If you wanted to learn how to hold a wrestling event, you should have been at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA last night. The USA vs. Russia dual meet had everything a gala should have – pageantry, history, star power, mystery, excitement and a “standing room only” house.
Here are some random observations.
The kids
It was heartening to see so many youngsters at the meet. There must have been at least 40 kids from the North Cedar Wrestling Club seated near me – and what a great job their coach did! He took them on a tour of the facility including taking them to Cornell’s outstanding wrestling room.
As is always the case, dozens of kids had to get Dan Gable’s autograph. However, it was especially encouraging to see some of them – especially the younger ones – getting the autographs of the Russian athletes and coaches. There’s one young man from Linn-Mar who better hang on to that shirt.
The history
Cornell College is one of the most unique places in American wrestling history. It’s the smallest school (620 students at the time) and the only private school ever to win the NCAA Division I championship. It was my good fortune to get to meet, and sit next to, Bob Majors. Bob wrestled at Cornell in the ‘50s and was a team mate of Cornell greats like Warren DePrenger and Lloyd Corwin (who defeated 1960 Olympic champion, Doug Blubaugh in the 1955 NCAA semi-finals). It was a treat for me to listen to Bob talk about wrestling.
Master of ceremonies, Scott Casber, did an excellent job of emphasizing the historical aspects of the evening. He introduced former Cornell wrestlers Richard Small and Lynn Stiles and pointed out American wrestling legends Randy Lewis, Tom and Terry Brands and Zeke Jones.
One of my favorite memories from the event will be the looks on the faces of those young Russian wrestlers when Gable walked over and introduced himself and shook their hands. They have the same respect for him that we do.
I left the event with a distinct feeling of the links between the past of wrestling to the present of wrestling to the future of wrestling.
The crowd
I imagine that fans in other parts of the country resent hearing that “Iowa wrestling fans are the best in America”. Well – we only say it because it’s true. Last night was a prime example. It wasn’t just the size of the crowd – it was the respectful and welcoming applause for the Russian team, it was the ovation for Mike Zadick when he was introduced and the roar when Doug Schwab won his match.
Kudos go out to everyone involved in the evening, starting with the Cornell staff. Athletic director, John Cochrane, and wrestling coach, Mike Duroe, worked diligently to make the night a success. The only potential hiccup on the evening was when the sound system failed for the playing of the Russian national anthem. Assistant AD, Dick Simmons, who seems to be Cornell’s go-to problem solver, fixed it and the rest of the event went off without a hitch.
Tom Lepic and the Hawkeye Wrestling Club also deserve recognition. In case after case we’ve seen how hard it can be to raise money to support wrestling. Tom and the club recruited sponsors for the $2,000 prizes that were awarded to the winners of each match.
We also need to thank USA Wrestling for their support and encouragement.
I’ve already mentioned Scott Casber, but I can’t emphasize enough the role he played in making the event enjoyable.
When it was all over I walked to my car with only one question – “If these folks can create an event like this, why aren’t the Olympic Trials in eastern Iowa?”
(to be continued)
Showing posts with label USA Wrestling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA Wrestling. Show all posts
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Living the Dream
By one account, Michael Phelps has a net worth of $40 - $50 million. Shawn Johnson has gone from Beijing to Dancing With the Stars winner to millionaire. In comparison, fellow Olympic gold medallist, wrestler Henry Cejudo, got a pat on the back and a bag of chips. Oh sure, there were those charming few minutes with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show and a variety of other brief television appearances, but by now – less than a year later – Henry has faded from the minds of the general public. He definitely has not reaped the financial rewards that many other Olympians have.
No youngster takes up wrestling with the thought that it will one day make him or her wealthy. Most kids try the sport because Dad wrestled – or a big brother – or a cousin – or the next door neighbor. When they first step on the mat there are no dreams of Olympic glory either.
Somewhere along the way something seems to happen to a select group of those kids. They fall in love with the sport. Because wrestling teaches you to do so – they set goals – win a kids’ tournament, then a high school state championship - maybe even four or five of them. For some, nothing less than being the best in the world will suffice. So they sacrifice. They train harder than any other elite athletes (as former USA Wrestling resident freestyle coach, Terry Brands, likes to say, “We do things that would make a billy goat puke.”).
