Wrestling Blogs - Mike Tamillow

Disclaimer: Before reading this article I think you should know that my last girlfriend dumped me because "I don't listen to anyone and I do whatever I want". Don't take anything I say literally and certainly don't adhere to my advice.

I have some issues with authority figures and authority in general. I believe the true intent of school is not increasing knowledge and understanding. Think about it now as I describe it. You go to school, teachers get you in lines, they tell you what to do, they train you, when you fall out of line you get in trouble. Teaching is not the intent of schools, people training is. It's just like dog training with children. If increased understanding were the intent, school would be voluntary. People really only need to know what it requires to keep them alive and content.

So it certainly makes sense why schools are an institution set up by the government. They teach us cultural norms, let us know what is right and what is wrong. Most importantly they teach us how to get and keep a job, not because they teach any important job skills but because they teach us to listen to our boss and seek approval (in the form of grades.) Authority figures keep us in our place while they teach us how to improve, the only problem is- they are entirely replaceable. However, good teachers are not.

Think it through... we live in a world where we have to cater to our boss or our boss will fire us. Why can’t we fire our boss? We are taught to believe this is how the world works, but looking on the logic of this from political science, it doesn’t make much sense. The power of the boss comes from his followers. This is my understanding. My coaches need me just as much as I need them. I am here to learn from them and use them to advance my training. There are tons of them out there; they are here for me.

This is the point where I say "I've learned something today" and come up with a good compromise of feelings. What I am trying to do is win matches; because of this I will not just blindly follow a coach because he is MY coach. However, all coaches have their positives so I am going to take all I can from every coach (or teammate) I can. My goal is to find as many coaches as I can and get everything I can out of them.

Many coaches I have seen or experienced are very authoritative. They have an attitude "I know what's best for you." I ignore this attitude. I will usually do what they ask simply to be agreeable (fighting authority is not a very acceptable action) but the one thing I won't agree with is that they "know what's best for ME". This is why I have more than one coach. So I can hear exactly what I want to hear when I want to hear it. When one coach says, "wrestle with an injury" and I know I shouldn’t, I find a coach (or doctor) who'll tell me not to. When one would have said, "we need you not to give up a major" I find one who says, "You better win". When a coach tells me I can't, I find one who says I can. And when I can't find a coach who tells me what I need to hear, I turn to myself. I may be right I may have to reevaluate, but essentially I still know what’s best for ME.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to find as many coaches and mentors as possible. This can include your peers, your elders, your parents, and even guys younger than you. But make sure they fit your criteria. 1) They are interested in teaching you something; this means they see your potential. 2) They believe in you, they are your fans above all else, they are teaching you to beat your opponent and will be cheering for you to win. 3) They understand that they are there for YOU; if they tell you what you NEED to do and are playing dictator, don't bother listening. A good leader will show his dominance without dominating. You will unconsciously follow a good coach without him telling you what you have to do. It will always be a suggestion, one that seems to help you win every time. And sooner or later you will find yourself taking suggestions of any and every coach that helps you win.

And of course, winning