STEINER RIO BLOG: Haley Augello represented well on day one of women’s competition

Wednesday, August 17 - Hello after Day #1 of the women's competition.

Let's talk about Haley Augello! Olympian Haley Augello represented herself, her family, her state, her college (King College), our program, USAW, the USOC, and our country very well today. She did not put herself on the medal stand but I think she showed everyone that we all have a lot to be excited about moving into the future.

Haley started the competition of with a win over 2015 World Bronze Medalist from the Netherlands, Jessica Blaszka. Haley won the match 7-0. It was a very physical match.

In the 1/4 final, she wrestled 3-time World Champion and new crowned Olympic Champion, from Japan, Eri Tosaka. Haley battled her hard. At the end of the first period the score was 1-0 Tosaka. Haley took her down and led 2-1 with about 2 minutes left in the second period. We were on top, and got a bit anxious and tried to force a turn and ended up in a big scramble. Tosaka, being the great champion that she is, took advantage of the mistake and ended up beating us 11-2.

We then dropped into the repechage when Tosaka won the 1/2 final. We faced Eshimova from Kazakstan. It was a hard fought battle. They both scored a takedown in the bout but the difference was a passivity point in the first period. It was frustrating because I thought we earned a shot to give Eshimova the same passivity as we had in the first but the referee did not see it like that. We lost 3-2. There is no time to make it an issue we just need to get better at what we do. Eshimova battled hard and deserves the credit.

Sometimes we don't get what we wanted. It is hard to understand. Haley has come a long way in a very short amount of time. She needs to use this experience to move her forward on her journey. (Haley needs to take the pain and frustration and bottle it up. Keep it close by and use when she grows tired of doing the right things.) She is a class act and a great ambassador for the sport. We have only seen the beginning of Haley Augello.

Tomorrow is a new day!

We have three great Champions going tomorrow.

1st Helen Maroulis will face Blahinya from Ukraine, she is bout #205, the 2nd bout on Mat A
Then Adeline Gray will face Gutierrez from Colombia, she is bout #246, the 3rd bout on Mat B
Finally, Elena Pirozhkova will face Yusein from Bulgaria, she is bout #228, the 5th bout on Mat B

Thank you all for the support of this team and program. We all appreciate it very very much! Tomorrow is going to be a great day!

Tuesday, August 16 – Weigh in day procedures, and competition day preparation at the Olympics

Another beautiful day in Rio! I have a feeling I would be writing that a lot if I lived here. It is a beautiful city that has been very comfortable and it has treated us very well so far.

Today Haley weighs in and also receives her draw. So I thought it might be interesting to let people, outside of the wrestling world, know what happens from weigh-ins until competition.

The first thing that happens, each athlete gets in line and gets a quick medical / skin check, during this time they are wearing their singlet.

During weigh-ins, each of the three weight categories will line up behind their perspective scale. Again, they are dressed in their wrestling singlet when they make weight. After they make weight, they will draw a number and that will be their draw in the bracket.

After weigh-ins, the focus will be on nourishing the body. First replenishing water and electrolytes that have been lost prior to weigh-ins. Then after some time passes they will get a meal in them. A lot of people, including young athletes, think that after weigh-ins it is a free for all. But really the discipline must last through the competition. If not, you will have loaded your body up with a lot of unusable food and liquid and your body will not function at a high level in the morning.

Later in the evening, the athlete will probably go through a light workout to get the body moving again after all of the intake after weigh-ins. From a coaches’ stand point, we will make sure all of the logistics the are taken care of for the next day. Also, at this time, the coaches will go back through film to make sure we have the scouting and game plan set for the next day. Finally, we make sure that our workout partners understand where they need to be and what we need from them the next day. Then it is time to sleep.

Competition day will began with some sort of low intensity exercise. Maybe, a walk or jog for 10-15 minutes followed by some wrestling movements off of the mat. After this, the athletes will have time to get some breakfast, shower and get ready to depart for the competition venue.

At the competition venue, the warm-up area consists of four mats, and small individual locker rooms for each country represented in the competition. This space is very important. The athletes will use this space for the calm before the storm. Once we arrive the venue we will have about 60 minutes to get warmed-up and ready to wrestle. Warm-up will consist of but not limited to the following: stretching, jogging, tumbling, wrestling drills, sparring, some live wrestling, speed / quick feet drills or short sprints. Following warm-up we want 15-20 minutes to cool down, relax, get clean dry clothes on, go over last minute reminders, and prepare for battle. Everyone has their own routines but it will look something like this.

Then they will wait to be invited to an "in the hole" area, during this time they may start moving around a bit, get dressed down to there singlet and long sleeve top. Then they will be invited to the "on deck" area and walked to a holding area until they are invited to the mat. At this point all that they will have is their singlet, their fight and talent! The match will be wrestled.

After the match, they will be paraded through a press/media mixed zone then brought back to the warm-up area before starting the process over again. Athletes must be allowed 15 minutes between matches. The session #1 of competition will wrestled through the semifinal or (1/2 final) in the morning. In session #2, the wrestle back rounds (repechage) matches will be wrestled. In wrestling there are two Bronze Finals (3rd places), and the Gold medal match will be wrestled.

Now to understand the repechage, you will only be allowed to wrestle in the repechage if you lost to a finalist otherwise your competition is finished and you become a tourist!

To the parents I would just like to remind you again, to enjoy the experience! Remember where this all started, years and years ago, in fact maybe decades ago. Your daughters dared to dream big. They dared to be different and follow their own path. It took a lot of effort on your part as well. We thank you for thinking outside the box, thank you for allowing and advocating for your daughters to be involved in this sport that may not have at first accepted them. You now know that you gave them a lot more than something to do in the afternoons. You gave them a purpose, you gave them a way of life, you gave them a tool that will influence their kids, and that will transfer to their grandkids. The sport of wrestling has stretched them, taught them and enriched them all forever. I know everyone wants "the medals." I know that is why we are here but I also know that the real riches from the sport your daughters have already won. Enjoy everything about the next few days, you will have memories that will last a life time!

Tomorrow, you will see Haley Augello on the mat at about 8:20 am Central Time. She will wrestle the following athletes.
1st Match: Jessica Blaszka - NED (2015 Worlds Bronze Medalist)
2nd Match: Eri Tosaka - JPN (2013-2014-2015 World Champion) Or Zhuldyz Eshimova - KAZ

I hope you enjoy!

Over and out!

Monday, August 15 – Training is winding down, and a profile of each of the women Olympians

Hello again from Rio. We are edging closer! You can start to feel the competition approaching! We are starting to see all of the competitors and foreign coaches/friends around the village. For most of us that have been around for awhile, coming to a major competition is like a reunion of sorts. Of course on the competition mat everyone wants to win and we do everything in our power to make that happen. But it is also my philosophy that I think is shared by many coaches that off of the mat, it is also important to have great cooperation and friendship. For coaches this is not the sprint, that it is for the athletes, for many of us it is a marathon. It is how we have chosen to live our adult lives. Of course our goal is to win medals but our missions be must be larger than that. We must work together to grow the sport and make our sport better so that the sport can influence more of the next generation of kids and young adults like is has for each of us. We must use the sport to develop young athletes as human beings. We must help them grow physically and mentally so that through the sport they become the best self that they can be.