They make these sacrifices fully aware that there is no pot of gold – maybe just a couple of round pieces of it – waiting for them. Dan Gable, John Smith, Lee Kemp, Bruce Baumgartner, Tricia Saunders and Cael Sanderson – all were athletes that dominated American wrestling much as Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez and Peyton Manning have dominated their sports.
It would be foolish to think that American wrestlers will ever be compensated like Woods, Rodriguez and Manning. However, an alliance led by USA Wrestling has set out to improve the landscape for our elite wrestlers. Last month they launched the Living the Dream Fund. Starting in 2010 a World Champion will be rewarded with $50,000. Silver medallists will earn $25,000 and bronze medallists will receive $15,000. The group will up the ante for the 2012 London Olympic Games. A gold medal there will be worth $250,000, a silver earns $50,000 and a bronze earns $25,000.
Some of wrestling’s biggest supporters are already on board – Michael Novogratz, Dave Barry and the Martori family, for example. The program is also endorsed by the United States Olympic Committee. But – they can’t do it alone.
It’s a sad fact that far too many members of the wrestling family are willing to sit on the sidelines and watch when challenges arise. How ironic that some people who love this sport and everything it embodies, won’t battle for it!
Then - there are those precious few – God love them. You know them – they have a closet full of tee shirts that say things like “Save Oregon Wrestling”. They give $50 or $100 every time someone in wrestling needs help. It doesn’t matter to them: an ailing wrestler needs help fighting cancer – they’re in; a college team is working to become self-sustaining – they’re in; a high school team needs a new mat – they’re in. If we could only have more of them.
If you’re not already a member of that exclusive fraternity that fights for wrestling – here’s your chance to join. You can donate on line right now to the Living the Dream Fund or send a check to
Living the Dream Fund
C/o USA Wrestling
6155 Lehman Dr
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
I’m in – how about you?
No youngster takes up wrestling with the thought that it will one day make him or her wealthy. Most kids try the sport because Dad wrestled – or a big brother – or a cousin – or the next door neighbor. When they first step on the mat there are no dreams of Olympic glory either.
Somewhere along the way something seems to happen to a select group of those kids. They fall in love with the sport. Because wrestling teaches you to do so – they set goals – win a kids’ tournament, then a high school state championship - maybe even four or five of them. For some, nothing less than being the best in the world will suffice. So they sacrifice. They train harder than any other elite athletes (as former USA Wrestling resident freestyle coach, Terry Brands, likes to say, “We do things that would make a billy goat puke.”).
They make these sacrifices fully aware that there is no pot of gold – maybe just a couple of round pieces of it – waiting for them. Dan Gable, John Smith, Lee Kemp, Bruce Baumgartner, Tricia Saunders and Cael Sanderson – all were athletes that dominated American wrestling much as Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez and Peyton Manning have dominated their sports.
It would be foolish to think that American wrestlers will ever be compensated like Woods, Rodriguez and Manning. However, an alliance led by USA Wrestling has set out to improve the landscape for our elite wrestlers. Last month they launched the Living the Dream Fund. Starting in 2010 a World Champion will be rewarded with $50,000. Silver medallists will earn $25,000 and bronze medallists will receive $15,000. The group will up the ante for the 2012 London Olympic Games. A gold medal there will be worth $250,000, a silver earns $50,000 and a bronze earns $25,000.
Some of wrestling’s biggest supporters are already on board – Michael Novogratz, Dave Barry and the Martori family, for example. The program is also endorsed by the United States Olympic Committee. But – they can’t do it alone.
It’s a sad fact that far too many members of the wrestling family are willing to sit on the sidelines and watch when challenges arise. How ironic that some people who love this sport and everything it embodies, won’t battle for it!
