Take advantage of the opportunities

Today was the first day of the Wisconsin state wrestling tournament. I have great seats and will see terrific wrestling the entire weekend. I'm fortunate to have been involved with many athletes who are competing in this great event. This is a very special time of the year.

After one day, I'm happy to say that the athletes that have trained at Victory are doing well. While watching from the bleachers, I tried to be objective about what I was seeing and I was constantly reminded how important it is to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. This simple thought can be applied in many situations at this tournament from mat strategy to maximizing ones own potential at the most important time. Too many times I have witnessed an athlete who didn't believe in himself until it was too late or was noticeably "going through the motions" because they weren't ready to expect greatness of themselves.

This season I was reminded how quickly high school wrestling passes and how important it is to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. I know a handful of wrestlers who chose not to put the necessary time into training during the off season and are now paying the price by spectating instead of competing this weekend. They had many opportunities, but refused to take advantage of them when they were there. This tournament is a great learning lesson because people usually get what they deserve. The athletes reaching their dreams have put in the necessary time so they can live their dreams WIDE AWAKE. Those that chose not to work hard will sleep through these important dreams and when they wake up, it'll be too late.

Our theme for the state tournament series this year is Wide Awake. The individuals who live their dreams awake take advantage of the great opportunities when they arise. They're alert and sniffing out the opportunity to be great. They eagerly hunt until they smell victory and they take it when it's there.