We are spending the day again at Lonier. Haley did cardio / weight control this morning while Elena stepped on the mat and had a good drill / spar workout. Adeline was on the mat this afternoon and Helen will be doing weight control. All of the training is winding down. As coaches, we are just making sure we have all of the logistics covered as we have one athlete competing Wednesday, August 17 and three on Thursday, August 18. Lonier continues to be home base for everyone. In between workouts, we have time to sit and visit with all of the coaches from all three styles of wrestling. It has been great having all the athletes and coaches in the same room. I don’t know if that would have happened a lot in 2004. The sport has evolved and slowly we are realizing that wrestling is wrestling. I think everyone has a deep respect for what the other one is doing and what they are going through during the training process.

Greco-Roman had another tough day today. I want to make sure we take some time to Thank and Appreciate Our Greco-Roman Olympians: Jesse, Andy, Ben, and Robby. Also, Coach Matt Lindland and Coach Momir Petkovic and staff, I have seen the time and work that all of these people have put in the past couple of years and everything they do needs to be celebrated and applaud. Sometimes things don’t happen how you wanted and it is hard to know why but I can tell you that it is not for a lack of heart, determination, and work ethic from this crew. For Better Tomorrows!

I thought I would take a moment and talk about each one of our Olympians a little bit more. In some ways these 4 people are very normal ordinary people, in other ways, these people are anything but normal.

Haley Augello is our 48kg Olympian. I received a call about Haley Augello, from longtime friend Sean Bormet, He was at the time owner of the Overtime School of Wrestling in Chicago and is now associate Head Coach at the University of Michigan. In the late 1990’s, I coached with Sean at the University of Wisconsin, we were both assistant coaches on Barry Davis’s staff. Anyway, Sean called me and talked to me about a girl named Haley Augello. Haley was a wrestler that was wanting to join his club and he wanted to do the right thing but had some questions about Haley and Women’s Wrestling in general. He told me all about Haley. He definitely did his homework on her and got to know her a little bit. Well, fast forward a year or two. Haley went on to win our “Body Bar” Nationals / Cadet World Team Trials that year and because of that put herself on the US Cadet World Team. Later that summer, Haley would be crowned a World Champion at 46 kg. The first time I met Haley was the fall / or early winter in December of 2011. I had our Senior National Team in Iowa City at the University of Iowa for a National Team Camp. Haley being from Chicago was close and asked if she could join the Senior team in camp. I talked to Larry, Haley’s father, and I wanted to make sure it was right for her to be in camp. I believe that like a prize fighter, athletes need to be brought along at the right pace. I never want to bring someone in too fast and hurting their confidence for the future. Well, when Haley showed up for camp, I watched her focus, work ethic, physical strength and technique, after that, I knew she had some special ability. The two most important attributes I saw in Haley were her focus and that she HATED to lose. I could tell this really meant something to her. Then 4.5 years later, she lands a spot on the Olympic Team, a pretty quick ascent to where she stands today.

Helen Maroulis is our 53kg Olympian. Somewhere along the line when I first started this job in 2002, I think it was around 2004, I was on the east coast doing a camp and out of all of these guys in camp the kid that stuck out to me was Helen Maroulis. Not because she was a female, but because she had a lot of great instincts and a lot of different ways she was scoring points. Plus when I talked in front of the group she had these big wide eyes that almost stared through me. I know she was listening. Helen jumped on the scene fast. She made the 51kg Senior World Team in 2008. I believe that year in Japan she was 5th in the Senior World Championships. Helen was always a great talent but I think where I have seen her grow the most is since the disappointment she felt in 2012. Helen lost at the Olympic Trials and was completely devastated. I know at the time she questioned even going on in the sport. She did not want to feel that pain again. Like I said the other day, some will use that pain and it will stop them or they will use it to move them forward. Since that time, I have seen Helen take this into her own hands. She is no longer waiting for someone to make it happen for her. She has realized the most important thing, that she needs to rely on herself and her instinct. Helen is a Champion inside and out! Sometimes the hardest of times are the best of times. These times make us reevaluate who we are and what we want. Since this time Helen has a silver, bronze, and Gold at the World Championships. I think she found her groove!

Elena Pirozhkova is our 63kg Olympian. Elena came into the system in 2005 right out of high school. I think in high school she was maybe fourth or fifth in the country at the nationals. But she brought something to the table a lot of others don’t. She put full trust and cooperation into the system. She also brought and unbelievable work ethic every day. She was the first into practice and the last one out of practice day after day, month after month, year after year. She was a model of what to do to improve. Her success did not come fast, she just kept plugging away. You never know how fast someone will develop but when you can see someone struggling and struggling and they just keep coming back and continuing on you just know that something has to give. Slowly, Elena started to show progress in the room and soon she started to climb the ladder. Then she started to get some wins over some very good foreign athletes and from that you could just start to see the confidence build. I believe that in 2008 she made her first World team. She did not place but it was a huge stepping stone for her. Elena’s success comes from a lot of people and influences in her life but no more important than her late Father, her mother, and her family. They have been the backbone of her success. I also, have to give credit to Coach Vlad Izboinikov in the early developing years at the OTC and also, her coach Valentin Kalika. Elena now has four World Medals, one of them being a World Championship, and this is her second Olympic Team. Kudos to Elena! In an age where we want fast results, she has waited and worked diligently for her results. I have a feeling Thursday is going to be a great day!

Adeline Gray is our Olympian at 75kg. Adeline, I believe came into the development system in 2007. She went into the development program we used to have at Northern Michigan University. It was a program that many of our past and current stars attended. Shannyn Gillespie and Tony DeAnda ran the program at NMU for it duration, about seven years. Adeline won a Junior World Title in 2008, and made a Senior World Team in 2009 and placed fifth. I will never forget this story. We were in Russia in, I believe December of 2010, for a camp and a competition. We had about 10 days of training with the Russian Senior Team. Adeline was struggling. Really she was doing a great job but she would make mistakes that cost her big. Also, she was a young girl compared to the senior girls. She lacked strength and some coordination at the time. During the practices is that she would get overloaded and just break out crying with emotion. Then she would wipe her eyes, and go again. Then she would breakdown and start crying, wipe her eyes, and go again. This happened to many times to mention during camp. The Russian Coaches came up to us and asked “Why does this Adeline Gray girl cry all of the time?” but in the same sentence they also said “She is going to be Very Good!” If you look at Adeline’s pedigree now, you would say wow it all came so fast and easy. Let me tell you, Adeline has paid her dues, it has not been easy. But she has grown from every tear! She knows what she wants and needs to do, and she does finds a way to get the job done. I am very proud of who she has become.

When I think of these for girls, I think of the following saying by Michael Angelo, when someone was admiring one of his great paintings and telling him how great and beautiful it was. He said “If you knew how hard and long I have worked at completing this job, it wouldn’t seem wonderful at all.”

Nobody can read the future, but I believe you can look back to the past to look for signs of what might be ahead. They have given us all many signs to Believe!

Until Tomorrow,

Sunday, August 14 – Update on individual workouts, and how we set a 4-year plan

Hello from Rio,

The day started bright and shiny as far as the weather goes it was the nicest day since we arrived in Rio. It was an awesome day.

Haley started the day out on the mats. I have been impressed with her attention to detail, her structure, and discipline. It looks to me like she is coming into her own. What I like that I see is that she has routines of what she likes to do to get herself started before a workout. It is so important to have routines that calm you and get you into your own element. Why? Because then you can be any place in the world in any environment and in your comfort zone. It is very easy to get distracted and a little bit off but if you have good routine that brings you back to center it is so important to get yourself in that “Ideal Performance State.”

Helen was also on the mat today. She got on the mat and wrestled around with Clarissa. Watching Helen wrestle is really like watching a work of art in motion. It is truly beauty in motion. She did a great job of letting herself flow. She is also keeping very good position right now which will be needed this week. Helen is such an artist wrestler, it is really hard to describe but as you watch her, I know that I will be using her as an example for many years to come. She has grown a lot since 2012. We are all expecting great things this week from Helen and I know she is as well.

