Beach Blog: Coach Tim Box adds to success of U.S. Beach wrestlers

Monday September 8, 2025…OK !  Another successful outing in the books.  You’ve read Gary Abbott’s summary of our results.  Congratulations Americans!

Two medals, a Gold and a Silver, in brackets filled with this caliber of athletes and nations is remarkable.  Less flashy but equally impressive is that all our athletes are chipping away at the big names consistently appearing on the podium.

This is surely a testament to the individual preparation and performance of each competitor as a puzzle piece.  But, add to that, the ‘Glue’ that’s holding those pieces together in a coherent American picture.

I’m talking about Coach Timmy Box of San Diego.  Since being named as the volunteer Head Coach of our American Beach program, Coach Tim has consistently added quality and context to the collective effort.

Whether coaching hands-on (when time and travel allow), or remotely (which is a pretty neat trick), Coach Box provides personally customized depth for each competitor.  American Beach Wrestlers are consistently demonstrating greater mastery of both the physical and philosophical subtleties unique to the beach discipline.

I watch with a critical eye.  There’s more!   American Beach practitioners display the traditional core values that all wrestling disciplines rely on.  Being the outliers, generally self-funded adventure seekers, seems to magnify these values we all brag on.

The southeast African nation of Namibia sent several athletes to their Age-Group Continental Championship earlier last week.  For the Seniors, Namibia had one in the 60 kilogram person of Ester Abraham.

Budget… Namibia had none.  So young Ms. Abraham remained in Casablanca on her own, to compete in one of the toughest categories on the planet, Women’s 60 kg.

At dinner the night before weigh ins, Ester ended up at the table with a few Americans, Coach Timmy included.  You know the rest.  Naturally, Coach Tim invited Ester to train, warm up with, and hang with our American contingent.

This is not our first ‘Adoption.’  In Acapulco 2024 Americans welcomed Ukrainian Anasta Kravchenko who happened to be alone in the Western Hemisphere event.

Here’s the point I’m making.  In the fractious world of 2025, Wrestling still champions Humanity first.  Regardless of Three-Initial Codes on a uniform, wrestlers suffer the same need, the same preparation, the same frustrations.

Am I proud of Eli’s ninth medal and Jabari’s first?  Hell yeah !  Am I proud of American Age-Group competitors headed to their World Championship in Greece in two weeks ?  Definitely! 

But, I get good-old-fashioned goosebumps when I watch American athletes treat other humans the way humans deserve to be treated.  Of all the qualities Coach Timmy Box instills and reinforces, compassion and respect for human dignity top the list.

I am a proud American today, like all days.  I appreciate eight American athletes, Referee Mike Carroll, Coach Timmy Box for representing our Nation and our Sport the way they both deserve.

Next week… World Championships On The Mat, in Zagreb.  Go USA!

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Ciao

Thursday, September 4, 2025…  One of the best life lessons one of my coaches taught involved my fist, immersed elbow deep, in a bucket of cold water.  He had me keep it there for a full three minutes.

“Now… slowly, carefully… ease your hand out of the water.”  You know the moral.  It didn’t leave a hole.

The 2025 Beach World Series hosts its third in a series of five events this weekend in Casablanca, Morocco.  I won’t be there.

Like the bucket of water, my presence will not be missed.  But that doesn’t ease my missing it… more importantly, them!  The people who contribute to any wrestling event are a special breed, but none as completely giving as those in the Beach community.

First, as I explained to our team and office, Eva and I are fine.  No health or emergency issues.  We simply had some of those pesky life-Issues gang up on us and can’t get away.

We had flights booked.  Non-refundable are always the most affordable until you have to eat ‘em.  Hotel, though, was refundable.  So, we got that payment back.

Feeling guilty for bailing on the cause, I had pretty much decided not to write at all this week.  A few American and global Beach leaders asked me to, at least, offer an invitation to the reader.  Casablanca is an event that demands your full attention.  So, there… you’re invited!

This weekend will be the first of two Beach events on the African continent this year.  The finale is scheduled in Alexandria, Egypt in October.

There’s a noticeable excitement about Beach Wrestling in Africa, as Senegal prepares to host the Youth Olympic Games  a year from October.  Casablanca hosts the African Continental Championship for the U15, U17, and U20 age groups Thursday and Friday this week.

I will also miss getting to meet delegation members from several new nations expected to compete this weekend.  Athletes from Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Madagascar, and Namibia will test themselves against traditional Beach powers Azerbaijan, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Ukraine and the United States.

Also of note, Russia is reportedly sending a team.  I suspect you already know that, technically, Russian and Belarussian athletes compete under the “UWW” banner, as their national federations are currently under IOC sanction.  Regardless of the initials on their shorts, Russia is likely not sending slouches to World level competition.

Team USA is fielding a bright combination of studs and newcomers.  Pay close attention to Gary Abbott’s coverage of the event.

I plan to put my hand back in that bucket of water while I miss being in the fray.  Count on me though.  I will still be one of a handful of unyielding supporters. 

Out of respect, I will not try to fake a blog from afar.  TheMat.com will post daily wrap stories.  I will add a closing commentary Sunday night, after the event.

To all participants, American and others: Know that you are loved, missed and supported.

Ciao,

Rusty & Eva