World Team Trials - Friday, June 10th

Congratulations to Helen Maroulis for making the US World Team!

Helen and I visualized this day many, many times, but I don't think either of us ever saw her wrestling Ashley Hudson in the best 2 out of 3 finals. Fortunately, we prepared for this tournament by focusing on Helen's needs. We had a few likely opponents in the back of our minds, but it was always about what Helen needed to do to be successful. If our game plan was designed around certain individuals, her state of mind could have been drastically altered when her opponent became someone we didn't plan for.

Today was a great day. I say (and write) over and over that I'm most concerned about the process and not the outcome. Even though the desirable outcome was achieved today, the process is where the real story is. On the mat, Helen was dominant, but off the mat she was such a professional that the way she competed was expected.

To keep her loose during the day, we joked around a lot with Vicki and Chad. She has a huge tendency to get lost in her thoughts and psych herself out of her ideal competitive state. I hardly left her side when we were in the arena and she handled herself like a professional. She told me she didn't feel like she was wrestling at the World Team Trials because she felt relaxed (which isn't the norm). I explained to her that she's not getting caught up in the emotions of the moment because she's here on business. She didn't come to Oklahoma City for a wrestling tournament; it was a business trip. She took care of business, too.

Helen is only 19 years old and is growing by leaps and bounds every moment of every day. Two years ago, she missed weight at Trials. Last year, the moment got too big for her and it slipped away. This year, she was a professional and the results show it. I'm proud of her for accomplishing one of her many goals, but I'm most proud of her growth over the three years I've been involved in her wrestling career.

Her success today can be attributed to a lot of great people behind the scenes who helped her stay focused and calm over the past few weeks. That was the first step in this process. When she was on the mat, she stayed true to who she is as a wrestler and lived in her "happy zone" and wrestled a nearly flawless tournament. By focusing on the process, the desirable outcome comes to you, you don't go to it.