Elena is a strong confident woman. She knows what she wants and does what she needs to do. Today she wanted to be off of the mat and do some cardio and speed drills. Elena seems relaxed and ready. Her weight is in good shape and she seems rested. Elena has a lot of ways to score points she is very crafty. We need to make sure we let ourselves shine through and don’t hold back this week.

Adeline is ready. She worked off of the mat today and she had some alone time. Adeline is very professional in her approach to tackling a task. When she knows her plan of attack she is a very quick study on how to put it in play. She is one of the fastest learners that I have been around. We can work on a situation and within a few days or even moment she trusts, makes changes, and executes holds. She does this very well. For those of you that do not know Adeline she has a very strong sense of who she is and what she needs to do. She is very resourceful and gets things done.

Hats off to Jesse Thielke and Andy Bisek! I know they did not get anywhere close to where they wanted but Thank You for laying it all out on the line. All the Best to Robby Smith and Ben Provisor tomorrow. I had a chance to go to the arena today, it is a great arena for wrestling!

\I wanted to talk about how we start a training plan. So I would like to go through that a little but for you so that people understand what goes into this.

If we are trying to climb to the top of the podium, the first thing we need to do is go through and establish what it is we are trying to get to. So we started by asking ourselves what are the characteristic Traits of an Olympic Champion.

Once we know the characteristics then we need to build a plan on how to build these kind of traits into the athletes that are in front of us each day.

We start the plan of every 4 years. We take a look back at what has worked, what has failed, what we need to change, and what we need to keep the same. We also need to look at our athletes that are in the hunt for the Olympic team and figure out how we can best help them during this 4 year period. The 4 years look something like this:

o Year #1 “Filling the back pack” This year we are in a constant learning and building stage. We tend to spend a lot more time on Education whether it be Technique, Tactics, Nutrition Education, Lifting Education, Sport Psychology, or Sports Medicine. We also spend to more time just with our USA Team. Not as much with Foreign Programs. We have a few less competitions and a few more camps.

o Year #2 “Learn by actually doing” This is a year that We spend a lot of time by putting our self in situations against our competition and a test to see how far we have come. Everything at this point is still process Oriented. Of course we always want results but we also want to learn the “whys” of doing something not just the “hows”. We spend a lot of time in International Camps this year.

o Year #3 This year we are really putting all of our processes in place. We want to see how our warm-up routine is working, we want to see how our nutrition plan is working, our lifting plan, our technique and so forth. We want to make sure that our base is solid. This year we are really focusing on Results when we step on the mat. We test ourselves this year a lot.

o Year #4 “Peaking and Tweaking” This is the money year. We are 100% focused on the Outcome. We want to win every time we step on the mat. This year we want to feel good to step on the competition mat. We also go to less competitions. We want to be fresh when it is time to compete.

In a nutshell, this is what we are trying to do as we move people forward through an Olympic Quad. Winning is a process that takes time. It does not happen overnight. If you look at these girls they have been in our development system for a long time. Elena being the oldest, she came into the development system in 2005. You cannot buy an Olympic Medal at 20 years old. The Olympic Medal must be purchased a little bit along the way. It takes time. If we can wrap our arms around these kids and get them around the right workout partners, the right foreign environments, national team athletes, and coaches early enough then we can expect results. This is why it is so important for us to get these kids overseas at a young age, maybe 14-16, then we can open there eyes and assist in developing them beyond what they thought was possible.

Of course this does not happen without having athletes with the right Passion, Love for the sport, Grit and Grind. To win will take everything they have but it is an unbelievable journey. Like I said the other day, as coaches and a staff what we can offer is Time, Knowledge, and Attention. The athletes must bring the rest but mostly the Desire, talent, and work ethic to be the best!

Over and Out,

Saturday, August 13 – A visit to USA House and Christ the Redeemer and why we train at Lonier

Today was a beautiful day in Rio! It was a great for an excursion. The Amazing Team Leaders for USA Wrestling treated us, to a visit, to the USA House in the heart of Copacabana.

Copacabana is the famous neighborhood / beach in Rio. The USA House, when the USOC has not taken over this space, is the College of Sau Paulo. It is a six-story building that the USOC uses it to host past and current Olympians, sponsors, donors, and families. It is a great way to enjoy the Olympic Experience. It is a place with great hospitality, food and drink where everyone can have some down time. We arrived the USA House at about 10:30 am and hung out, had a bite to eat and enjoyed the complex. It is filled with memorabilia from all of the USOC Sponsors and full of TV screens, with Olympic Events, and pictures everywhere of our superstar American athletes.

While at the USA House today we ran into the following swimmers:
- newly crowned superstar Katie Ledecky
- 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, Anthony Ervin
- 2x Gold, silver, & bronze Medalist, Maya Dirado

Once we left the USA House, we boarded the bus and visited to the Statue "Christ the Redeemer". It was magnificent! The Views from atop the mountain were stunning. Rio is such a beautiful city with the combinations of forest, mountains, and the ocean it is very picturesque. It is hard to imagine a more beautiful place. I would recommend Rio to anyone. After some time to observe and take pictures some of us headed back to the USA House and others stayed on the bus back to the Olympic Village and Lonier. It was about a 1.5 to 2 hour drive.

A lot of people have been asking why we have an outside location to stay and train at like Lonier. It is simply to keep us in our normal environments as much as possible. Lonier is termed a USOC High Performance Center (HPC). It is for American Credentialed people only, no foreigners are allowed on complex.

At the center we have everything we need set up:
- wrestling mats
- A weight room & USOC strength coach
- A sauna
- Cardio equipment
- Dorm rooms
- Sports Medicine
- Massage
- Nutritionists
- And the chefs from the Olympic Training Center in the USA.

This HPC is set up to give the athletes everything that they need with as much familiarity as possible, in all areas of preparation. We don't want to leave anything to chance. There is too much at stake for everyone involved, especially the athletes! It is common for other countries to do a similar situation. The other thing some countries do is stay at home until right before the games so the distractions are minimal. In London, we had the same kind of place set up at East London University. In London, we came in for the opening of the games, then we left for France for about 7 days then came back to the Olympic Village. We look for places where we can get away from home, so we don't have the distractions of day to day life. But we also want a place away from the hype of the games where we can just keep our focus on our team and on ourselves. The USOC High Performance Team does a great job in helping us put these plans together during the course of the quad. Every team is different and every individual has different needs. But we do try to keep things as normal as possible.

Greco-Roman starts tomorrow, please make sure to tune in and watch the action on nbcolympics.com

The athletes are rested and ready to go. Having a day to get some sun and fresh air, to be around their teammates, training partners, and coaches is just what the doctor ordered. It was a great day.

The athletes have put in a lot of time and energy over the past years. People ask all the time what is training like for an aspiring Olympic athlete. I will get into this a little bit tomorrow in what this entire training process looks like. Where do we even start when we start to build a plan? Let me just say this, this is not done alone! A lot of people are involved in forming and shaping an athlete ready to win. A lot of planning goes into it and a lot of minds go in to it. As a coach, I have learned a ton over the years, from a lot of brilliant people, with a bunch of different perspectives, and ideas, and I am still learning. This is not so much a job but a passion, a calling so to speak. The bottom line is you must love what you do. We will get into it tomorrow.

Over and out!

Friday, August 12 – Great families of our Olympians, and what it was like being a training partner

Good day! I hope all is well back home! Well the USA is doing one heck of a job in these games so far, I hope you are all enjoying!

