Izzy Martinez on Real Problems in Youth Wrestling

[myGSP 4]

http://www.flowrestling.org/coverage/249726-Jon-Jones-Izzy-Style/video/655745-Izzy-Martinez-on-real-problems-in-youth-wrestling

[grappler-of-old 44]

Now that is a great video. Wish I could have sent my kids and family members to that program.

[crazyotto 381]

Right on. Success at the amateur level is fleeting. Life is a long distance run. Enjoy the journey. Who really gives a crap about Jr Hi awards, or even high school for that matter. This passion we share for wrestling should be nothing more than a life lesson.

[Ranger123 43]

While I agree conceptually, to say "who really cares" is ignoring a huge part of our sport as well. To see kids work their tails off and practice much of the summer hitting multiple camps and then achieve lofty goals is also an important life lesson that many of us care a lot about.

[Mpire 76]

Strange , a lot of the people I have met in the sport are lifers wether they coach wrestle ref or whatever , Its hard to believe a human being would put so much effort into the sport just to say its only for jr high HS or even college , maybe it's me but my mind does not function that way put everything into it for years then say that was a good lesson ,?????????

[grappler-of-old 44]

You are right M. That is the lesson. It does not matter what award you win or how many matches you win, or even who or how you beat someone. Its the fact that you worked hard for something for yourself and no one else.

In my time some of the people I admire most are those that only won a handfull of matches in their high school career. These individuals stuck it out worked hard and kept pushing even though they didn't the talent that their opponents had.

The one story I tell the most is of a kid I had that was homeless. His family left him, and he stayed with friends and the church. He started wrestling halfway through his Soph year. didnt' win a match 0-6.(both JV and Varsity) Jr. year varsity 0-24. Started his senior year 0-4 then won his first match. Ended the year barely qualifying for the state tourney then went 2 and out. But I am more proud of him than any state champion or national champion. He is now giving back, went to college and is now coaching wrestling again.

Now that is a life lesson.

[Mpire 76]

That's a good example of what I was trying to say , once your bitten it's in your blood . I saw a kid start as a six yr old not very god but showed a whole lot of potential slowly yr after yr rise to high levels and I saw a kid start of a state champ as a first grader . It's all in the time put in doesn't matter where you start it's where you finish , one of my sons summer coaches woul alway put them in their place after winning grade school and even jr high state he would hammer them in the room after every big win reminding them it doesn't mean $h7t till HS and when they won he gave them a little props , but outside of the too

And away from them he always was their greatest admirer ,just a story and how some people in the sport are ,they are lifer always looking for the next level the next goal or their next adrenaline fix .

[crazyotto 381]

Perhaps my "who really gives a crap" comment could have been better worded. We are all on the same pager here though. Wins and glory are fleeting. Trophies get dusty. The lessons learned are for life. I have not been associated with another sport that provides the opportunity for such great lessons that can be carried throughout your lifetime. I believe Forbes (?) ran a piece on the benefits of wrestling as it applies to the business world. This is the best sport in the world.