.920 --> 00:31:31.920
Uh there's some some clubs that are doing a really good job developing high school wrestlers and and youth wrestlers in Colorado.
00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:34.799
And yeah, I think it's uh I think it's good.
00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:37.599
What are some good camps that you would recommend?
00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:39.119
Camps.
00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:44.000
Oh well, if Colorado Mace is doing a camp, that's gotta get there.
00:31:45.119 --> 00:31:46.000
When's that camp?
00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:47.200
I don't know.
00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:58.160
Last year we did it a little bit different where we kind of had like an open uh club practice for the summer instead of just a normal camp, uh more for local kids.
00:31:58.480 --> 00:32:02.400
Um lot to see, see what this next year looks like.
00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:15.920
Um yeah, I hate to shout out the western camp because they're our rivals, but they've they've definitely got some of the best camps, uh wrestling camps you can find, especially uh in the western, western states out here.
00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:19.599
They have uh they run a ton of kids through there and and do a really good job.
00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:19.920
Yeah.
00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:22.880
And they have since uh since I was little, they've been doing that.
00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:25.599
So they they've definitely got a great camp.
00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:28.160
Have you ever thought of doing a camp yourself?
00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:30.000
Uh I do some camps.
00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:35.359
Um, most of the time just people reaching out to me and and so I'll travel somewhere and and do some clinics.
00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:43.440
Um, I do some club practices for for high school and uh and younger kids uh during the season a little bit.
00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:54.240
Um, but yeah, I'm usually really busy in the summer, so I don't I don't plan a whole lot of time for camps, but uh I do like doing them when I when I have the time.
00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:56.720
Well, I appreciate you being on the show.
00:32:56.799 --> 00:33:07.200
Is there any last words that you want to give a coach, a high school athlete, any last thoughts uh motivation-wise, uh anything like that?
00:33:08.160 --> 00:33:17.440
Um I would say definitely, you know, when you're whether it's high school sports or college, uh, you should always take your training and your lifestyle seriously.
00:33:17.519 --> 00:33:21.359
Uh, but don't take yourself too seriously, especially when it comes to sports.
00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:24.240
Uh, I think, you know, just playing a game.
00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:27.599
Uh, that's that's kind of what it is, and you should be having fun with it.
00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:32.720
And and you're gonna learn a lot, and you should be, you know, competitive enough that you wanna you want to win at it.
00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:41.680
Uh, but at the end of the day, it's just they're just sports and they're supposed to be fun and and teach you lessons and uh yeah, make sure you enjoy it.
00:33:41.920 --> 00:33:42.400
Perfect.
00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:44.160
Did you um real quick?
00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:50.559
I I wanted to throw this in there because uh you said lifestyle, and I think eating is a huge part of that.
00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:52.880
And I was terrible in high school, terrible.
00:33:53.359 --> 00:33:53.839
Me too.
00:33:54.799 --> 00:33:56.720
I mean, all of it you were still a stud.
00:33:57.039 --> 00:33:59.359
I don't know how you did that, but uh probably my mom.
00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:02.480
My mom was a great cook, so she she kept me healthy.
00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:03.200
Right.
00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:05.759
Now, did any of that change when you went to college?
00:34:05.920 --> 00:34:07.839
Did you learn some things about eating?
00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:09.760
Yeah, I uh I learned a lot.
00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:12.400
Uh it took me, you know, a year or two.
00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:21.679
Uh but yeah, hydration and and and nutrition is super important, especially in wrestling or any sport where you're trying to make a weight class.
00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:24.880
Um, it's not even the same as normal nutrition.
00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:27.920
You have to you really have to learn a lot to to do it well.
00:34:28.079 --> 00:34:33.119
And and that was another thing that you know my college coaches were really good at was the nutrition side of it.
00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:38.159
Uh yeah, I yeah learned more than than I think I even remember anymore.
00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:38.880
Right.
00:34:39.039 --> 00:34:43.360
All of us just were real fat, and then we're like, oh crap, I gotta gotta lose weight.
00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:45.280
And I remember people spitting on the bus.
00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:47.199
And yeah, that's all the hard way.
00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:48.079
Yeah, right.
00:34:48.239 --> 00:34:51.760
And it's and I know now I wish I would have known some of that then.
00:34:51.840 --> 00:34:55.920
So again, thanks for being on the Small Town Legends podcast.
00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:56.880
We appreciate you.
00:34:57.119 --> 00:35:00.480
Yeah, we'll be looking out to see what happens with uh Mesa.
00:35:01.119 --> 00:35:02.159
Absolutely, thank you.
00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:04.000
You bet we'll talk to you later, buddy.
00:35:04.239 --> 00:35:05.039
Sounds good, thanks.
00:35:05.199 --> 00:35:05.840
All right, bye.