Then - there are those precious few – God love them. You know them – they have a closet full of tee shirts that say things like “Save Oregon Wrestling”. They give $50 or $100 every time someone in wrestling needs help. It doesn’t matter to them: an ailing wrestler needs help fighting cancer – they’re in; a college team is working to become self-sustaining – they’re in; a high school team needs a new mat – they’re in. If we could only have more of them.
If you’re not already a member of that exclusive fraternity that fights for wrestling – here’s your chance to join. You can donate on line right now to the Living the Dream Fund or send a check to
Living the Dream Fund
C/o USA Wrestling
6155 Lehman Dr
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
I’m in – how about you?
Monday, June 1, 2009
Will work for a mat.
USA Wrestling launched the Living the Dream Medal Fund over the weekend. It is an effort to raise money so that World and Olympic medallists can be rewarded for their achievements. Click on the link above for more details.
In the past two or three weeks I have read internet donation requests from the Cal State Fullerton wrestling team, Wrestling 411, and Operation Pass it On. All are worthy causes and a donation to any one of them will only improve the sport.
When it comes to wrestling – I’m just a fan. I have no special knowledge or inside connections and no experience participating in the sport. What I do know is fund raising. I’ve been a direct marketing consultant for almost 30 years and raising money for charities is a part of what I do. If you’re looking for the usual wrestling blog you can stop reading now. If you coach a wrestling team that needs a new mat, are an administrator hoping to endow the wrestling coach’s salary or a club leader in need of new equipment – read on. I’m going to share a few basic tips on the art and science of fund raising that may help you meet your goals.
Pick the right medium.
The most recent statistics show that telemarketing, direct mail and email (in that order) are the most efficient fund raising media. If you are relying too heavily on your website or on internet postings, you are missing a lot of money.
Know your donors.
Build a donor database that tracks at least the following:
Contact information (name, address, email, phone).
First donation date.
First donation amount.
Last donation date.
Last donation amount.
Total number of donations by medium (email, direct mail, website, etc.)
Total donated amount by medium.
You’ll soon learn that all donors are not created equal and you’ll want to customize your approach.
Get the second gift.
The second gift you get from a donor is the most important. A two-time donor is twice as likely to respond to a future request than is a one-time donor. Failing to ask for a second donation in a timely fashion is the single biggest mistake most charities make. However, don’t ask for the second gift with your “Thank you” note. The best pattern to follow is: 1. initial donation 2. Thank you. 3. Second gift request.
Tell the donor what his gift will accomplish.
Be specific. I recently managed a campaign where we asked for, “Enough food to feed a family of four for a week” ($100), “One week’s shelter and food for a homeless mother and her children” ($220), “A whole ton of food” ($700). You will still get a lot of $25 donations, but the number of donors who choose to give larger amounts are more likely to do so if there is a tangible result tied to the larger gift.
By the way – NEVER – let me repeat that – NEVER –say, “Every little bit helps.” No matter whatever else you have said, as soon as you use that sentence you trivialize your need.
Make it easy to give.
Offer multiple payment options – reply envelopes, credit cards, websites etc. Young charity managers often rely too heavily on internet payment. Statistically, major donors are older and more likely to respond through the mail than via the internet.
If you’re trying to raise money for a wrestling related cause and would like a little FREE advice, just send me an email at jim@dmsolutions4u.com.
In the past two or three weeks I have read internet donation requests from the Cal State Fullerton wrestling team, Wrestling 411, and Operation Pass it On. All are worthy causes and a donation to any one of them will only improve the sport.
When it comes to wrestling – I’m just a fan. I have no special knowledge or inside connections and no experience participating in the sport. What I do know is fund raising. I’ve been a direct marketing consultant for almost 30 years and raising money for charities is a part of what I do. If you’re looking for the usual wrestling blog you can stop reading now. If you coach a wrestling team that needs a new mat, are an administrator hoping to endow the wrestling coach’s salary or a club leader in need of new equipment – read on. I’m going to share a few basic tips on the art and science of fund raising that may help you meet your goals.
Pick the right medium.
The most recent statistics show that telemarketing, direct mail and email (in that order) are the most efficient fund raising media. If you are relying too heavily on your website or on internet postings, you are missing a lot of money.
