Beleive......Belong If you don't beleive you don't belong!   Hard Work Lives Here! Self Pity- I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself, A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough, Without ever having felt sorry for it self.       What's  it take?     100%! Whadda we gotta do to beat em?    Out work em!       "I have been given this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I choose to do with it is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it."   Repetition makes perfect!   Never give your opponent the satisfaction of pinning you, or beating you, never, never!!!!   Wrestle the Wrestler not his name, uniform, record, or his reputation.    Your mind has to be your strongest weapon!   Nothing is as real as a dream. The world can change around you, but your dream will not. Responsibilities need not erase it. Duties need not obscure it. Because the dream is within you, no one can take it away.   Happy are those who dream dreams and enthusiastically pay the price to make their dreams come true." Anon. " Always be a first rate version of yourself, Instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." You only get out of a program what you put in, "quality practice = quality wrestling".   The commitment you make to your wrestling, is a commitment to your-self, and your team . If you miss practice....you will not be ready to wrestle when the competition starts. To All Youth Wrestlers: Thoughts from Coach John: Your off season workouts should consist of some sort of cardio, and daily push-up and sit-up sets. Remember this:  two sets of 30 push-ups a day, times 7 days, times one year equal, 152,880 push-ups a year. Do you think this might make you stronger? Think about it.............it's easy............   How many of you are doing this? Each night, when your watching TV and a commercial comes on, immediately drop and do 20 pushups and 20 sit-ups. (I bet your not doing this are you?) Every time a commercial comes on do this until its time for bed. You have 2-3 minutes while the commercials are on so this is a good time to use. Don't be a couch potato! Don't forget to work on your shadow drilling, it is very important and it works. As you move forward with each practice you will start to see improvements and you will become more confident in your ability to make this sport a positive aspect in your life. It will grow on you and you will acquire the  skills needed to become a better and productive wrestler. Hang in there and keep your head up and off the mat.  Strive for excellence and never give up in a match. Giving up on the mat is like quitting.  Don't do it! Fight to the very end. Keep up the good work, and stay focused on and off the mat. Remember: Your studies for school should always come first. A smart student makes a smart wrestler. Be a Scholar Athlete not a Dumb Jock...........

Don't become discouraged when you lose, use that defeat as a tool to make you try harder, and work harder to achieve a win the next time you step on the mat. 

" Sometimes there is no next time,
No time outs,
No second chance.
Sometimes it's now or never."

Champions learn from their mistakes, and work harder to correct them!!!!!

I've always felt it was not up to anyone else to make me give my best.

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.

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Winners Train
Losers
Complain

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Champions

by Shelton Brown, wrestler, East Burke HS

They are of a different breed,
They never take their mind off the match,
Nothing distracts them,

When others are distracted,
They are focused,
When others fail,
They will succeed,

Practice is a way of life,
There are no excuses,
They are never late,
They are always there,

When everybody is at home,
They are sweating,
They are bleeding,

Once and awhile,
Their mind will wander,
But they always return to the task at hand,
They are CHAMPIONS

Those who decide to take this sport serious and work hard will be those who excel and achieve the ultimate goal.
SELF-SATISFACTION !
DISCIPLINE !
SUCCESS IN LIFE !

If your looking up at the lights, Never give up, fight to win until you hear the whistle blow. You don't want to hear that hand hit the mat unless your on top.

When the going gets tough, the tough always stay, and the weak always go away! 

Cookeville Middle School and Youth AAU Wrestling.