Signing my letter of intent to Lindsey Wilson College has remained one of the most exciting days in my life. Preceding this decision, I was leaning heavily toward wrestling at Campbellsville University. The coaches there had been actively recruiting me since the beginning of my senior season at Trinity High School. However, Lindsey [...]]]> Entry 6

Myron Bradbury enters the NAIA national tournament as the 4 seed from the East Regional

Signing my letter of intent to Lindsey Wilson College has remained one of the most exciting days in my life. Preceding this decision, I was leaning heavily toward wrestling at Campbellsville University. The coaches there had been actively recruiting me since the beginning of my senior season at Trinity High School. However, Lindsey Wilson came flying into the picture during the first day of the state tournament last year. I vividly recall my dad calling me to come sit with him that evening. While walking up the stairs of Trinity’s section, I noticed “some bearded guy” sitting there with my dad. Come to find out, this “bearded guy” was Coach Ruff. When he began to speak, he didn’t talk to me about how good of a wrestler I was; he talked about himself as a coach, his aspirations at Lindsey Wilson, and what my place there would be. This boldly stood out to me because he wasn’t there to blow smoke up my dress and make me feel good. He was there to continue his quest towards a national title and explain the importance of my roles in doing so. This was my first glimpse of something real after my high school career, and it revealed the truth and sincerity behind Coach Ruff’s rugged demeanor. My second and most clear memory of this decision came right after I signed my letter of intent. Coach Ruff picked up the sheet of paper, shook my hand, looked me in the eyes and said, “Congratulations. For the next four years, I own you.” Rather than being intimidated by his statement, I chose to embrace it and make his goal the same as mine; to win a national title.

Though I lack one tournament before having an entire college wrestling season under my belt, I still run into speed bumps here and there requiring adaptation; the main focus here being my balance between education and wrestling. My teacher’s expectations, not to my surprise, are proportional to those of Coach Ruff; they expect nothing less than your best effort in their class. This has been my hardest struggle transitioning from high school to college, and I wouldn’t go as far to say I have figured out the right balance of focus to give to each wrestling and classes. Luckily, two of my roommates, Josh Johnson and Isaac Thomas are also a part of the national tournament team so we can fall back on each other for support and answers to problems we run into trying to discover this perfect “class-to-wrestling” balance. I can ask them what has worked for them and what hasn’t. Having two roommates on the national tournament team makes keeping my social behaviors during season within acceptable parameters, as well. This works simply on the fact that we all have an unspoken rivalry going between us to do the best at Nationals so we can have bragging rights when we get back to the room. Don’t get this confused, though. If I was not to reach All-American status, I would be the first one behind our coaching staff cheering for Josh or Isaac.

My goal becomes larger, closer to my grasps, and seemingly more attainable this late in the season. With victories over, and close losses to top ranked wrestlers, and a seed under my belt going into the national tournament, I couldn’t be more excited. Every day the entire Blue Raider wrestling team walks in the hot, humid wrestling room eager to push ourselves to the limit and turn our flaws into a perfect routine expected to come natural during each new match. I don’t know how, but Coach Ruff finds a way to motivate us each day through our weight battles and class management to work our hardest at practice. He challenges us to dig out strength we never knew we had to finish practice just as strong as we started. Though recently, the chore of creating our own practice plan, and completing it on our own has been assigned to the national tournament bound wrestlers, his words continuously linger in my head to make this an easy task.

I couldn’t be happier where I am right now at Lindsey Wilson. The team treats each other as a family, and we all help each other out through each individual struggle. Coach Ruff, as well as assistant coaches Abe Cross and Shane Perkey, continue to retain the father figure image in my mind, and they make wrestling here a simple and fun hobby. Until the team goal and my individual goal of winning a national title is reached, I know we will continue to push ourselves to the extreme; and when this goal is reached, we will continue to climb the mountain and work to dominate any and every team and individual opponent we step on the line to wrestle. I know as long as my coaches and teammates surround me, nothing will get in my way.