Know your donors.
Build a donor database that tracks at least the following:
Contact information (name, address, email, phone).
First donation date.
First donation amount.
Last donation date.
Last donation amount.
Total number of donations by medium (email, direct mail, website, etc.)
Total donated amount by medium.
You’ll soon learn that all donors are not created equal and you’ll want to customize your approach.
Get the second gift.
The second gift you get from a donor is the most important. A two-time donor is twice as likely to respond to a future request than is a one-time donor. Failing to ask for a second donation in a timely fashion is the single biggest mistake most charities make. However, don’t ask for the second gift with your “Thank you” note. The best pattern to follow is: 1. initial donation 2. Thank you. 3. Second gift request.
Tell the donor what his gift will accomplish.
Be specific. I recently managed a campaign where we asked for, “Enough food to feed a family of four for a week” ($100), “One week’s shelter and food for a homeless mother and her children” ($220), “A whole ton of food” ($700). You will still get a lot of $25 donations, but the number of donors who choose to give larger amounts are more likely to do so if there is a tangible result tied to the larger gift.
By the way – NEVER – let me repeat that – NEVER –say, “Every little bit helps.” No matter whatever else you have said, as soon as you use that sentence you trivialize your need.
Make it easy to give.
Offer multiple payment options – reply envelopes, credit cards, websites etc. Young charity managers often rely too heavily on internet payment. Statistically, major donors are older and more likely to respond through the mail than via the internet.
If you’re trying to raise money for a wrestling related cause and would like a little FREE advice, just send me an email at jim@dmsolutions4u.com.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Lacin' em up one more time
“Carr, Banach, Gadson, Trizzino, Moreno – Lewis”. As the announcer called mat assignments at Saturday’s Northern Plains Freestyle Championships it felt like a scene from a “Back to the Future” movie – that I had traveled back in time to a dual meet featuring Cyclone and Hawkeye wrestlers from the Seventies and Eighties. In a way – it was “back to the future’, because these were the sons of those great athletes – Nate Carr Jr., Riley Banach, Kyven Gadson, Nick and Joey Trizzino and Michael and Gabe Moreno. But Lewis – well – that really was Randy Lewis being called to the mat.
If you’re any kind of wrestling fan you’ve been following this story for the last month. Randy Lewis – two-time NCAA champ, Pan-Am Games champ and 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist – announced that he was going to “lace them up” one more time to see if he could compete with this generation of freestyle wrestlers, some of whom were not even born when he won Olympic Gold. Just a couple of weeks before his 50th birthday he planned on entering the Northern Plains Open.
The announcement immediately captured the imaginations of fans and the wrestling media. Andy Hamilton of the Iowa City Press Citizen, J.R. Ogden of The Cedar Rapids Gazette, Dan McCool of The Des Moines Register and Gary Abbott from themat.com all wrote columns or blogs in the days and weeks leading up to Saturday’s event. The best coverage, however, was provided by Kyle Klingman and Jason Bryant from Wrestling 411.
Long known for his flamboyancy, many wondered if Lewboo (as he’s known to most wrestling fans) would follow through. After all – he’s made the “comeback” announcement before. Most wondered about just what he would be able to do against wrestlers half his age. Would he still have the “impossible leg” – the ability to let opponents in on his leg and then turn that into his own takedown?
Randy reached the height of his career at a time when freestyle wrestling might have been its most exciting. His epic battles with Lee Roy and John Smith, Darryl Burley and Ricky Dellagatta are legendary. They could ring up more points in a single match than many of today’s wrestlers (under today’s freestyle rules) will score in an entire season. For fans, it was awfully fun to watch – all that movement, all that scoring. In what has long been considered the most controversial match in American wrestling history, the 1984 Olympic Trials bout between Randy and Lee Roy Smith, the scoring came so quickly that the actual score is still debated today – 25 years later. Thanks to youtube you can watch many of those matches. Allow your self some time – you’ll get hooked – you’ll watch one and then have to watch another and then have to fast forward to John Smith vs. Sergei Belaglazov – its addicting stuff.
