Tour Across America Blog #4

We had two mat practices yesterday with the women’s national team.  A senior national team camp is currently winding down.  Several residents, national team members and world team members are in attendance and we’re fortunate to jump in as additional practice partners.  These camps are structured through USA Wrestling in order to accommodate the needs of the world team in anticipation for the world championships.  This year, the championships are 67 days away in Paris.  Practices are run by Terry Steiner (head coach).

Terry was one of my college coaches at Wisconsin before taking the head women’s position at USAW.  His influence led me into the world of women’s wrestling.  I took my first group of female wrestlers on a trip in 2005 to Beijing, China and I’ve been entrenched in the women’s program at both the development and senior levels ever since.  Terry has been an important mentor of mine over the past 20 years.

The morning workout was technique-focused.  They covered some “opportunity areas” or areas of need as a group (double leg attack defense, snap and score, trap arm gut wrenches, etc.).  The afternoon practice was live combat with 8 x 3 minutes live.  It was great to see some of our developing females mixing in with the senior level athletes.  It took a few goes to understand how to wrestle at that level, though.  It’s similar to getting on the freeway with other cars already going 70 mph.  It takes a little time on the ramp to get up to speed.  Sometimes it takes a few years to catch up, however, yesterday a few of our top Cadets took advantage of the opportunity to wrestle world team members and Olympians.  As practice moved along, they became surprised with their own ability level.  They took a beating for a bit before catching up to speed, but once they felt what was going on, it was just another wrestling practice.  I was proud of those who stepped up to that challenge.

Between practices, the kids spent most of their remaining food money on souvenirs in the Spirit Store.  They’ll be coming back decked out in Team USA gear.  We also took some pictures on campus and soaked up the atmosphere.  Of course, I went with a few other coffee junkies to the newly added Starbucks across the street.

In the evening, we gave everyone a couple hours to explore downtown Colorado Springs and try some modern, hip restaurants.  Between 8:00 and 10:00 PM, I received several pictures of elaborate meals from restaurants like Fujiyama, Bingo Burgers, Rasta Pasta and urban pizza joints.  I think most of them have their map planned out for today’s eating options.  Personally, I’m excited to go to one my favorite restaurants in Colorado Springs: Skirted Heifer.

Tour Across America Blog #3

Manitou Springs is a cute little city about 5 miles from downtown Colorado Springs.  It has gift shops, restaurants and a ton of character.  It has a unique tourist feel.  In the athletic realm, however, it’s popular for the hiking trail most commonly known as “the Incline.”

The Incline is an old cog railroad track and is approximately one mile long, going up the base of Pike’s Peak.   It’s at the trailhead of the Barr Trail which goes 13-miles to the top of the peak.  The Incline has an average incline of 45% and as steep as 70%.  The steepest parts forced some of our athletes to bear crawl.

The bus dropped us off about a half mile from the trail because the tight, twisty road was not suitable for large vehicles (more on this later…).  We walked to the starting position, snapped a team picture and started the hike at 7:00 PM.  We knew we would have to hustle to the top and hurry to the bottom because the dark would surely bring several more challenges that we were not prepared for.  Coach Chad Shilson laid down a challenge: whoever made it to the top in less than 30 minutes would get a fresh $100 bill.

Some took off swiftly while others attempted to find a steady pace.  Each step is different, so it’s difficult to develop any sort of rhythm or cadence.  Looking up to the top provides a false sense of security because the “false summit” is what you see when you begin and there is still several stairs to the top.  I started at the back and of pack and enjoyed conversations with several of our athletes as I passed them going up.  I might be getting old, but I can still work hard…

We crossed paths with a mule deer making his way around the scenery.  He even climbed a few stairs before jumping back into the trees.  That wasn’t the only wildlife we crossed paths with as we encountered a cinnamon color bear at the bottom of the trail around 10:00 PM.  He wasn’t interested in us, though, as he was digging in dumpsters.

When we arrived at the top.  We took some pictures, talked about the experience and forged a new bond as a group.  Whenever a team suffers through a grueling workout experience, they come out on the other end more unified because they have something memorable to draw from.  It was, indeed, memorable.  Several of our athletes made mention to me that it was the most difficult thing they had accomplished in their life.  One of them - Nathan - ran to the top in 29:57 and he's fortunate that Chad is a man of his word.  He got the $100 bill.

As a coach, the attitude and sense of accomplishment among the group is what makes trips like this worth it.  Climbing the Incline was hard work and everyone made it to the top, so it was a successful adventure.