The season is progressing at an alarming rate.  It seems like yesterday that our team was worrying about being hydrated for their weight certifications.  Now we are already through our third weekend tournament and our first weekend not competing.  The break is necessary though, as some of the guys are cutting weight [...]]]> Entry 5

The season is progressing at an alarming rate.  It seems like yesterday that our team was worrying about being hydrated for their weight certifications.  Now we are already through our third weekend tournament and our first weekend not competing.  The break is necessary though, as some of the guys are cutting weight improperly and a few are banged up with injuries.  The weekend off will give those weight cutters an extra few days to get control of their weight and give those beat up guys some time to heal.  We left for King College on the fence on whether or not to wrestle at Concordia this weekend.  The final decision depended on the teams performance at King College.  To sum up the weekend, we qualified a few more for nationals, got another tournament champion, and turned a lot of corners in our technique and wrestling psyche.  It was a good weekend, and obviously enough to sate the coaching staff’s hunger for the time being.  Concordia was officially canceled on the bus ride back to Columbia.  Again though, a weekend off was probably an unforeseen necessity. 

The weekend off was really a result of the accumulation of a 3 weekend series of steady improvement and constant tenacity.  The team really looks good, and their mentality has changed.  I’m not one to point fingers, so I will just say that I think it has a lot to do with 3 of the wrestlers.  All winners, but all differently.  There is one who has overcome adversity and has stepped on the mat with an unmatched attitude and sense of tenacity for success.  Another who has been deflated repeatedly, changed his temperament and purpose for being on the mat, and has rebounded to an important and successful role on the team.  And finally the young gun coming in chewing up competition despite their age, strength, or experience – he doesn’t care.  We did have one here last year, but his mindset has changed, but the other two are new roles on our team, but together have really influenced the attitude and change of pace for the entire squad.

Along with the changed attitudes and change of pace, we have an exciting future ahead of us.  With the talent and untapped ability that is here, the changes taking place now will fasttrack this team to success very soon.  I realize it is arrogance, but I foresee a national championship team in our room next year.  I have seen college wrestling for 6 1/2 years now… it gets easier and easier to imagine the pace at which these guys will excel.  Coupling that rate with the way they are changing their attitudes and theories of the sport – this team has a very bright future.  You know how someone just “gets it?”  Well, it’s like they are jumping over the wall one at a time… they’re getting it.

As for the coaching staff, we are ever evolving as well.  Coach Ruff is doing a great job with his corner presence and containing frustration, which is being noticed by members on the team.  Coach Cross is getting better and better at instruction and breaking moves down along with his expertise in breaking down film and noticing mistakes.  I am ever changing my style on the mat and the things I can show the guys.  Nearly every day I learn or realize something new that I had never thought of before or never noticed I did before.  It’s those things coupled with instruction and then adoption and execution from the guys that make me feel like I am doing at least one aspect of my job correctly.  When I have things, I like to share.  Unfortunately it usually turns my pockets inside out, but with wrestling… I can share without worrying about resources. 

I know the wrestling aspect is so important, but what concerns me the most is the character of our wrestlers.  Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but you can condition yourself to make good decisions.  It could be compared to the snowball effect.  One good decision leads into another and another and so on.  Luckily, the coaches have done a good job recruiting darn good kids.  We have our hygiene problems like any other program, but the steps we take are noticeable off the mat.  Our presence on campus is doing very well.  Wrestlers aren’t getting into trouble and they are walking around with a mindset that they represent themselves as well as the program and their teammates.  It really is a conglomerate, and they are beginning to get that too.  It’s a great time to be a part of this program – I consider myself lucky to be a part of the beginning of Lindsey Wilson Wrestling.

The weekly conference honor is Bradford’s first of his career.

“Jacob works hard to get better every single day and it has showed in his wrestling,” said Lindsey Wilson assistant coach Abe Cross. [...]]]>

COLUMBIA, Ky. — Lindsey Wilson College’s Jacob Bradford is the Mid-South Conference Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced on Tuesday.

The weekly conference honor is Bradford’s first of his career.

“Jacob works hard to get better every single day and it has showed in his wrestling,” said Lindsey Wilson assistant coach Abe Cross. “The sky is the limit for this kid. We know he’s only going to continue to improve and that excites us as a coaching staff and as a program.”

