RPW Coach Brandon Slay
Brandon Slay prizes the gold medal he won in freestyle wrestling in the 2000 Olympic Games, but the Real Pro Wrestling Texas Shooters coach knows that that award doesn’t hold the most value in his life.
“My gold medal means a lot to me, but there’s a greater gold to life,” Slay said. In fact, the 29-year-old Texas native has created a company he calls “Greater Gold.”
A sought-after public speaker, Slay shares his faith by telling his listeners — often young wrestlers — “No matter what type of car or house you have or whether or not you win a gold medal, all of those things are not going to satisfy you. When (the competition) is over, what’s going to bring you peace and joy?
“For me, it’s my relationship with the Lord,” the 29-year-old said, “and my desire is for these young men to understand that truth. Their integrity, their families, their friendships are greater than a gold medal.
“If you have a gold medal, but nobody wants to go out to coffee with you, it’s not worth much.”
Slay began wrestling at age 6 and went on to become a three-time state champion for Tascosa High School in Amarillo and a two-time NCAA Division I runner-up at the University of Pennsylvania. Now he uses his background to coach RPW combatants.
Rather than to teach or demonstrate moves to team members, however, Slay said his role is to give feedback, to critique and analyze and to be there for overall support.
“It’s not that they do not know what to do; it’s encouraging them to do what they already know,” he said. “A lot of it is strategy in the match, and a lot of times that can be overwhelming.
“In his mind, a wrestler may believe he can win, but it’s always good to hear from coaches, ‘You can beat this guy.’ It’s an affirmation that it is possible.”
Slay appreciates the hope RPW offers to grow the sport of wrestling in the United States, because it reaches out to people other than wrestlers. “Wrestlers and wrestling fans already love the sport, but we need to create fans who have never seen wrestling before,” he said.
The money available for successful competitors provides another plus, Slay said. “We don’t need to do anything extra to keep kids involved,” he pointed out, “but people in their 20s and 30s are competing because they love it — definitely not for the money.
“When I was training for the Olympics, I had businessmen who were my sponsors. If not, I would have had to work 30 hours a week just for expenses. It’s hard to train full-time and be one of the best wrestlers in the nation or the world if you have to work full-time. Training to be an Olympic champion is a full-time job in itself.”
And speaking of working full-time, Slay led a group of high school wrestlers on a two-week trip to China in August, and in October, another high school group on a 12-day trip to Greece. There they followed the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey and competed against Greek wrestlers in towns along the way.
Also, Slay is taking 12 hours of classes this semester at Dallas Theological Seminary, working toward a master’s degree in biblical studies as he continues speaking engagements and wrestling clinic instruction across the country.
But he’s not planning to be a preacher, Slay stressed. “I have a desire to know the Bible more,” he explained. “I speak to youth on a regular basis and I want to be prepared to share with them with integrity.
“To take all these lessons I’ve learned since I was 6 years old and pour those lessons into the lives of others, that’s greater than the gold medal I have in my hand.”
Wrestling Gear