I wanted to touch base on this a bit. There is so much going on down here in Rio at the games there are so many things to discuss and talk about. I know some have asked for more in depth stories on the athletes I would love to share I this but because I am doing this blog on social media, there are some things that out of respect for the privacy of the athletes and preparations leading into next week that I will not go far into those areas. I hope that you all appreciate and understand that there is too much at stake to put everything out onto social media for EVERYONE to see.

Our day in Rio, started very well with sun shine. Adeline and I woke up early and went for a walk. It was an enjoyable morning as we walked the running path around the Olympic village. It is quite a site to see how the other cultures and sports start their mornings. Personally, I love this part of the day. It is one of the great pleasures I am afforded with this job. I love waking up and getting my run in in the morning and watching and discovering how different cities and cultures wake up. When I get a chance to enjoy this with one of the athletes or support staff it is that much more enjoyable.

As we walked, we talked about our families she told me she had 15 family members coming to Rio next week. So I thought I would continue onto that for a bit. As the saying goes that behind every successful man there is a strong, successful, and supportive woman. As you know this may very well be the truth. Let's just say it is, for the sake of making my point. I would say the same for every successful elite athlete you will find a loving, caring, and supportive parent or set of parents that have been there through thick and thin, good and bad to help and assist their child's dreams. There are some things you can teach as a coach but what you cannot teach is a stable, sturdy, solid foundation from which success lies. It is true for each one of our Olympians as well. The parents Larry and Wendy Augello, John and Paula Maroulis, Tatyana and (the late Sergi) Pirozhkova, and lastly George and Donna Gray have done an amazing job of raising very strong, independent daughters who are not afraid of dreaming big!

Not they needed me to confirm that but I think the parents and families also need to hear how much they and their efforts are appreciated. Things happen for a reason. You don't land on an Olympic Team by accident. There is so much that goes into it and to be honest, MOST of it comes down to the athletes themselves. The rest of us are here to guide, direct, and support. But without the work done by parents and families from the beginning, I can assure you that time tested success is very hard to attain. So to the families I would like to say thank you for handing us an individual who was built for success. Enjoy and embrace this wonderful journey that all of you are on, your children have already won!

Workouts today were great! Helen and Elena worked out this morning on the mat. Adeline also did foot speed and motion drills on the mat , while Haley did cardio. This evening, Haley and Adeline got on the mat for practice. We continue to work on a few individual situations for each athlete. But we also want them to get into their "go to" attacks. We want to feel good about practice when we leave. Practices are very short now about 45 minutes, short and to the point.

I got to thinking last night about the training partners we have in Rio and before each major championship. I know I talked about it the other day but I thought I would touch on it again. I know what it feels like to be a training partner. So let me tell you about my experience as a training partner. In early-summer of 2000, we wrestled in the Olympic Trials in Dallas, TX. When I say we, if you don't know, I am a Twin. My twins name is Troy Steiner. Troy has had a similar athletic and career path as I have, he is currently the Head Coach at Fresno State University in the Central Valley of California.

Anyways, I knew going into the Olympic Trials that it was probably going to be the last domestic event that I would wrestle in. I had high hopes of being on our Olympic Team, We had put a lot into it. When I say we, I am mostly talking about my wife, Jodi, my parents, Tim and Lil Steiner, my brother Troy, and my sister, Trasi. Wrestling over the years became a lot more than a sport it became a family affair. Everyone in our family had always been ALL IN! Everyone made sacrifices to allow Troy and myself to follow our dreams. So when the Olympic Trials did not go as planned in June of 2000 needless to say it was a very tough time for Steiner family. It was tough for a number of reasons. Most was the disappointment of not being able to represent your country, but there was also a feeling of letting everyone in your family, or even state down. It was very hard to accept. Then there was the realization that this chapter in our lives had come to a very sudden stop. Wrestling had brought our family together so many times, it created friends and a life time of memories but now this chapter was now complete. I remember it being a very, very empty feeling.

I was at home looking for something meaningful to do. When I received a call from Daniel Igali. Now Daniel Igali needs no introduction in the wrestling world. Daniel, who was Nigerian born, was the 1999 World Champion representing Canada and later that summer he wound up being the 2000 Olympic Champion at the weight class that I also wrestled in. We had wrestled a few times over the years. Daniel asked me to be his workout partner during the time leading into the Olympic Games. I remember getting off the phone with Daniel feeling very beaten down. It was like having open wounds all over your body and having someone throw salt on them. I was honored but at the same time very unsure if I could do it or if I even wanted to. Fast forward about a week. I get call from Lincoln McIlravy. Lincoln was a friend, former roommate, and former college teammate of mine at the University of Iowa. Now he was the US Representative at the weight category I wanted to be on the team at. Lincoln had previously won a silver and a bronze medal at the World Championships in 1998 and 1999 and later that summer, he won the Olympic Bronze Medal. He lost to Daniel Igali. But back to my point, Lincoln also called to ask me to be his training partner leading into the Sydney Olympics.

I remember getting off the phone and I was again honored but bitter inside. I told them both I needed time to think about it. Over the course of the next few weeks I had a lot of anger, disappointment, frustration. I did not know what to do. I can always remember my father saying to always do the best that YOU can do! And as a teammate at Iowa, if you fell short you owed it to the rest of your team to come back and get 3rd no matter how you felt to give the the team the best shot at winning. I made a decision to help Lincoln on his journey. I simply looked at it like this, My journey was finished but I had an opportunity to help someone else try and accomplish their goal. When I have looked back on that decision, I believe it was one of those times in life that changes you, and that helps you see a broader perspective and a deeper purpose. There was a lot of healing in it for me as well. By helping someone else, my wounds closed a little bit too. I'm not saying it doesn't bother me to this day because it does. It bothers me because my journey never happened how I dreamed it would but at the end of the day it healed me just enough.. So when I see our training partners today hurting a bit, I'm ok with that, hurt isn't always a bad thing. In fact, hurt can become a good thing if you use it in the proper way. Use it to push you. Use it to motivate you. Use it to teach others. Use it however you will but know this, by swallowing your pride to helping others it will never hurt you! Doing the right thing is not always or usually the easy thing. It will only enrich you and fill your heart with good so there is no room for bitterness!

Tomorrow Greco-Roman weighs in at 59kg & 75kg. Some of the freestyle and women's delegation will take in the USA House and the statue "Christ the Redeemer." Hopefully it will be a bright shiny day from the statue today so they can see the layout of the beautiful city of Rio.

Over and Out,

Thursday, August 11 – Individual workouts, handling adversity and thanks to the USOC for its support

Hello from the Olympic Village in Rio. Today is a warmer and dryer than yesterday but it is still a day for light jackets or at least long sleeves. Not bad for a winter day!

The Greco-Roman Team made it in to Rio today. Matt Lindland and Momir Petkovic have a great squad competing in just a few days. Expect some big things from them as Greco-Roman will open wrestling in the Rio Olympics.

Today the athletes had good individual Mat workouts: Elena was working with Tamyra Mensah, Helen came in and worked with Clarissa Chun, and Haley Augello worked with Becka Leathers. Adeline was off the mat today. We focused on individual areas that they needed some extra attention with. I wanted to see a few things from the workouts: great intensity, focus on individual areas, and to make sure we got our fast twitched fibers working. I also wanted to see the girls’ laser focused but enjoying being on the mat. Passion for what you are doing and really enjoying being on the mat is so important at this point in the process. In the athletes mind, the feeling of WANTING to be on the mat is very important.