Bradford won five of his six matches during the week, including an 11-4 upset win over Campbellsville (Ky.) University’s Spencer Adams — who is ranked third in the NAIA at 197 pounds.

The Union, Ky., native finished third at 197 pounds in the King College Open on Sunday. Bradford’s lone loss came in the opening round to the eventual champion.

Bradford finished the tournament pinning his last four opponents — two coming in the first period.

Lindsey Wilson returns to the mat at 12 p.m. CT on Nov. 24 at Cumberland (Tenn.) University in Lebanon, Tenn.

It was a big day for Lindsey Wilson wrestling as nine student-athletes qualified for the NAIA National Championships with their finishes in two separate open tournaments.

“Our team had a lot of great moments, but I’m very happy for Myron,” Lindsey Wilson head coach Corey Ruff said. “He goes into every match expecting to win [...]]]>

Myron Bradbury won the 125 pound title at EMU Open

YPSILANTI, Mich. –

It was a big day for Lindsey Wilson wrestling as nine student-athletes qualified for the NAIA National Championships with their finishes in two separate open tournaments.

“Our team had a lot of great moments, but I’m very happy for Myron,” Lindsey Wilson head coach Corey Ruff said. “He goes into every match expecting to win and a lot of guys on this team were able to witness just how valuable that is. Myron just refused to give an inch to anyone today and he has a lot to teammates that are now eager to possess that same quality.”

Bradbury won four matches to claim his first college tournament championship at 125 pounds, while Jacob Bradford won three matches to reach the finals at 197 pounds before dropping a hard-fought 6-2 decision to Michigan State University’s Nick McDiarmid.

Wrestling unattached, Harrison Courtney was impressive in picking up a major decision and three pins en route to his 3rd place finish at 165 pounds. His only loss came at the hands of Indiana University’s Preston Keiffer 8-2.

Teddy Furnish finished in the top eight while notching three victories on the day at heavyweight.

Ethan Miller (125), Michael Lovitt (133), and Zach McCormick (157) racked up three victories apiece but fell one victory short of placing in the top eight and missed a chance to solidify an automatic qualification into the NAIA National Championships.

Lindsey Wilson also sent some wrestlers to the Patriot Open hosted by the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.).

Five wrestlers met national tournament qualifying standards at the Patriot Open.

After a very successful season at 125 pounds last year, team captain Keith Klink made the jump to 141 pounds and won the Patriot Open during his redshirt season.

Zeth St.Claire went 4-0 en route to his title at 165 pounds. He recorded two pins and a major decision before settling for a 3-2 decision in the finals.

Justin Cooper won the 197 pound bracket with a default victory over freshman teammate Jonathan Hupp in the finals.

Freshman Jerry Contreras placed 4th at 165 pounds and met the national qualifying criteria as well.

Other place-winners were Andy Lenz (2nd at 125), Craig West (6^th at 157), and Zach Wimpleberg (5^th at 285).

All of the wrestlers at the Patriot Open were competing as unattached individuals.

“I’m very proud of our efforts at Eastern Michigan,” Ruff said. “They were more responsive to the coaching they received during their matches and that is something our staff really tried to convey after last weekend’s disappointing performance.

“We still had a lot of guys leave disappointed, but overall this young team gained a lot of confidence. We’re going to need to be ready for a fight Friday, and I think today really helped us prepare for that mentally.”

The Blue Raiders return to action at 7 p.m. CT on Nov. 12 at Campbellsville (Ky.) University for the first dual meet of the season.

Adversity: a word that most people have heard at some point in time. It is something that is a part of everyone’s life, no matter who they are or where they are from, it is a binding unity that every person shares. In wrestling, adversity is not only a part of the sport, [...]]]> Entry 4

Jacob Bradford

Adversity: a word that most people have heard at some point in time. It is something that is a part of everyone’s life, no matter who they are or where they are from, it is a binding unity that every person shares. In wrestling, adversity is not only a part of the sport, but defines the sport. Every season, every match, every second a wrestler spends on the mat he faces an opponent, whether physical or mental. It is in the true nature of the sport, that we as wrestlers strive to overcome that adversity and make ourselves the best.