As I drove to Waterloo Saturday to watch, the question kept coming back – how much of the old Lewboo will I see? I had been fortunate enough to watch Randy in person once and on Iowa Public Television’s College Wrestling several times during his Hawkeye career and then again on television at the 1984 Olympics. Well – the matches are all up on youtube so you can see for yourself – but here are some observations. In the first round the old “impossible leg” was in evidence. In the second round he showed that amazing mat savvy and positioning that was always one of the keys to his success.
The irony of the semi-finals was that he was matched up against someone that wrestles in the style of a young Randy Lewis. Two-time UNI All American, Moza Fay, is a counter wrestler and a scrambler who is very comfortable “rolling around on the mat”. Moza just had too much for Randy in that match and, fittingly, he won it on the mat – using tilts to win the first period and a leg lace to win the second. Then Moza showed that he was feeling what we were all feeling – tremendous respect for one of American wrestling’s icons. He raised Randy’s hand and kept him on the mat letting the ovation from the crowd swell and last. It was a classy act.
That respect – that’s what I take away from Saturday. I got goose bumps when all wrestling stopped for his matches and everyone in the arena crowded around to watch. From the high school competitors to Olympic Bronze Medalist, Lincoln McIlravy (and his whole family) - we all wanted the best possible vantage point.
Its true in all walks of life that younger generations often don’t have enough respect for the accomplishments of those that precede them. Its not entirely their fault, we – their parents and grandparents - don’t always take the time to familiarize them with the history. We don’t take them to Stillwater to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame or to the Dan Gable International Wrestling Museum in Waterloo. We don’t tell them about Lee Kemp or Bruce Baumgartner.
USA Wrestling has planned ceremonies to honor Iowa natives and Olympic Champions Glen Brand (1948) and Bill Smith (1952) at the World Team Trials in Council Bluffs on Saturday May 30th. I hope I feel the same respect among the fans that I felt Saturday in Waterloo.
If you’re any kind of wrestling fan you’ve been following this story for the last month. Randy Lewis – two-time NCAA champ, Pan-Am Games champ and 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist – announced that he was going to “lace them up” one more time to see if he could compete with this generation of freestyle wrestlers, some of whom were not even born when he won Olympic Gold. Just a couple of weeks before his 50th birthday he planned on entering the Northern Plains Open.
The announcement immediately captured the imaginations of fans and the wrestling media. Andy Hamilton of the Iowa City Press Citizen, J.R. Ogden of The Cedar Rapids Gazette, Dan McCool of The Des Moines Register and Gary Abbott from themat.com all wrote columns or blogs in the days and weeks leading up to Saturday’s event. The best coverage, however, was provided by Kyle Klingman and Jason Bryant from Wrestling 411.
Long known for his flamboyancy, many wondered if Lewboo (as he’s known to most wrestling fans) would follow through. After all – he’s made the “comeback” announcement before. Most wondered about just what he would be able to do against wrestlers half his age. Would he still have the “impossible leg” – the ability to let opponents in on his leg and then turn that into his own takedown?
Randy reached the height of his career at a time when freestyle wrestling might have been its most exciting. His epic battles with Lee Roy and John Smith, Darryl Burley and Ricky Dellagatta are legendary. They could ring up more points in a single match than many of today’s wrestlers (under today’s freestyle rules) will score in an entire season. For fans, it was awfully fun to watch – all that movement, all that scoring. In what has long been considered the most controversial match in American wrestling history, the 1984 Olympic Trials bout between Randy and Lee Roy Smith, the scoring came so quickly that the actual score is still debated today – 25 years later. Thanks to youtube you can watch many of those matches. Allow your self some time – you’ll get hooked – you’ll watch one and then have to watch another and then have to fast forward to John Smith vs. Sergei Belaglazov – its addicting stuff.