Our adventure didn’t finish when we got to the bottom.  Finding the bus in Manitou Springs, making our way through the ever lingering smell of marijuana smoke, tasting the mineral spring water and taking the bus up to get the final two team members (getting stuck and taking down a fence to make the y-turn).

All in all, it was another great day for our crew.  Back-to-back life changing moments.

Tour Across America Blog #2

We loaded the bus early this morning and are cruising down I-80 heading West to Colorado Springs, CO.  We’ll spend the next four days training alongside the women’s national team at the US Olympic Training Center.

There could not have been a better event to prepare us for the opportunity to train with some of the best female wrestlers in the entire world than the World Team Trials last night.  The atmosphere was electric and the action was world class.  Indelible memories were formed by the drama that unfolded right before our eyes.   The individual performances fueled by a nation of support inspired everyone on the bus to live their lives at a higher level.  Several people online are calling it the best World Team Trials ever.  It will serve as a great lead into soaking up the energy and excitement of the US Olympic Training Center.

When USA Wrestling announced that Lincoln, Nebraska would host the men’s freestyle trials, the wrestling community knew they would be in for a treat.  Hometown hero and American legend Jordan Burroughs attended the University of Nebraska and currently resides in Lincoln.  Additionally, world team members James Green and Thomas Gilman have Nebraska roots and Olympic medalist J’Den Cox is from the Midwest.  And they did not disappoint.  Digging deeply, overcoming adversity and drawing strength from the crowd, the four men mentioned above appeared larger than life.

Other athletes showed great resolve and humility throughout the day.  Tony Ramos stood out to me as a champion who showed great class in defeat in spite of an entire arena expecting the opposite given the scenario.  We were also fortunate to bump into some admirable female athletes who were in attendance as spectators.  With a bus load of some future stars in the female wrestling world, Jessica Medina provided a spark to the girls who were fortunate to meet her.

Overall, it was a great day.  Lincoln did us well and now we’re on to another big adventure.  Today we’ll spend the equivalent of a workday on the bus (8 hours). Upon arrival in Colorado Springs, we’ll take one step at a time up the face of Pike’s Peak on the famous Incline.  It will be another game changer for these teenagers.

Tour Across America Blog #1

Yesterday the wheels of the oversized rusty charter bus rolled out of River Falls, WI.  Carol the bus driver has taken several hundred wrestlers all over the United States with the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation, so it was fitting that she would take our crew of 40 wrestlers, parents and a few future wrestlers on our first annual Tour Across America.

A handful of wrestlers showed up in River Falls on Thursday night and pitched tents in my back yard in anticipation of our Friday morning departure.

We will spend seven days together trekking across Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado.  The first stop is Lincoln, NE to watch the USA Wrestling World Team Trials for Men’s Freestyle and then we will head West to Colorado Springs, CO.  We’ll jump into a few practices at the US Olympic Training Center and do our best to experience the “incline” (weather permitting).

The bus ride to Lincoln went very well.  Despite falling behind on our schedule and forcing one athlete to wait a couple of hours at the pick-up spot in Des Moines, everything went smoothly.  We went through a case of water and four movies before arriving at the hotel in Lincoln early in the evening.

After a long day on the road, the athletes were on their own for the evening to get settled in and ready for a big day of being a wrestling fan at the Bob Devaney Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska.  Everyone is excited to watch some great action.

We’re carrying with us male and female high school athletes from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas and Missouri. 

Words of Remembrance: Justin Bystrom

Dear Heavenly, gracious Father, our hearts are heavy, but I want to thank you for the opportunity and responsibility to honor my friend today.  Please, make my words your words and give me the strength to do right by my friend Justin.

My name is Kevin Black and I’ve had a special connection with Justin since I was a little kid.  Most recently, as the head wrestling coach in River Falls, I worked closely with him as our club president.  I spoke to Justin almost every day over the last 6 years.  He became one of my very best friends.  He was thoughtful, kind, considerate, respectful and extraordinarily supportive.  He always put out his hand to receive a greeting and he always asked if I had a minute to talk.

Often times, we hear people describe a friend as someone who wears his heart on his sleeve.  Well, if you’ll allow me a few minutes to talk about Justin, I think that you’ll agree with me that he wore his heart in his eyes.

He lived his life by what he could see.  By what was right there in front of him.  He lived in the moment.  He was always present.  And there’s something profound in the way he followed his heart through his eyes.

You see, the way the eye works is it takes light in through the cornea to the pupil and it’s focused by the lens onto the back wall of the retina, which is covered by millions and millions of photo receptors.  It’s the lens, however, that is important in this story.  Because the lens brings things into focus.