I myself have faced adversity on and off the mat. In the past year I have been told I wasn’t going to live, I wouldn’t look normal, that it would be years until I was able to return to a normal healthy life. This was all the result of an accident last September, where in which over 60 percent of my body was burned in a freak gasoline-fire incident. I will not go into full detail but I did spend a month and a half in a hospital afterwards, 4 weeks of that in an induced coma. When I was released from the hospital I had lost 50 pounds and had had several skin graft surgeries done to my legs, back, and arms. Needless to say I was in a frail state and the road to recovery that had been mapped out to me by doctors and physicians seemed long and quite frankly, frightening. I felt doomed, I felt as though nothing would ever be same and the life I had once lived was over. To be honest, I’m not sure how I was motivated or inspired to keep fighting what seemed as though a never ending battle. Maybe it was the immense support from my family, friends, wrestling coaches (both old and new), or maybe it was the fact that I didn’t want to be stuck in the state I was in forever. Either way I began to take those steps towards reclaiming my old life and, before I knew it I was back on top again. Day by day I got better, until I myself could even see the improvement. In a little over 3 months after I was released from the hospital, I was back to running and even began getting on the wrestling mats again.

On the mat, there have been times where I have questioned my reason for wrestling, why I push myself, and why I continue to come back day after day. I am not the best technical wrestler and not a natural athlete by any means, but I strive to be the best at everything I do. I place full responsibility on myself to do whatever it takes to put myself a notch above any opponent I face. And recently this mentality has helped me to victory in a match that was of the upmost importance this season: wrestle-offs.  It was a match that determined who would be the starting 197 pounder for the start of the season. My opponent was a Senior transfer from a Division II school, was more experienced, and until that match had gotten the best of me at every practice beforehand. I was nervous to say the least, but I had prepared for it in every way I could and had confidence in myself and my abilities. In wrestling there is only one thing you can count on, yourself.  I went out there and wrestled the way I knew how to and came out on top. It was a great achievement and one that meant a lot to me. There may be other wrestle-offs and I will prepare for them each the same way, my best, and wish the best for any of my opponents.

I write this blog not to present another example of how another person overcame tremendous obstacles and how it has made them successful, but I write it in the realistic sense to let other wrestlers out there know that they are not alone in the obstacles they face. To let them know that everyone is facing an opponent one way or another.  Adversity is something that is a part of everyone’s life, but it is how you overcome that adversity that sets you apart.

Jacob Bradford means a lot to our team, both as a wrestler and, more importantly, as a human being. The struggles he has faced are beyond comprehension and beyond what the average person can envision. Nevertheless, he does not use those struggles as a crutch. Instead, he has elected to use them as a metaphorical springboard, coming back mentally and physically stronger than most of us could have imagined.

His perseverance and determination set the bar in every aspect of life, but that is not what makes Jacob who he is. His perseverance and determination set the bar long before his accident even occurred – the fact that he never lost a beat is what sets him apart.

We would love to talk about how much our team looks up to Jacob for all that he has been through – and they do – but the truth is, our team looked up to Jacob from the beginning. His accident did not transform him into some kind of role model. He already was a role model. A great role model, at that.

 Jacob’s blog about overcoming adversity and defeating whatever opponent one may face is not a result of the struggles he endured. Rather, it is a result of the person that he is and always was.

We as a coaching staff and as a team are very proud to call Jacob one of us. He is a young man that we can all look up to. We expect big things from him in the future, and we’re not necessarily referring to the things that he will do on the wrestling mat.

Below is an article that helps describe what Jake went through, and the odds he defied.

-Coach Cross

Grappling with true adversity
By Richard Skinner – Enquirer contributor – February 20, 2010

Just six months ago it had appeared as if his life would never be the same again. It was Sept. 17 when Bradford, a 2009 Ryle High School graduate who was last year’s Enquirer Northern Kentucky Wrestler of the Year, suffered first- to third-degree burns over his legs and lower back in a bonfire accident during a team gathering off campus.

Things were back to normal.