As I drove to Waterloo Saturday to watch, the question kept coming back – how much of the old Lewboo will I see? I had been fortunate enough to watch Randy in person once and on Iowa Public Television’s College Wrestling several times during his Hawkeye career and then again on television at the 1984 Olympics. Well – the matches are all up on youtube so you can see for yourself – but here are some observations. In the first round the old “impossible leg” was in evidence. In the second round he showed that amazing mat savvy and positioning that was always one of the keys to his success.
The irony of the semi-finals was that he was matched up against someone that wrestles in the style of a young Randy Lewis. Two-time UNI All American, Moza Fay, is a counter wrestler and a scrambler who is very comfortable “rolling around on the mat”. Moza just had too much for Randy in that match and, fittingly, he won it on the mat – using tilts to win the first period and a leg lace to win the second. Then Moza showed that he was feeling what we were all feeling – tremendous respect for one of American wrestling’s icons. He raised Randy’s hand and kept him on the mat letting the ovation from the crowd swell and last. It was a classy act.
That respect – that’s what I take away from Saturday. I got goose bumps when all wrestling stopped for his matches and everyone in the arena crowded around to watch. From the high school competitors to Olympic Bronze Medalist, Lincoln McIlravy (and his whole family) - we all wanted the best possible vantage point.
Its true in all walks of life that younger generations often don’t have enough respect for the accomplishments of those that precede them. Its not entirely their fault, we – their parents and grandparents - don’t always take the time to familiarize them with the history. We don’t take them to Stillwater to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame or to the Dan Gable International Wrestling Museum in Waterloo. We don’t tell them about Lee Kemp or Bruce Baumgartner.
USA Wrestling has planned ceremonies to honor Iowa natives and Olympic Champions Glen Brand (1948) and Bill Smith (1952) at the World Team Trials in Council Bluffs on Saturday May 30th. I hope I feel the same respect among the fans that I felt Saturday in Waterloo.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Olympic Boom
USA Gymnastics is helping its’ member gyms prepare for what they call the “Olympic Boom”. Every four years, after watching hours of prime time coverage of Olympic gymnastics, parents flock to gymnastics clubs around the nation to enroll their kids. Many are hoping that their little girl will be the next Mary Lou Retton, Kerry Strug or Shawn Johnson.
They published a comprehensive marketing plan called The Olympic Opportunity. As a marketing professional, I can tell you that it is fairly well done.
Wrestling will not experience the same boom. This is true, in part, because, unlike women’s gymnastics where every minute of competition by an American athlete will be covered in prime time by NBC, it is likely that only Americans wrestling in medal matches will make it to a coveted time slot. Pre-conceived parental perceptions of wrestling may also be a problem.
I searched the internet to see what USA Wrestling or the National Wrestling Coaches Association might be doing to use the Olympics as a participation growth tool. I found nothing related specific to the Olympics. However, the NWCA has several solid tools on its’ Program Entrenchment page. One of these is a recruiting presentation called The Participation Pyramid. It, too, is a marketing plan of sorts. However, if you compare it to USA Gymnastics’, The Olympic Opportunity, you’ll see that USA Gymnastics focuses on marketing to parents, while the Participation Pyramid is aimed at marketing to potential youth participants.
Will marketing to kids, without approaching parents, successfully increase wrestling participation? I doubt it. USA Wrestling helps its’ member associations reach out to parents with The Parent's Guide to Youth Wrestling. It is well written and addresses most of the misconceptions parents have about wrestling.
Now – I have a question. Please answer honestly. Did you read all the way through The Participation Pyramid or The Parent’s Guide to Youth Wrestling? I didn’t think so. Long, rational, tomes – while well intentioned – are rarely effective marketing tools. You need emotion. You need imagery. Kids need to see the potential excitement of wrestling. Parents need to see other parents enjoying the sport.
So – when the wrestlers are home from Beijing and back in their wrestling rooms or at their coaching jobs do we let the Olympics fade away into memory? I hope not. Our Olympians are from all corners of the country. Medal or not, personal appearances at elementary, middle and high schools will have a lasting impression. This past March I watched as about two dozen kids stood in the lobby of the Cedar Rapids US Cellular Center as Olympic gold medallist, Ben Peterson, passed around his “hardware”. To say they were rapt is an understatement.
