May 1987: Should I go to Iowa?


5/15/87
NYC

Either I end my wrestling career now and be happy about what I've done, and move on with my life...or I devote myself to it 100% until I've done what I need to do.

I've had a respectable career. I won 23 matches in a row as a high school senior but lost at state. I only wrestled for two seasons at NYU, which I chose for its film school, not its wrestling program. I was 24-6 as a senior and the team's outstanding wrestler, but I didn't qualify for NCAAs. That was 3 years ago.

I've dabbled in freestyle since then, training 2 nights a week at the NYAC, competing in a few open tournaments. I wrestled at freestyle nationals in Vegas last month, just to say I did. I got tech-falled twice in a row.

I'm 24. I love wrestling, but I either need to be great at it or get out and put my energy into a career.

I need to make a decision.

5/20/87
Iowa has the best NCAA program in the nation, and a freestyle team, the Hawkeye Club, that their alums wrestle for. I mean, you know, if I'm serious about getting good, fast, that would be the obvious choice.

Would I get completely crushed? Probably. Would they even let me train there? Who knows?

Could I place at freestyle nationals with some dedicated focus? I don't know.

Am I willing to give up the next few years of my life to find out? I don't know.

I just know that I haven't realized my full potential. And I can't suddenly decide at age 40 that I want to do it. I need to make a decision and live with that decision.

3 comments:

  1. Hi, it's a very great blog.
    I could tell how much efforts you've taken on it.
    Keep doing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great blog. I read the entire thing in one sitting. Makes me wish I would have gone to Iowa!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi

    I just want to say how inspiring and real your journey felt by reading through it. When I need inspiration I find myself looking through excerpts in your blog.

    Thank you for sharing
    Christian

    ReplyDelete