Justin Cooper

This is Justin Cooper from Lindsey Wilson College. Let me start by telling you a little about myself.  I am originally from Indiana and have been involved in just about every sport out there. I was pushed at an early age to work hard at whatever I did, and I [...]]]> Entry 3

Justin Cooper

This is Justin Cooper from Lindsey Wilson College. Let me start by telling you a little about myself.  I am originally from Indiana and have been involved in just about every sport out there. I was pushed at an early age to work hard at whatever I did, and I found early success in wrestling.  It all started when I was 6 years old and my oldest brother joined the wrestling team after not making the middle school basketball squad. As younger siblings tend to do, my other brother and I followed suit and signed up to wrestle, as well. My older brothers ended up having much more success than I did at the high school level. One was a state qualifier and the other, a state champion. Their success fueled me to work exceptionally hard because I wanted to follow in their footsteps.  Long story short, things did not go my way when tournament time came around and I never qualified for the state meet. I proceeded to continue my wrestling career at the University of Indianapolis, where I was the starting 197 pounder as a true freshman.  I finished the season as a .500 wrestler, but for some reason I had lost the desire to compete. It was a very tough decision, but I walked away from competing in the sport that had taught me so much. Even so, I continued my education at UINDY for the next three years while I helped coach at my former high school.

 Taking the opportunity to coach gave me a new perspective on the sport of wrestling. One of the things that really got to me was the abundance of talented wrestlers that decided to pass on the chance to continue their wrestling careers at the collegiate level. I would preach to the kids I coached that they could do great things at the next level with the right attitude and the right work ethic. Looking back, I can see why they didn’t listen to me; I was one of those kids that had the ability but I had lost the drive to wrestle. Instead of continuing to talk about it, I decided to do something about it and return to the college wrestling scene. I was blessed with the opportunity to talk to Lindsey Wilson Assistant Coach Shane Perkey, a former teammate of mine at UINDY, about coming down to LWC and taking a visit. This was the opportunity I had been waiting for. Two days later I was on campus and instantly fell in love with the school, coaching staff, wrestlers, and facilities. I had been in Indiana all my life, and I was finally ready for a new place and a new start.

Having never lived on campus or away from home, I was a little nervous, especially because I am an old man compared to most of our team. I was lucky enough to be placed in a room with another new transfer and two returning wrestlers. One of which I went to middle school with. What a small world. My experience here has been great. We have a lot of fun, whether it is making late night trips to the gas station to get chicken dinners and lotto tickets, going cliff diving, or just sitting around talking about wrestling and life.  It also helps a lot being in a room where my roommates are as focused on their school work as much as I am.

So, on to the wrestling….. The coaching staff here at Lindsey is focused on creating a national championship caliber team; not in 10 years, not in 5 years, but TODAY.  A quote that our team uses is “Tradition Begins Now”. All 56 guys on our roster want to win a national championship. Most are focused and determined to do whatever it takes to complete that mission. This is going to be an exciting year for LWC and everyone should expect big things, because big things ARE going to happen. There is an enthusiasm in our wrestling room that I have never seen in any room at any level.  Coach Ruff is an excellent motivator. When you hear him talk about wrestling you can hear the passion in his voice. He truly wants his wrestlers and this program to be GREAT. 

Camaraderie is one of the best things about our team. You can always find us together traveling in packs, sitting together at lunch, or playing hoops on the weekend.  Our team is led by one of my roommates, senior Keith Klink. He is a great leader and sets a good “big brother” example for everyone. He has a great work ethic both on the mat and in the classroom. Guys like Keith really enhance the atmosphere at Lindsey, and help define what this team is all about. It is truly a great family to be a part of. We push each other everyday, and you always have someone there to pick you up or encourage you to push through the pain. Being around this team has really fueled my desire to become a national champion, and I work hard everyday to try and make that happen. 