In December the Iowa State Cyclones will come to Carver Hawkeye Arena for the annual battle with the Hawkeyes. There are likely to be at least 14,000 fans attending – many of who will be attending their first college wrestling meet. Yes, the meet will provide plenty of excitement. But – why not make it an even bigger event? At the very least there are likely to be four Olympic gold medallists in the building, anyway. Why not invite every living gold medallist from Iowa and ISU to be introduced during the halftime break?
You could do something similar at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
If you love the sport of wrestling – you don’t have the luxury of being a passive fan. We all need you to be an active supporter.
Here’s your first assignment. Invite one non-wrestling friend over to your house (preferably one with kids) and watch Olympic wrestling together. Be the expert commentator. Show enthusiasm. Get us a new fan – and maybe a new wrestler.
They published a comprehensive marketing plan called The Olympic Opportunity. As a marketing professional, I can tell you that it is fairly well done.
Wrestling will not experience the same boom. This is true, in part, because, unlike women’s gymnastics where every minute of competition by an American athlete will be covered in prime time by NBC, it is likely that only Americans wrestling in medal matches will make it to a coveted time slot. Pre-conceived parental perceptions of wrestling may also be a problem.
I searched the internet to see what USA Wrestling or the National Wrestling Coaches Association might be doing to use the Olympics as a participation growth tool. I found nothing related specific to the Olympics. However, the NWCA has several solid tools on its’ Program Entrenchment page. One of these is a recruiting presentation called The Participation Pyramid. It, too, is a marketing plan of sorts. However, if you compare it to USA Gymnastics’, The Olympic Opportunity, you’ll see that USA Gymnastics focuses on marketing to parents, while the Participation Pyramid is aimed at marketing to potential youth participants.
Will marketing to kids, without approaching parents, successfully increase wrestling participation? I doubt it. USA Wrestling helps its’ member associations reach out to parents with The Parent's Guide to Youth Wrestling. It is well written and addresses most of the misconceptions parents have about wrestling.
Now – I have a question. Please answer honestly. Did you read all the way through The Participation Pyramid or The Parent’s Guide to Youth Wrestling? I didn’t think so. Long, rational, tomes – while well intentioned – are rarely effective marketing tools. You need emotion. You need imagery. Kids need to see the potential excitement of wrestling. Parents need to see other parents enjoying the sport.
So – when the wrestlers are home from Beijing and back in their wrestling rooms or at their coaching jobs do we let the Olympics fade away into memory? I hope not. Our Olympians are from all corners of the country. Medal or not, personal appearances at elementary, middle and high schools will have a lasting impression. This past March I watched as about two dozen kids stood in the lobby of the Cedar Rapids US Cellular Center as Olympic gold medallist, Ben Peterson, passed around his “hardware”. To say they were rapt is an understatement.
In December the Iowa State Cyclones will come to Carver Hawkeye Arena for the annual battle with the Hawkeyes. There are likely to be at least 14,000 fans attending – many of who will be attending their first college wrestling meet. Yes, the meet will provide plenty of excitement. But – why not make it an even bigger event? At the very least there are likely to be four Olympic gold medallists in the building, anyway. Why not invite every living gold medallist from Iowa and ISU to be introduced during the halftime break?
You could do something similar at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
If you love the sport of wrestling – you don’t have the luxury of being a passive fan. We all need you to be an active supporter.
Here’s your first assignment. Invite one non-wrestling friend over to your house (preferably one with kids) and watch Olympic wrestling together. Be the expert commentator. Show enthusiasm. Get us a new fan – and maybe a new wrestler.
Monday, June 2, 2008
It's a family dream.
It’s a family dream.
I have been blessed with two daughters. The older one has the soul of an artist. I took her to set design classes Saturday mornings at the University of Iowa when she was in elementary school and dance classes two nights a week all through middle school. In high school she was in every single school play or musical and I saw all of them.
The younger one played sports – starting with gymnastics at age six. After she broke her elbow in practice her mother encouraged her to try other sports. Eventually she settled on tennis and I took her to lessons and clinics and eventually went to all of her high school and college matches.