I heard a statement from Emma Randall, one of my assistants today, "Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes you prepared for the imperfect." This really sums up why we put the athletes through everything that we do. It is one thing hitting the perfect shot but really the matches are won and lost on the imperfect positions. How can you wrestle your way out of imperfect positions or into better positions. It is kind of like the statement, life is about 10% what happens to us and 90% how we handle it. The one thing I believe we learn from this sport more than anything is how to handle adversity. We must know that we are prepared for and can handle anything that a match or life throws our way!

Just so you all know today is Karen Robinson's Birthday! Karen is the VOICE of USA Wrestling. If you have ever called the office, Karen sets the standard for keeping everyone's spirits up within the organization. Karen, we wish you the Happiest of Birthdays! We Love You!

Did you know that the"Christ the Redeemer" statue is 33 meters high. Jesus Christ was also 33 years old when he died for our sins.

Did you know that Rio has the Largest "Urban Forest" area of any city in the world.

How about a shout out to KAYLA Harrison now a 2 x Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo!!!

Who was the 1st 2 x Olympic Medalist for Judo?

I would like to thank the USOC and the external medical network around the USA. This network of doctors has agreed to provide care for any national team level athlete free of charge. It is a great service to aspiring Olympic Athletes in the event of injury. It is groups like this that help the USOC stay at the top of the world rankings Olympics after Olympics.

What you may not know is that. The USOC is NOT government funded like most of these countries are. The USOC and USA Wrestling is funded by membership, corporate sponsorship, and private donors. If you think about the millions and millions of dollars countries like China, Russia, and all of the former soviet Republics, Iran, and Canada get from there government, it is amazing how well the USOC does with the resources they have.

Jimmy Pedro was the first American to win 2 medals at the Olympic Games 1996, 2004. Also, Jimmy was also a 1999 World Judo Champion. Jimmy Pedro wrestled for Brown University in college.

Let me leave you with this thought / question, what does Olympism mean to you?

Have a great night!

Wednesday, August 10 – Our articulate, strong, humble women wrestlers on display at press conference

Rainy Days and Rainy Nights! This morning I woke up to rain and it doesn't look like it is clearing up anytime soon. The temperature today was low to mid 60's but seemed a lot colder with the wetness in the air. Throughout the day it rained and drizzled and kept us damp and cold.

This morning, we left the village on the 8:15 shuttle and headed to Lonier for breakfast and a workout before we had our main Olympic Press Conference at Olympic Press Center at 12:00 noon. The press conference was great. It started with the Women's Team. Gary Abbott , USA Wrestling's Director of Communications, introduced each of the athletes, our Team Leader, Kyra Barry and myself then he proceeded to ask each of us one question each and finally it was opened up to the floor for further questions. The questions we very much about experience, image, and opportunities. The questions were not training and performance based.

I can tell you these women not only represent us well on the mat but off the mat they were very articulate, confident, and direct with their answers. We have four very strong women that are great role models for the next generation of superstars. After some more questions, the men's team went through the same process. After everything was finished, I had a reporter come up to me and tell me that out of all the sports and all of the teams that he has sat through press conferences with, the US Wrestling Team was the best, FULL OF CLASS, is what he said. It is not hard to tell when you listen to our men's and women's teams speak that they are tested, confident, and focused but they are a group that understands what is at stake here in Rio. They had strength but humility in their responses. It was impressive! I am honored to work with and around this group of individuals. These athletes has handled success the right way. They have humility and respect but also unbelievable purpose!

One of the questions today was about how important your home communities are to each of these Olympians. Let me just say hometowns and communities mean EVERYTHING! These Olympians learned the most important lessons in life from their parents, siblings, family, teachers, and grassroots level coaches. These lessons have helped shaped their individual character and moral being. NOTHING can replace this or fill these voids if they don't have them. I realize that all of these roles are thankless most of the time. But these, are truly the most important. College, National, and Elite Level Coaches can add small things: technique, tactics and so forth but the grassroots level coaches are the coaches that instill the basics, the love, passion, and respect for the sport. Without those things you cannot achieve success over time. If kids fall in love with the sport, you can teach them forever but if they don't you will lose them along the way. The job as a grass roots level or first coach is so so important. Don't take your jobs lightly; you truly are the most important coaches these kids will ever have, you never know the impact you are making in a kids life.

The answer to this question will be at the end of the blog.
What is the difference between a coach and an artist?

Haley and Helen and Haley had a cardio day today. They are starting to get their weight in line. Elena and Adeline both lifted this morning and Adeline also got a wrestling workout in this afternoon. Once we got going her positioning and executions looked great. She was moving her feet well and her shots were well timed. The girls seem to be doing well both physically and mentally. At this point in the training I tend to really listen to what the athletes needs are and not my agenda. Because at this point not much will change but the health of their minds!

I stand corrected on my attempt at journalism. Apparently I had some misinformation yesterday. The city is called Rio de Janeiro because as the Portuguese arrived here, they came in through the bay, and since it is a huge bay where one can’t really see the end of it, and with a very strong underwater current, they thought it was a river. Plus the “delta” with the open sea, it is quite small compared to most bays around the world.

Considering that it happened in January, they actually called it “cidade do São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro” ( city of St Sebastian of January River on a direct translation)…

The answer to the question is as follows:

An artist at the end of the day can throw his work away and start over but a coach or parent cannot. Whatever you have shaped and formed is what it is. So I say to you again, pay attention to your actions, words, body language and what you are teaching because it is lasting! Good or bad, it will effect that person forever!

Have a great night!

Tuesday, August 9 - Shout outs to Patricia Miranda, Tony Rotundo, Larry Slater and Jim Ravannack

Today was another great day in Rio. When I woke up today the sun was shining and it was about 75 degrees. A picture perfect day. We had a lighter day from a workout perspective so it give our staff a little time to enjoy Rio this afternoon. Some of us went to Barra Beach, which is the closest beach to the Olympic Village but still very refreshing and enjoyable. Others went to Olympic events around Rio.

Did you know this? The the city off rRo is named after a river that never existed "Rio de Janiero" is Portuguese for "River of January". In the city of Rio you will see graffiti everywhere, this art form is encouraged and is totally legal. As you drive through the city you see it everywhere. The other thing you will notice are speed bumps all over the road, it is definitely a way they control the speed of traffic throughout the city.

Patricia Miranda, USA's first Olympic Medalist in Womens wrestling in Athens in 2004 is from Brazilian descent. What is interesting is now she is an immigration attorney in California helping others gain the opportunity she had as a USA athlete. There is no doubt in my mind that she is awesome at what she does. As an athlete she set a "Gold Standard" that we all can live by. As a coach you come in thinking you are going to teach all of these young kids everything that is important about life. What I have realized over the years is that the athletes have taught me probably more than I have taught them. Patricia Miranda is one of those people that taught me not only about life on the mat but life off the mat. Patricia demanded such perfection that she made me be on my game every day. And she made me grow EVERYDAY! Thank you PATRICIA, we miss you!

I would like to give a Shout Out both Tony Rotundo and Larry Slater. If you are a wrestling enthusiast, then you have seen many great moments caught on camera by these two artists. Both Tony and Larry have traveled the world exposing the sport of wrestling to people outside of this subculture. They both have done a great job getting to know the coaches and the athletes that surround USA Wrestling.

Tomorrow will be a busy, fun filled, exciting day. We have our official press conference at the main press center in the Olympic Park. Photographers and journalists from across the world will be able to attend. It will be a very interesting day.

Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Jim Ravannack, now the past president of USA Wrestling, for all of the years of service he gave to USA Wrestling. I cannot even begin to tell you the positive impact Jim has had on the wrestling in general women's program, and my family. Jim you are awesome!

até a próxima vez,

Monday, August 8 – Simulating competition day, and coaching philosophy in the final phase

Olá, (Hello)

I hope everyone is well. This morning was a quiet morning in the village apartment. Coach Burnett moved to Lonier so I had the apartment suite to myself. The day is overcast in the high 60's to lower 70's with a nice cool breeze. For those of you wondering, Rio has been wonderful! I know there have been a lot of issues in the news with the Zika Virus, the water, traffic and other things but it has been great so far.

The International Olympic committee along with the local organizing committee and thousands of volunteers really do a great job of putting together the Olympic Village. There are 3,604 apartments in the Olympic Village, that will house 11,000 athletes, and 6,000 coaches and support staff. There are 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games from 206 different countries. 10 athletes will also make up the first ever refugee team and they will compete under the Olympic Flag. There are 42 different sport disciplines will be represented in Rio. 555 US Athletes will compete in Rio. 263 male athletes and 292 female athletes. Finally there are 2,488 Olympic Medals that will be awarded. 812 Gold, 812 Silver, and 864 Bronze Medals will be won in Rio! The IOC has a same day laundry service during the Games. Cleaning service is supplied every other day. Clean bedding and towels as well. It is very comfortable. It lets everyone focus on the task at hand.

The team is starting to simulate competition day. We want to make sure the timing of the day is what our body is used to doing. So as much as possible these are what the days will look like for the next 11 days. Of course, we will not be wrestling twice a day until the 17th but we definitely want to make sure our bodies are used to this schedule.

6:30 am - Wake-Up
6:40 am - Walk / Jog / Push-Push
7:00 am - Breakfast
8:15 am - Bus to the Olympic Venue - Carioca 2
9:00 am - Warm-Up
10:00 am - Start of Olympic Competition
1:30 pm - Light Lunch
4:00 pm - Warm-Up for Finals
About 5:00 pm - Medal and Gold Medal Finals, after repechage matches

This morning the girls had a great workout. They came into the wrestling room at 9:00 am got themselves ready then at 9:15 am they started to warm-up and at 10:00 am we started live matches. I thought we looked focused and on point for the most part. We started tonight's warm-up at about 4:00 pm and matches started at 5:00 pm tonight.

Coaching is a funny thing at this point of training. Just like everything else sometimes too much of a good thing is no good either. At this point in the game, more is not always better. It goes the same with coaching. You can over coach and that is just as bad as under coaching. You have to know what your athletes need. It cannot be a blanket statement on how much is too much but if anything is in question, I would say "Empower the Athlete!" At this point in the game, give some positive affirmation but they really need to trust in who they are as a person and a wrestler. They need to be confident in their abilities and be rock-solid with their decision making process because out on the mat, only they can feel the situations they are in and they must react to them confidently!

Two of our assistant coaches arrived today. Coach Emma Randall in charge of our National Cadet Program and Maksim Molonov our Assistant National Team Coach. Both of these individuals have a special ability to put our athletes in a comfort zone. Coach Randall is USA Wrestling's ONLY woman Gold Certified Coach, she is a student of this sport and we are lucky to have her on our team. Maksim came to us from Russia where he was on the Russian National Staff for eight years before he came to the USA. He has a great wrestling mind and a comforting demeanor that the girls enjoy and believe in.

I want to give a shout out to Flower Nowicki. Flower is our chef from the US-Olympic Training Center. She is our hidden gem when it comes to getting the athletes what they need from a nutrition perspective. She is definitely part of the family, so to speak. She is always behind the scenes and NEVER gets the credit that she brings.

While I was doing my workout the other day in the Olympic Village. I saw Novak Djokovic, the Tennis Sensation from Serbia. He just finished his workout and was walking out of the fitness center. In a few short minutes, I gained a lot of respect for him. Everyone was coming up to him for a picture and/or autograph. He did not turn anyone away. He took his time, was very patient, and seemed to enjoy the moment. It is nice to see that while he is a huge professional star, at the Olympic Games he is an Olympian like everyone else.

I finished the evening having dinner with Lou Rosselli (Assistant Coach at Ohio State, 1996 Olympian), Brandon Slay (Head Coach University of Pennsylvania RTC and 2000 Olympic Champion), Fred Roberto (Maximized Living Chiropractic Doctor and a huge part of the USA Wrestling Delegation), and Rafael Murgel (Brazilian National, Educated in Iowa in HS and College, but now back in Rio working as a real estate agent but he is a great friend of USA Wrestling). Rafael has been very helpful for our entire delegation in Rio in so many ways, finding housing, rides to and from the airport, etc. He took us to a restaurant that literally looked like a tree house, it was a fantastic restaurant and in great company. A fantastic way to spend the evening. At the end of the meal, Adeline Gray, Helen Maroulis, and Jordan Burroughs stopped to hang out. Fabulous night with Fabulous people!

Até Amanhã,(until tomorrow)

Sunday, August 7 - The key role of workout partners, and kudos to Sally Roberts’ new non-profit for girls

Hello from Brazil! Still working through the flight and jet lag! Last night I was in bed by 9:30 pm but was wide awake at 1:30 am and stayed awake until 4:00 am. The sun was very warm this morning but it soon turned to overcast but still a pleasant day with a cool breeze through the afternoon.

Adeline was on the mat at this morning for a wrestling workout with her training partner Julia Salata. Julia is currently an assistant coach at King University. We went through a few different situations that we feel are important for her success next week.

Helen and Elena had a day off of the mat, well kind of, they were on the mats this afternoon with coaches and teammates playing a hard long game of soccer. They all got a great sweat in and a lot of work on those fast twitched muscles.

Haley did a run this morning and also did a mat workout this afternoon with her workout partner Becka Leathers, who is also on our Jr World Team this year and was a Junior World Bronze Medalist last year and currently attends OKlahoma City University. Clarissa Chun, 2008 World Champion, 2-time Olympian (2008, 2012) and 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist is a training partner for Helen Maroulis. Also, Tamyra Mensah, 2012 Olympic Trials Champion and Sr at Wayland Baptist College is a training partner for Elena Pirozhkova.

The workout partners play such an important role in these times right before major competitions. They set the tone for the practice, they are on call 24/7. The workout partners are in a very thankless position. They are here to help and assist the Olympian in every which way they can, this requires a lot of communication, sometime just listening and being a sounding board but at all times, it requires high energy and constant belief and affirmation for the Olympians. It also requires them to be totally selfless. You must be able and willing to swallow your pride a bit.

All of these athletes also had Olympic aspirations for Rio, as well. But this did not happen so now they are doing the next best thing and that is helping a teammate win. This, in itself, is very healing and I believe it teaches us a lot about life. How will we handle disappointment and frustration? Not many people in life accomplish all of the goals that they set out to do, so when you don't, how are you going to handle these situations? I've found that you MUST look for the good in every situation you are in. Don't wait for only the good times, we also must be able to handle and deal with the down times of life, otherwise we will miss a lot of the journey! Enjoy and make the most out of the good and the bad.

I would like to give a shout out to Sally Roberts. Sally is a former 2-time World Bronze Medalist for USA Wrestling in both 2003 and 2005. She just started the "Wrestle Like a Girl" Foundation, with the mission to give under privileged girls opportunities to learn and grow from involvement in this sport. I cannot tell you how proud I am of Sally in her new endeavor. The sport of wrestling does amazing things to transform people's lives and Sally is a testament to it. She is working with journalist/writer Craig Sesker who is writing a book entitled "Wrestle Like A Girl!"The book will be out in September. Make sure you check it out!