I am definitely not the biggest, fastest, or strongest kid in my weight class. Sometimes you only need a little bit of each of those if you have heart and a good work ethic. That is what makes wrestling so great. There is a quote that really speaks to me by Lou Holtz; “If you’re bored with life and you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things, you don’t have enough goals.” Goal setting is one of the most important things we can do as individuals. Whether it is something you want to accomplish today, tomorrow, or 10 years from now, everyone should have goals. Write them down, look at them every morning when you get up, and use them as motivation to accomplish your dreams. The reason I am here at Lindsey Wilson College is because I have many goals that I have yet to accomplish. Some of my goals include winning a national championship in wrestling both as a team and as an individual, raising my cumulative GPA over a 3.3, and being a good role model for my 6 year old brother. I encourage every one of you to set goals in life, and work hard to accomplish those goals. Remember, no goal is too big. If you’re not reaching for the top, you definitely will never get there.

Midterm’s week just ended and now we have a week off for fall break. We had an intense first month of wrestling and now everyone is taking some time off before we come back and get into the grind of a long season. Wrestle-offs are less than two weeks away, and there are going to be some great battles for starting spots. I hope everyone reading this makes an effort to come to our Blue and White dual on October 23. We have an excellent group of wrestlers, and we are going to put on a great show!

Derek Nickel

I have been a member of kentuckywrestling.com for quite some time now. It has been a resource that I have used to gain knowledge of the wrestling world I have grown to love.  When presented with the opportunity to share stories and/or insight with all of its readers, I was [...]]]> Entry 2

Derek Nickel

I have been a member of kentuckywrestling.com for quite some time now. It has been a resource that I have used to gain knowledge of the wrestling world I have grown to love.  When presented with the opportunity to share stories and/or insight with all of its readers, I was excited to say the least.  I feel this blog is a great way for high school level athletes, wrestling parents, coaches, and patrons who frequent the website to gain knowledge about the next level.  That being said, I am going to jump right into what is on my mind.

Lindsey Wilson College Wrestling 2010-2011 NAIA National Champions.  What does this mean to me?

This means a lot of things that vary in many different ways. It means making sacrifices and working harder than the next person when you feel like you cannot give any more.  It means staying focused in the most difficult of situations; being poised and ready to get better…to make your teammates better.  None of us are perfect, but if we strive to be that way, we can come close.  Doing whatever it takes on and off the mat to make this dream a reality is what this statement means to me.  Our team is on a path destined for greatness and our momentum is what will keep us going when times get tough.  When I look in many of my teammate’s eyes, I see hunger and focus. I see pain. I see a growing desire for victory.  Trust me when I say we back up everything we say with our actions. This is who we are and soon it will be proven. 

I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression by saying all these things.  We still have a long road ahead of us before these things happen.  However, every last one of us knows what we want and we are determined to get it.  It may not happen this year or the next, but why should that stop us from trying?  The attitude we possess is pure poison to our opponents, striking with venom so powerful they have no choice but to succumb to us.  I stand with the other 56 members of our team ready for battle everyday in all walks of life.  One of our strongest attributes is our family-like bond. It is unbreakable and unmatched.  Simply put, we are all best friends. Of course we have our fights and disagreements, yet we always solve them and it makes us stronger. 

If there is one thing I could tell the readers, it is to believe. Believe in everything you do.  When you believe in something, you are driven to take the steps necessary to succeed because you want to.  No matter how hard things get, I feel there is no greater power than to believe and buy into something greater than yourself.  Even if the reward takes a lifetime to receive it will be worth it because you never gave up or swayed from what your goals were. 

As you can tell I have faith in our team, and I have thrown out some strong words to support them. I truly believe in what we are doing, I have bought in, and I feel the majority of our program has as well.  All in all I feel blessed every day I step into a classroom on this campus, and on the blue and white mats we wrestle on each day.  Tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone, so today is the time to make a difference.  I want to thank everyone for the support we have received so far, and I wish everyone good luck this upcoming season.