Justin gave everyone a chance and he believed in others because he lived in the moment.  He believed in his kids and was present for all of their important adventures – sports, hunting, marching band, broken bones, surgeries, graduations.  He was there to see all of them.  One of his last posts on Facebook was a quote by Brooke Hampton that said, “speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become.”  He was always very generous with his use of adjectives. 

It was always about being in the moment, never about the past or the future; it was about right now.  He focused on what he could see because his heart was in his eyes. 

Growing up in Beldenville, he spent a lot of time by his dad’s side helping with chores, hunting or riding on the airboat and fishing with friends like George Quist.  He absolutely adored his mom.  He was fascinated by her ability to communicate with a paint brush and she’d be fascinated by how he could communicate with his camera.  He loved his parents and would speak fondly of them often.  He missed them everyday.  

His first paying job was picking sweet corn and selling it at the end of his driveway.  He paid for college with all of that money he made through the honor system.  The honor system: trusting others to leave their money as they counted out their own ears of corn.  It worked because he believed in the good in others.  He chose to see the world this way.  His heart was in his eyes.

In fourth grade, his eyes noticed something very special and he became friends with Stacy Rohl.  In 8^th grade, he asked her out.  He also asked her out in 9^th grade and 10^th grade and 11^th grade and 12^th grade.  I remember he used to call our house when Stacy was babysitting.  Once in a while my brother would chat with him and we told her we didn’t understand why she wouldn’t just marry him.  Maybe we saw what Justin saw.  Well, it wasn’t until after they graduated that she agreed to go out with him and it started a life of 26 years together.   He was committed, dedicated and loyal. 

Yesterday I talked to Ron Nelson about Justin.  Mr. Nelson lived up the hill from him in Beldenville and said that he was, by far, his best neighbor.  When Mr. Nelson moved to Prairie du Chien, Justin and Lowein went for a drive just to see where Mr. Nelson lived.  No other agenda.  Maybe he stopped for some cheese curds along the way, but he just wanted to see where Mr. Nelson lived.  And that makes sense to us. Because his heart was in his eyes.

He stepped into the wrestling community in the mid-80’s and we became his extended family.  Many of his coaches developed a unique bond with the Bystrom Machine.  My dad was one of them.  And his best friends shared a passion for the sport.  My dad often tells the story of when his mother told him that Justin’s life was so much better by being involved with wrestling because he got to "Soar With Eagles."  And what a great view that gave him.

When Justin was in college, he took a photography class and became intrigued.  It grew into passion.  There’s no doubt in my mind that Justin fell in love with photography because it was a way for him to share with us what he could see.  From his point-of-view, whether it was while soaring with eagles or sitting matside, he was able to capture the joy of living in the moment.  The lens on his camera intensely focused on the details of life, real life, and captured moments and we’re all better people for it.  His love for others became so clear to us all through the use of that camera because he was able share with us what those eyes saw.  His heart was in his eyes.

His camera opened his eyes to many new things and  brought him all over the country – Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Olympic Trials, World Team Trials, Junior Nationals, State Tournaments, youth tournaments, youth practices, softball games, graduations – and he impacted thousands of people simply by being present and sharing his heart.   He lived his dreams wide awake.  He saw, with his eyes, that the good stuff in life came from focusing on the moment and being present.

Stacy was the love of his life.  His children, Lowein, Tyson, Winston and Serena were the joy of his life. 

He was always there.  But he’s not here anymore.  On Saturday, March 4^th, his heart stopped working and suddenly, we were without our friend who was always there.  Stacy told me that, true to character, Justin wanted to be a donor when it was time.  “But not my eyes,” he told her.  They can take everything else, but he wanted to keep his eyes.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  Justin soared with the eagles and those eyes had a tremendous view of life.

In the end, Justin shared his heart with everyone, but he’s taking his eyes with him because he’s living in the moment and he’s focused on something new.  Phillippians 3:14 says, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” 

Our eyes might be filled with tears today, but when they dry, we’d do well to use them to focus on what’s right there in front us.  And live in the moment.  To be present.  This is the greatest lesson I learned from Justin.  To be in the moment is to focus on what is right here, right now.  Disappointment and regret?  That’s in the past.  Fear and anxiety?  That’s in the future.  Those things don’t exist in the present.  It’s things like love, hope, joy, peace, passion, those are the things that thrive in the present tense by living in the moment.  And these are the words I’ve heard many of you use when describing Justin. 

Pouring yourself into the moment is the best way to live our lives.  And it’s how Justin wore his heart in his eyes.

In a letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.”

Justin, thank you for sharing your heart with us.  We’re all better for having seen what you see.