Incidentally, I should mention that I’ve been doing a lot of coaching this week in preparation for State finals this weekend. Satchel took second place in the Regional finals Saturday, winning his first two matches by points, outscoring his opponents 24-0, before losing in the finals to a kid who he’s yet to beat, a member of the League’s premier club (at least for now). Satch was also the only wrestler in the bracket who didn’t have a bye, despite his having taken first place in Districts.
All of which means that, in addition to how proud we are of him for taking second in the Region, he will compete on Superbowl Sunday for a championship at States, wrestling at UNC in Greeley from the second seed.
Unfortunately, because of the Superbowl, wrestling begins at 7 am. Which means we have to be at the arena at a bit past 6 am, and it’s an hour drive were we to go from home. More, weigh-ins are the night before in the same venue. So we’ve decided to stay over at a near by hotel. Which only had single kings left. Leaving me to sleep on a cot, in bed by 9, on my birthday. Happy birthday to me!
But it’s all worth it. Just making it to States is an honor, and Satchel did it while spending the majority of his season wrestling up in weight in duals and tournaments.
If you don’t hear much from me, it’s because I’m working on a game plan for Satchel should he be fortunate enough to make the finals and face the same kid who beat him in Regionals.
And honestly, what’s there to say? Obama’s going to give a bullshit speech tonight, other sites are now doing the language thing as if it’s something new and fresh, the left is in full-on totalitarian mode, and the GOP’s concern is how best to manage a permanent Obamacare, defeat their base in elections and discredit the very foundations of classical liberalism, and secure amnesty for their corporatist sugar daddies.
They don’t need me for any of that.
Jeff, I showed some of Satchel’s matches to my son’s coach yesterday. Tell him people in Oklahoma are impressed.
Really? That’s great to hear!
Good luck to Satchel, Jeff. Plan for the best – he’ll do it!
I hear ya about the early morning thing. I do dog agility, which usually starts at 8 on Saturdays and Sundays. You have to be there early for registration, etc, and the shows always seem like they are an hour away, so a 4:30 alarm is not unusual – I get up earlier for it than for my job. We got an RV just for dog shows.
And since were showing off with videos, here is one of me running my dog.
Really? That’s great to hear!
Yup. “Whoa! That kid has a great bridge!” was one comment.
That kid (redblack) is aggressive, quick, tough, skilled, resourceful, confident — in a word, impressive. Defeating him will surely bring a great satisfaction.
That Pomona Elite Team is year-round wrestling. They do all the camps, travel to tournaments, etc. In a word, they’re studs.
But yeah, it’s mostly mental with Satchel now. He has moves to take advantage of kids who shoot aggressively and really, a lot of times it came down to better body position in rather neutral positions. The turn could have gone either way.
At one point near the end of the match Satchel had a chance to slip a half in and get a pin. But it had to happen in a split second and the kid was just able to turn away from it.
That’s the kind of kid who I want to see Satchel wrestling more often, and having Leister Bowling and Sonny Yohn helping coach will be a real boon for Satchel. He doesn’t know how good he can be yet. He still just wants to please us — and he does like the bling, like the medals and trophies. For him, though, it’s not like it is for the Pomona Elite kids. That kid watched every match. Satch spent his down time playing Mine Craft.
I figure I have to let him be a kid and so long as he works hard — and he does — the rest will take care of itself. I’ve watched him learn how to beat kids he couldn’t beat in previous years. He’s smart. He’s more strategic on the mat than I give him credit for sometimes. Still, he needs to work on offensive moves to turn kids. When he takes shots and gets takedowns, he can ride kids for the duration. They hate it. He tires them out. He’s relentless.
He’s also tough to pin. But that’s a moral victory. And we want to turn that skill into an asset that leads to more than just existential wins.
At one point near the end of the match Satchel had a chance to slip a half in and get a pin. But it had to happen in a split second and the kid was just able to turn away from it.
I saw those! (Here I credit myself with learning!) But man, eyeblink stuff seems to be the stuff of wrestling. And how.
My tennis teachers always advised: play against your betters in order to get better — it’s the only way. Tough for them though!
Jeff, yes, that’s a tough row to hoe, trying to make sure your son succeeds without becoming so wrapped up in in Satchel’s success that you forget that Satchel needs kid time.
I watched some parents destroy what possibly would have been a very promising hockey career for their their son, had they been less invested in what they wanted versus what their son needed.
I think Satchel is absolutely unreal and you’ve a lot to be proud of in your young man.
Congrats to your son! Thanks for the update. I was curious but didn’t want to inquire. As long as he’s having fun, it’s worth the effort.