FEATURE: The new Sammie Henson has a renewed appreciation for wrestling
1/13/2005
Josi Carlson/USA Wrestling
At the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 21, 2004, a new Sammie Henson (St. Louis, Mo./Sunkist Kids) was born.
The 1998 World Champion and 2000 Olympic silver medalist at 121-pounds, Henson’s quest for gold was cut short by three-time World Team member Stephen Abas (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids). Three takedowns by Abas led to a two-match sweep. Some thought it could be the end of Henson’s up-and-down career.
“I put four months into the Olympic Trials; Abas put four years into it,” Henson said. “I didn’t feel I deserved to be a champion. But it put a lot of things into perspective for me.”
Rather than leave his shoes on the mat, Henson, 34, decided to step his training up to the next level and the rebirth began.
He had spent the year before the U.S. Olympic Team Trials working as an assistant wrestling coach at West Point. Due to his coaching duties, his ability to take time off for tournaments and training was limited. Henson had felt unprepared for Abas’ challenge at the Trials.
“I did one tournament before the U.S. Open,” Henson said. “That is not enough to prepare yourself to face quality guys.”
Since the Trials, Henson has left West Point and moved with his wife, Stephanie, and three young children back to his home state of Missouri. He started GlobalOne Wrestling Club in St. Louis in September 2004. Postponing his career goal of becoming a collegiate head coach, Henson is able to concentrate his time on his family’s happiness and his own training.
“I wanted my kids to grow up near their grandparents,” Henson said of their move to Missouri.
The training environment in St. Louis is not ideal for Henson, meaning he spends more time on the road for his training.
“I treat it like I’m a professional,” Henson said. “I might be gone for three weeks at a time, but when I am home I spend all my time with my kids. It’s a sacrifice, but my family is there for me in all my goals.”
His goal now is getting on this year’s World Team and competing at the World Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
“My aspirations are to take it one year at a time,” Henson said. “I know how much work it takes to get ready for Worlds. I am ready to put in the work and I’m not looking past that.”
Henson’s training plan includes entering a number of tournaments and traveling to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., to work with USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson.
Jackson believes Henson has a stronger commitment than ever to getting better and should be considered a top contender for the 2005 World Team.
“Right now, Stephen Abas is the No.1 guy,” Jackson said. “But he’s been lucky to have Sammie Henson pushing him along the way. It should come down to the two of them for the World Team and I believe whoever it is will be the World Champion.”
Abas is fresh off a silver-medal performance at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Both athletes have proven their world-class abilities in the 121-pound weight class.
For Henson, working to achieve his goals means taking the work ethic he’s always had and coupling that with his new, ultimate dedication to the sport.
“In the past, I always believed I out-worked anybody in the world,” Henson said. “I have strong mat strategy, I know my opponents, I know positions and I excelled at hand-fighting.”
But as he’s gotten older, Henson has seen his strengths grow to include a hopeful, confident attitude.
“I’ve got the chance to be the best in the world. I’m 34 and I’ve got the chance to be the best in the world,” Henson said. “That’s something not many people can say.”
But for a man who has been a World Champion and claimed two U.S. National Championships, in the past wrestling was just something Henson did because he had always done it.
Growing up in Missouri, Henson won three state titles at Francis Howell High School. He went on to the Univ. of Missouri where he placed fifth in the 1991 NCAA meet as a freshman. Henson left Mizzou and transferred to Clemson, where he claimed NCAA titles in 1993 and 1994. Despite his numerous successes, Henson’s dedication to his wrestling career has wavered over the years.
An emotional loss to Namig Abdullayev of Azerbaijan in the gold medal match at the 2000 Olympics and the failure to make the 2004 Olympic team were devastating blows to Henson, but integral factors into the creation of the “new Sammie.”
While his high-energy, high-intensity personality is still there, Henson has a new appreciation and renewed spirit for the sport that has blessed and beguiled him for so many years.
“My attitude now is, ‘yeah, let’s go,'” Henson said. “I know I trained harder and smarter. Now I know I have the will to go with the understanding. I want to be wrestling and I want to be the best.”
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