Corey Ruff – Head Coach

Another wrestling season is just around the corner, and it is without a doubt my favorite time of year. As a self-proclaimed ambassador of the sport, I feel it is important to expand past my job description and do what I can to help promote wrestling [...]]]> Entry 1

Corey Ruff – Head Coach

Another wrestling season is just around the corner, and it is without a doubt my favorite time of year. As a self-proclaimed ambassador of the sport, I feel it is important to expand past my job description and do what I can to help promote wrestling on all levels. With that said, it is my goal to give the readers an inside look at all things Lindsey Wilson Wrestling. Every week or two, a member of our family is going to enlighten you with his/her thoughts on what is going on from behind the scenes of our program in blog form. I hope to inject the wrestling community in Kentucky with enthusiasm for the sport at a level that far exceeds that of high school wrestling. I want you all to get a sense of what college wrestling is all about, and hope you hop on the bandwagon that is LINDSEY WILSON WRESTLING.

There is an urgency burning inside of me to be the best…to win an NAIA National Championship. I am not willing to sit back and wait for anything to come to me. I plan on taking it away from another program, and I won’t have to apologize for it. It will be done, and it will be done with dignity and pride. It will be done the right way, and it will be done quicker than anyone has ever done it before. That is my mentality. That is the challenge I have put upon myself, and everyone involved with this program has no choice but to get on board with my mission…what is now OUR MISSION. I will not settle for mediocrity and I will not waste my time with those unwilling to follow. It is my way or the highway, and I am very confident that my way will lead us to glory.

For those of you that know me, you understand that this is the way I carry myself. For those that don’t, I am certain this comes off as arrogant. Well…it is arrogant.

About a decade ago, I was at a coach’s clinic featuring Olympian James Gruenwald when he defined what he called “humble arrogance”. Defined separately, the words are antonyms. Together, and with the proper suffix, it defines a quality every wrestler should possess. Gruenwald’s message was that every wrestler must have an arrogant mentality when the opening whistle blows; and that when the final whistle sounds…resume being humble in all walks of life. I’m certain his explanation was more detailed, but from that day forward I have carried myself with a humble arrogance in every aspect of life. His reference was from a wrestling standpoint, but it can be applied in our everyday lives. Every challenge I face is attempted with poise on the outside, and an intense arrogance on the inside. Thanks to Gruenwald, I now know how to describe the quality I seek to instill in every athlete I have had the pleasure of coaching. I strive to infuse compassion…fearlessness…respect…strength…love.

Getting the LWC program off the ground has been exhausting. Coaches Cross and Perkey have definitely been a big help, and I am confident they share the same vision of being the best. We have all made significant sacrifices to put this program in position to do that as soon as possible. As a coach, there may be nothing more frustrating than to see an individual not willing to make similar sacrifices to be the best that he/she can be. At the same time, nothing is more gratifying than to see an individual who suddenly gets it…someone who may have needed to take a step back to get a new perspective on things…someone that has restored faith in something he believes is worthy of the sacrifice…someone who is infatuated with success and the work that comes with it…someone who possesses a humble arrogance in all walks of life…someone that inspires not only his teammates but fills his coaches with pride…

Our next blogger will remain a mystery, but I want you all to know that he anonymously posted this inside our wrestling room the first week of school and it has me bursting with pride to have him call me coach:

“Have Purpose When Wrestling”

Everyone wrestles for a reason, which may vary in many ways. Yet we all have one thing in common, and that is that we participate in the hardest sport out there. We beat up ourselves and others on a daily basis, repeatedly enduring the ridicule of others because they do not understand us. We are gladiators in a modern society, trying to better each other by bettering ourselves. We have the strength and knowledge to persevere through any hardship that we may encounter. We knock each other down just to pick each other right back up.

            That being said, I want you to ask yourself one question before you step into this room; why do you wrestle? Whatever the answer is, use it motivate yourself to get work done in here today and every day. Wasting time is not an option. We are a championship caliber team, and it is time we started acting like one. Now is the time to lean on each other, learn from each other, and motivate each other. Have a purpose in this room, and give back to the sport that has given us so much. Never take a single day for granted, push past your comfort level, and never break!

Lindsey Wilson College Wrestling 2010-2011 NAIA National Champions!!!!

(What does this mean to you?)

We currently have 894 facebook fans, 57 college athletes, 5 managers, 3 coaches, a wonderful group of parents, a campus ready to be entertained, and a very supportive administration involved with our program. I am grateful for the association and interest every single one of you has shown.  

-Corey Ruff