After evening practice we had a great meal at a restaurant on Barra (pronounced Baha) Beach. Which is close to the Olympic Village.

Signing off for now, from Rio!

Saturday, August 6 – Back on the mat, and a shout out to our Team Leaders

"Let the Games Begin!" I'm sure most of you watch the Opening Ceremony last night. The much anticipated event did not disappoint. The girls said that there were real battles to get up towards the front next to Flag Bearer, Michael Phelps.

After the long day yesterday with the ceremony, we had the morning off. This afternoon, we were back on the mats at Lonier. We went through about a one- hour long practice. During the course of practice, we went through some different situations, The athletes had time to drill and spar in each of the situations. I though the athletes looked focused and on task. Coach Kalika ran the workout today. At this stage of the game, we are trying to keep things very short and to the point. We are looking for the intensity to come out every time we step onto the mat. In most times, I would say more is better but at this point less is more. Quality over quantity.

So last night as the athletes and our team leaders walked through opening ceremonies a few of us went down to another part of the city of Rio, in the Leblon Neighborhood, to watch the ceremonies and grab a meal. The Leblon Neighbor hood is one of the upscale neighborhoods in Rio.

From Leblon, a neighborhood next to the beach, the view at night is stunning but the interesting things as you view the city lights from the beach neighborhood is that you are looking at some of the Rio's Favelas. The Favela is the Portuguese term used to describe the slums of the urban areas in Brazil. How the Favela came into being dates back to the 19th century, when solders had no place to live, they started to settle into the closest land to the city, which were on the sides of the mountain. The poor have always been pushed away from the city centers and forced to live in far suburbs.

In the 1970's, many people left the rural areas into the cities, and when they could not find any places to live, they ended up in the favelas. What is different is that in most countries, the wealthy people have the stunning views from above. But in Rio and Brazil in general, you have the wealthy that live down in the city and the poorer people living on the mountain sides.

Let me introduce you to our team leaders for each of our disciplines. USA Wrestling has a team leader for each styles for the four years leading into the Olympic Games. The Team Leaders are great ambassadors and mentors for each of the programs. Each of them help in many different ways. They give a lot of time, energy, passion, and financial resources to each of the programs. We are very fortunate to have each of them in our corner. I am so happy that they had the chance to experience the Opening Ceremony because what each of them do it is a very much needed. Thank you to these three amazing people.

Kyra Barry – Women’s Freestyle
Kyra Barry has been our team leader during Rio Olympic Quad. She lives in New York City and has been very tied into moving the sport of Women's Wrestling and wrestling in general forward. Kyra is a big part of the"Beat the Streets" organization which gives wrestling a chance to help inner city kids move forward through involvement in sport! Kyra has also been very active in helping us strategize on how to get women’s wrestling moved into different states as a sanctioned sport. She is also helping us find ways to influence the NCAA to recognize women’s wrestling as a sanctioned sport.

Christine (Kiki) Kelley - Greco-Roman
Kiki is from Minneapolis, Minn. and has been involved in supporting athletes for a number of years. She has been with the Greco Team since 2012. In Iran, wrestling is considered their country’s national sport. It is very popular, and their champions are held in very high regard, like in the USA with our professional sports teams and stars. The difference, is that in the country of Iran, women were never allowed into these sporting arenas even as spectators. To our knowledge, Kiki was the first female into a wrestling competition in Iran. Because she was with the USA delegation on a trip to Iran a couple of years ago she was allowed into that Arena and broke the gender barrier. It was a huge step forward for human /women's rights in Iran.

Andrew Barth – Men’s Freestyle
Andy has had a huge impact on USA Wrestling and the sport on all levels. Andy founded the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC), which sponsors many athletes across the country and across the different styles of wrestling. I don't know the exact number but I'm guessing around 60-70 athletes nationwide benefit from The generosity of Mr. Andy Barth as club members. He also started the LA branch of the "Beat the Streets" organization.

I just got back to the village after practice, I had a chance to grab a shower and get refreshed, then I walked over to the cafeteria for a quick meal and people-watching. I was lucky enough to run into a former delegate from the People's Republic of China. He used to be an administrator with the Chinese Wrestling Federation but has now been realigned to the Chinese Weightlifting Federation.

I finished my day watching film and taking notes on a few of our competitors. You can never have too much information or be too prepared. We are 10 days out of the Women's Competition.

I'm honored and excited to be a part of this team as we move forward the next 10 days!

Until next time, God Bless!

Friday, August 5 - Kudos for Afsoon Johnston, Clarissa Chun and Carrie Moore

Today is the official start of the Olympic Games! Everyone here, as I'm sure at home, is very excited for what is to come in the next few weeks. It is an amazing time in the life of the athletes, coaches, and support staff.

I woke up with a text from family and friends telling me they had seen me on the today show. I guess I was in the right place at the right time. We were at the welcoming ceremony at the Olympic village last night when this took place. Our high performance director at the USOC, Alan Ashley, accepted the invite from the Brazilian National Olympic Committee.

I want to give shout out to "WRESTLING MINDSET." Gene and Jeff Zannetti have developed a wonderful tool to assist the athletes with their sport psychology needs. Gene and Jeff have been assisting our Cadet, Junior and Senior level teams all year long.

Also, I would like to thank ASICS, who is an official sponsor of USA wrestling. They have outfitted our athletes and team behind the team with gear for the games. Nick Gallo and Neil Duncan have been great friends of the organization over the years.

This morning, the athletes were back in the mat for a wrestling workout at Lonier, the US High Performance Center. As I have said before, the USOC International Games Department is incredible in making the Olympic Games Experience the best ever! It is truly the BEST!

Tonight, I feel blessed to be able to spend the evening with AFSOON JOHNSTON, CLARISSA CHUN, and CARRIE MOORE. Let me tell you about the three of them.

Afsoon Johnston is THE Pioneer of women's wrestling in the USA. She wrestled in the first world championships for the USA. She struggled and strived to do her job and to open up opportunities for more women. She retired before women’s wrestling was added to the Olympic Family but she no doubt fought this battles that gained the acceptance of our sport to the Games.

Carrie Moore has been an athletic trainer for us since 2009 she is an integral part of our system. She understands and lives this sport like we do. Her husband is a wrestling coach in Missouri. She has two future wrestlers. In her family. She is a huge extension of our staff and the girls know it.

Clarissa Chun is a World Champion and an Olympic Silver Medalist for the USA Women's Program and is respected worldwide. Clarissa is a training partner this year for Helen Maroulis but, more than that, she is the sweetest, kindest person you have ever met. She is Golden all around.

The Olympic family is the best! Michael Phelps you rock! Cyrus you are an awesome part or our team.

Cheers to all of you at home, over and out!

Thursday, August 4, 2016 - We are on our way to Rio as I write blog #2!

United Airlines and George Bush International Airport went above and beyond showing the US Olympic Team first class treatment! We arrived at the airport on buses that had police escorts through the city. Upon Arrival, the USOC International Games Department Staff and Volunteers had all of our bags already waiting for us at the airport. We had a check in area designated only for the US Olympic Delegation. We also had security checkpoint areas to get through security very fast. Once we were on the concourse, United Airlines had a special Olympic room for the athletes to relax, very similar to a United Club. As we arrived at the gate area many members of the press, numerous United Airline Employees were cheering on the Olympic Delegation. Also, a 3 person band played music in the background and as we boarded the flight, United Airlines CEO, Oscar Munoz, greeted us and checked us in for the flight. Pretty Impressive!