I’m pretty much like millions and millions of parents around the world.
When my younger daughter, Ann, was in her last year of law school my brother was coming from Seattle to Chicago for a conference. My brother and I agreed to meet with our old roommate and go to a Cubs game. Ann – also a big Cubs fan – decided to join us. As a third-year law student, she was clerking at a firm here in Cedar Rapids. Purely coincidentally the lead attorney in a case on which she was working was located in downtown Chicago. Ever conscientious, she arranged for a meeting with the lead attorney the morning after the game to go through some paperwork. The attorney’s office was 10 blocks from our hotel, so I walked her there. We hugged on the sidewalk and as she went through the revolving door, briefcase in hand – I cried. It hit me right at that moment – my daughters were adults and I was proud of them.
Can you imagine not being able to share in your child’s crowning moment?
In two weeks we’ll know who will be wrestling for the United States in the Olympics. Will it be young stars on the rise like Henry Cejudo or Jake Deitchler, or will it be past Olympians like Patricia Miranda or Joe Williams?
Here’s something we already know – it’s going to cost at least $6,500 per person for the wrestlers’ families to go to Beijing. Some parents are already talking about mortgaging their homes to be there for their kids once more. After a lifetime of sacrifice and support– of clubs and clinics and meets and tournaments – many will do what ever it takes to be there. Some may not make it.
You can help.
USA Wrestling has established the Fuel the Dream fund. When you contribute, 50% of your donation will go directly to the Olympic team members. The other half will go toward developing our future Olympic athletes. USA Wrestling is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and your contribution is tax-deductible.
Please join me in supporting these athletes and their families. You can mail a check to
USA Wrestling’s Fuel the Dream
6155 Lehman Dr
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
or go to
www.fuelthedream.org
and donate online.
Thank you.
I have been blessed with two daughters. The older one has the soul of an artist. I took her to set design classes Saturday mornings at the University of Iowa when she was in elementary school and dance classes two nights a week all through middle school. In high school she was in every single school play or musical and I saw all of them.
The younger one played sports – starting with gymnastics at age six. After she broke her elbow in practice her mother encouraged her to try other sports. Eventually she settled on tennis and I took her to lessons and clinics and eventually went to all of her high school and college matches.
I’m pretty much like millions and millions of parents around the world.
When my younger daughter, Ann, was in her last year of law school my brother was coming from Seattle to Chicago for a conference. My brother and I agreed to meet with our old roommate and go to a Cubs game. Ann – also a big Cubs fan – decided to join us. As a third-year law student, she was clerking at a firm here in Cedar Rapids. Purely coincidentally the lead attorney in a case on which she was working was located in downtown Chicago. Ever conscientious, she arranged for a meeting with the lead attorney the morning after the game to go through some paperwork. The attorney’s office was 10 blocks from our hotel, so I walked her there. We hugged on the sidewalk and as she went through the revolving door, briefcase in hand – I cried. It hit me right at that moment – my daughters were adults and I was proud of them.
Can you imagine not being able to share in your child’s crowning moment?
In two weeks we’ll know who will be wrestling for the United States in the Olympics. Will it be young stars on the rise like Henry Cejudo or Jake Deitchler, or will it be past Olympians like Patricia Miranda or Joe Williams?
Here’s something we already know – it’s going to cost at least $6,500 per person for the wrestlers’ families to go to Beijing. Some parents are already talking about mortgaging their homes to be there for their kids once more. After a lifetime of sacrifice and support– of clubs and clinics and meets and tournaments – many will do what ever it takes to be there. Some may not make it.
You can help.
USA Wrestling has established the Fuel the Dream fund. When you contribute, 50% of your donation will go directly to the Olympic team members. The other half will go toward developing our future Olympic athletes. USA Wrestling is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and your contribution is tax-deductible.
Please join me in supporting these athletes and their families. You can mail a check to
USA Wrestling’s Fuel the Dream
6155 Lehman Dr
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
or go to
www.fuelthedream.org
and donate online.
Thank you.
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