Originally from the student paper at Oklahoma State
Cowboys build wrestling championships on team unity
Ben Elder Daily O’Collegian
Stillwater, OK (U-WIRE) — In any sport team unity is the key to winning.
Faith in your teammates, the program and the student body are essentials to an area of successful athleticism.
Over the past three years, the Oklahoma State wrestling program has exploited the meaning of unity to achieve team and personal goals.
“You got to believe in what you want to do, “said coach John Smith. “If you put the team ahead of yourself you can accomplish all of these goals personally.”
All of this success started when OSU won its first NCAA National Championship almost three years ago.
Since that day, role models like two-time NCAA Champion Johnny Thompson, have created not a team, but to many on the squad – a family.
“It’s kinda like a family, you know? “junior Jake Rosholt said. “Everyone just kinda feeds off each other and I think that really helps everyone work harder and strive for more. “
Part of the OSU family also constitutes important OSU graduates and Olympians that boost the wrestlers’ skills and confidence each and every day.
“I know it’s a huge encouragement to know the kind of people we are around with in the room, “Rosholt said. “Not only John (coach Smith), who is arguably the best wrestler ever, but you got Pat Smith, Mark Branch, Tyrone Lewis, Johnny Thompson and we have three Olympians in the room. It’s just an incredible staff, with the type of people your are around you are definitely going to get better.”
Some attribute the success of the wrestling program at OSU to Smith’s personal style that has led to him numerous accomplishments, but Smith said he believes that those assumptions can be over-exaggerated.
“I think style is over-exaggerated, “he said. “The media wants to me to say that, but our style is about winning, it’s about scoring. My style is to score points because if you do that you can’t lose.”
Smith’s progression as a coach is another reason the Cowboys have produced two national championships over the last three years.
“Definitely he has opened up his coaching style, “said senior Chris Pendleton. “He will have five different guys wrestling different styles from 125 to heavyweight.”
But if you were to ask Smith the reason for all this success, he would tell you that it is all about overcoming weaknesses.
“As a coach when you are not winning and you have aspirations to be the best and for me, I identified those weaknesses and went to work on them, “he said. “Whether that would be my personality, work in recruiting or work in the administration. When you work on weaknesses it’s very rewarding to make changes and for me the changes I have made as a coach have enhanced my life in general, it has made me a better father and a better husband.”
Not only has Smith progressed as a coach and a person, but OSU wrestlers also share their experiences and knowledge to one another.
“We won’t deny each other of our knowledge, “junior Zack Esposito said. “We are able to throw out stuff to each other that will help each other out.”
This same knowledge will help the Cowboys in their quest for a third consecutive national championship this season and all of this Smith said he believes will be accomplished through hard work and unity.
“Your toughest battle will getting your students athletes to believe in what the purpose of what you are doing, “he said. “Then trying to come together as a team to win team championships.”
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