The athletes are excited to finally get this trip going. There is so much that goes into there preparation and so many that have made these moments possible. I know in blog #1, I brought to your attention many who help but I would like to continue to add to that list.

I would like to thank the many Employees at USA Wrestling that NEVER get the credit or attention they deserve. From the national teams department, to events, to state services, to finance, to development, to media, to fundraising, to IT, there is so much that goes into the development of USA's opportunities and development process.

I also need to thank all of our state leaders and state organizations that truly start the Olympic Dream with programs in all of the states. There is no way that USA could have success on the international level without their work at the grassroots level.

Also, our board of directors and USA Wrestling committees that put in countless hours making sure that we continue to move in the best direction as we strive for the top of the international scene and help develop the strongest, most resilient human beings possible through this great sport.

We have arrived Rio, we are settling into either the Olympic Village and Lonier (the temporary USOC High Performance Center in Rio). Like I said before, the USOC is the very best at international games. It is not by coincidence that the USA has won the medal count OLYMPICS after OLYMPICS!

Today, once the team is settled in, we have a team briefing with the USOC Staff at the village. Then USOC, CEO Mr. Scott Blackmun will address the US Delegation with a Welcoming Ceremony outside of building 19, USA's home for the next few weeks in Brazil. The athletes will get a light cardio workout in tonight, get some fresh air, sunshine, and try to stay awake through the day to start to get the trip out of there system. Tomorrow we will get back on the mats before they head to opening ceremonies. It will take a few days to feel good and get rid of the jet lag from the flight.

The Olympic Village is an amazing place, considering the world we live in today. The Political view of the world needs to take some lessons from the sports world. In sports, I believe people tend to look at the things we have in common instead of searching for and pointing out each other's differences. In the Olympic Village you see all cultures, religions, languages, and beliefs, coming together and appreciating each others differences and appreciating each other's talents and skills. Enjoying each other, eating together, walking and talking with each other, etc... But on the mat or field of play athletes are competing fiercely to win but they understand win or loose, after the match or contest, the right thing to do is to appreciate each other for who they are, respect each other, and treat each other with dignity. The Olympic Village is a very special place with so much positive energy.

Over and out!

Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - Women’s Team in Houston on the way to Rio

Yesterday, we left Colorado Springs, the Rio Olympic Journey has begun! Today we are going through processing in Houston before we fly out tonight. I will be attempting to write a daily blog during the course of the trip to give you a behind the scenes look at the games. I'm not a writer, so no hating! Please share with others who may be interested.

As we departed COS, I had a lot of reflections of the people and things that have happened since I accepting this job as Women's National Team Coach in the spring of 2002! It has been and continues to be an amazing journey! I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful I am to be in the position I am.

It starts with two very strong people that support me on this journey. Raven and Jodi. Raven was 1.5 years old when this crazy ride with The Women's Program at USAW began. I realize that she has given up a lot for me to follow my passion but she has also gained a lot. She has a family full of older siblings that are great role models for her that she has grown up looking up to. Jodi has made sacrifice after sacrifice with a smile on her face. Knowing that this is a lot more than a job but a way of life. Directly and indirectly, Jodi has influence on this program more than most people can even begin to understand!

I cannot express it enough but it takes a team behind the team to make this all happen. There have been so many coaches, support staff, and mentors that have help build this program into where we are today! They say it takes a village to raise a child as it takes a large community of selfless, kind, giving, people raise a program. There are too many to name but you all know who you are.

Kyra Barry is our Team Leader, ambassador, and great friend of the program, I cannot even begin to explain the difference she has made with this program. She does all the little things that make a HUGE difference!

Our Olympic Coaches are Afsoon Johnston and Valentin Kalika. They bring an enormous amount of experience and knowledge.

My staff coaches Erin Tomeo, Emma Randall, and Maksim Molonov have been the brains behind the program and have done a ton of work getting this program to the position we are in.

Our College Programs and Coaches that continue to supply the National Program with great wrestlers. Without our development structure we would not be in the position we are in.

The Club programs in the USA are second to none. They give countless opportunities to athletes to develop with financial help to get to major competitions around the world. Without the generous giving from SUNKIST (The Martori Family), TMWC (The Barth Family), NYAC (Dave Foxen and the NYAC Board), Army WCAP, the programs at USAW would have little chance for success.

Our athletic trainer Carrie Moore is an extension of our staff. She is all in when it comes to this team and program. We are very fortunate to have her on our side.

Our Maximized Living Chiropractors Dr. Kristen Kells and Dr. Rosie Main add so much to these women’s lives. They keep us healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually. The difference between winning and losing is so minimal and I know we are closer to GOLD with their assistance and caring with this team.

Our USOC, Performance Enhancement Team is an integral part of the success of this program. Many thanks to the following:
Ron Brant - USOC Performance Team Lead
Rob Skinner - Nutrition
Paul Titus - Strength and Conditioning
Brandon Saikel - Strength and Conditioning
Karen Kogen - Sport Psychology
Dustin Nabhan - Sports Medicine
Jenna Street - Sports Medicine
Kevin Schroeder - Sports Medicine

We also have a group of coaches that put in hours and hours and do not get the recognition that they deserve. Ron Tirpak with Video / Scouting, Charles Poliquin, Kevin Black, Israel Silva, Billy Wood, Alex Conti, Vlad Izboinikov, Kendall Cross, Seiko Yamamoto, Aaron Sieracki, and Troy Steiner. We are grateful for your time and commitment to this program.

I would also like to thank and encourage our future stars and current national team members. They have helped unselfishly to prepare this team. A lot of you have heavy hearts because you would like to be on this team heading to Rio. Just let me say this, swallowing your pride and helping others is the right thing to do, I'm not saying it is the easy thing but it is the right thing. Stay focused, be steadfast in your pursuit, 2020 will be here before we know it.

The athletes are what this is all about. As stated in USA Wrestling mission, we are in the business of helping people reach their full athletic and human potential. How great of a job is that! In some ways these people that are striving day in and day out are normal human beings but in other ways they are anything but normal. They bring so much the table! Their attitudes, focus, and work ethics are simply amazing. I am honored to be a part of their journeys! The ATHLETES truly are the heroes!

As we head to Rio, we are in search of our first GOLD Medal in Olympic Competition. We understand what is at stake but we also understand that we just need to be ourselves, the BEST version of ourselves.

Haley AUGELLO brings an unbelievable focus, competitiveness and determination. Most people have not heard Haley's name because she is new to the Senior World / Olympic Team. Haley has been a Cadet World Champion for Team USA, she knows how to Win! She is READY!

Helen MAROULIS our "Rising Star" as she has been called has Risen. Helen is beauty in motion. Her wrestling is like a beautiful piece of art! There is no one like her in the world. Helen is the defending World Champion and is looking only for GOLD in Rio. To win, she will more than likely have to beat 3x Olympic Champion from Japan, Saori Yoshida. Some would say improbable but we believe Helen's time is here!

Elena PIROZHKOVA has 4 world medals at this weight class, 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze. She has beaten everyone at this weight class over the years. She is a returning Olympian so this is not new to her. We look for Elena to make a run for GOLD!

Adeline GRAY has won 3 Gold Medals this quad as is considered a favorite at this weight. Adeline is poised and ready to win!

Today, we start processing in Houston. This is where things start to set in for the Olympians as they get fitted for their Olympic Gear! Nike, Ralph Lauren, Oakley, and OC Tanner the Olympic Sponsors have cut no costs, they are AMAZING!

National Women's Coach Terry Steiner will share his thoughts of his journey with the U.S. Olympic Team in women's wrestling in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the Olympic Games.