Wrestling Blogs - Mike Tamillow

I made a mistake this year. I should’ve bought new running shoes. I had a nice pair last year. They were a little old and worn out since I took them from my dad. Eventually they got so beat up that I had talking shoes and had to toss them. When the school year started I was given the standard issue shoe. No matter what size I got, the shoe didn’t fit. My foot cramped up and I couldn’t run more than a mile. I’ve probably run a total of 40 miles this year. I love running. I made a mistake; it’s not about the shoes.

It’s certainly not about the running either. The U.S. trains with a lot more running than foreign countries, and we don’t over-run our guys in training. In fact running isn’t an essential part of wrestling at all. Every time I’ve ever seen a wrestler running the crowd starts screaming, “STALLING” The mistake wasn’t in the shoes, it wasn’t in the lack of running, it wasn’t in the conditioning (I’m in good shape). The mistake was in the investment.

The word ‘commitment’ gets thrown around a lot. It’s a great idea but usually commitment simply applies to a promise to yourself. A lot of times you will realize you might not be as strong willed as you thought. But if your lucky like me you’re dumb as a rock and you can trick yourself into doing things that might be questionably fun. The idea behind investment is similar to the hokey-pokey. First you’re putting your right foot in, then your right leg, pretty soon your putting your arms in, until you got your whole body in and you can’t even question shaking it all about.

Perhaps the best part about investment is that it makes you like something more. You’re not begrudgingly keeping a promise that consumes every aspect of your life (as wrestling can do). You are investing just enough to live in the moment. If you invest yourself financially, physically, time-wise, emotionally, psychologically, and verbally; then you will really find out how committed you are.

The first one I mentioned was financial investment. Buy the plane ticket, buy the pair of shoes, pay for that summer wrestling camp or Fargo. This is harder for kids to do unless you give them an option about where the money goes. (Don’t make the other choice a Nintendo Wii, unless he’s really committed) When you commit your money you will find a way to make sense of it. The more that money meant to you the more likely you are to hold that thing over your head to be the best.

Physically invest yourself by going for that run, or doing that extra lift, getting in another match. This is the type of thing that your coach will probably notice and deem you committed. This might be the hardest way to invest yourself because it can be the most overbearing. This area also includes rehabbing injuries and anything else that is considered training. Eating right, losing weight (make sure it’s a choice, that’s the most important part about an investment) taking care of that ringworm on your neck all fit this category. (If you invest in cauliflower ear you’re a wrestler for life)

A time investment is the other half of a physical investment. When are you going to do that workout? When are you going to watch videos? If you can optionally find 4 hours of your day to focus on wrestling in one-way or another (Even if it’s only thinking about it) then wrestling will become an important part of your life. Waking up early for a run and making sure you finish your night with push-ups are good time investments. You are insuring time will be made for training.

Most of my relationships have come out of wrestling, friends, coaches, even my last girlfriend. An emotional investment is an investment to your relationships and anything else you attach emotion to. If you feel by losing in the state finals will let your coach down then you’ve invested emotion in it. If you’re like me then you imagine your life as a montage, with the eye of the tiger song in the background. This makes me want to fight, and then I gots ta win cause I don’t want to let Adrian and Mac down.

Psychological and verbal investments are important to use together. I initially say I’m going to do something because I know it’s important to me. I may do it because I said I was going to do it, I made a promise and it is important for me to keep it since I like to think that I’m the type of person who keeps promises he makes. I may not do it because frankly if I’m not motivated enough I just don’t see the point, I’d much rather be happy. Or I can take advantage of my mentality. Have you ever looked forward to practice so much? Can you remember that day? Describe it in detail, think about how excited you are about practice, talk smack to a teammate, do something to get those juices flowing until you actually WANT to come to practice. You’ll find that a challenge makes you want to do a lot of things. I find it enjoyable to challenge wrestlers who I half expect to beat me down. Once they get going they won’t even think about how they are committing themselves, and I’m not considering how I’m committing myself.

The ultimate goal of investment is stated right there. I want to find myself incredibly committed in so many ways without even bothering to say “I’m committed, from this day forth no ice cream and 4:20 A.M. runs.” I’m telling you to have fun; just make sure you’re willing to spend a hundred bucks on a new pair of running shoes, and take a few runs that week.

I want to invest myself so deep that I’ll either come out on top of the world or die trying.