question:              Nebraska will enter the Big 10 next year.  Does that improve Big 10 wrestling?  Why or why not?  Thanks.

Hello Mark,  Nebraska is a very good team.  There addition to the conference just adds one more of the nation’s top teams to an already tough conference.  Adding one more team shouldn’t make too much of a difference.  My main concern with Nebraska joining the Big 10 didn’t have anything to do with the Big 10, my concern was where that would leave the Big 12.  With only 5 teams with wrestling, and now dropping to four that is kind of scary.  I don’t know how that will be addressed, but it certainly isn’t good for Big 12 Wrestling.  The Big 10 would be fine either way.  At one time I was hearing that Missouri and Nebraska would be joining the Big 10.  I’m glad that didn’t happen because it would have probably been the end of Big 12 Wrestling and that would be a terrible thing.  As far as the Big 10 goes, the only concern with adding more teams to an already large conference tournament is that it just adds to the wear and tear of our conference’s student-athletes a week and a half before the NCAA tournament.  That’s the only negative that I can potentially see.   The conference tournament is important and everyone takes a lot of pride in trying to be the best team but ultimately, everyone’s goal should be to win the NCAA championship.

question:              Cael, thanks very much for all your videos, I feel that it would be an honour to be trained by you and I really connect with how you train and describe things in your videos (some other videos either go to fast, or simply list a set of options, without giving an understanding or apprecitation of the general themes or things you should be thinking about).  I was trying to view all of your past ISU videos but I can only see one up on the net on YouTube.  Do you know where I can access all of them, or would you please ask someone to put them up again?  Thanks Cael, Walter

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 Hey Walter, thanks for the email.  Also, thanks for watching the technique videos.  We put the videos up to promote and advertise our camps.  After I took the job at Penn State and our camp website changed, we needed to take them down. Also, ISU’s new camp webpage is different then the one we were advertising and I don’t want to confuse anyone.  I will try to continue to add more technique videos as time permits.  I’m sure you have seen but there are several technique videos on this site as well and I’ll continue to add more.  Thanks Cael

question:              Do you do private lessons? and how much do you charge if so?

Hey Carlos, I don’t do private lesson myself but there are a lot of opportunities to get excellent coaching.  We have several NCAA champions, All-americans, and Olympic Hopefuls training in State College that might be interested in giving private lessons.  We have the NLWC that I am a part of and all of our staff as well.  That might be a good bet.  And then there are our summer camps that the campers get a lot of 1-on-1 attention.   Hope that helps.  Best of luck

We all have negative thoughts.  It doesn’t matter how great of a wrestler you are or how inexperienced you are, you can count on negative thoughts.  It is part of our human nature.  The trick is knowing how to combat negative thoughts and how to replace them. 

First of all, give the negative thoughts that pop in your head absolutely no respect and no credibility.  Recognize negative thoughts immediately and then don’t entertain them in your mind.  See the thought as a visitor, because that is all it is, the thought is not you.  After recognizing the negative thought, replace it.  Replace it with a preset positive thought like “I’m ready now.”  Repeat it until the negative thought goes away and you get back to thinking positively again.  If you need to sing a song (in your head or out loud) that pumps you up, do that. 

Don’t roll over and surrender to the negative thought and let it roam freely in your brain.  Recognize it and replace it with your preset positive response.   This battle will most likely happen for months.  That’s why you have to start now.  You should always train your mind and never let rogue negative thoughts play in your head.  Even if you don’t believe 100% in your programmed response yet, you will after telling yourself it for months.  If you don’t believe it, act like you believe it and eventually you will.

We all know that negative thoughts don’t just magically appear during our most important competitions.  We have the same negative thoughts for months before the actual competition.  Those negative thoughts could be doubts that you can’t beat someone, fears that you might fail, or any other creative negative thought your mind can come up with.  One thing I do know for sure is that regardless of your situation, your mind will be creative enough to put pressure on yourself.

So train your mind, and start today. 

You train your mind like you train your body, with consistent hard work.   Don’t let a single negative thoughts go unresolved and without a fight.

Dustin carter is an inspiration.  I had the privilege of spending the week with him last week as we worked a camp together at Berry College in Georgia.  Research Dustin and his story, it is amazing.  As a child Dustin got a rare blood disease and it was a miracle that he even survived.  The infection did take most of his four limbs.  Dustin moved on.  He powered through many obstacles, found wrestling, and went on to reach his goal of being a state qualifier in Ohio.  Nobody but Dustin himself thought he could do it.  And he didn’t just think he would do it, he knew he would. 

Dustin gave a great speech at camp and many excellent points.  But the point that stuck out in my mind was when he told the audience that you have to “know” that you are going to reach your goal.

That is so true.  People more commonly “hope to” or “want to” reach their goal but they don’t “know” they are going to win.  If you simply “hope” to reach your goal, you will be more casual in your commitment to reaching it.  When times get tough you will be more willing to surrender that goal.  When you know you are going to reach the goal, you put more into it.  Obstacles aren’t a big deal because nothing is going to stop you.  Distractions are few.  You have a purpose and you “know” what you are going to do.

This concept is similar to the importance of making tough decisions in advance.  If you wait until a challenging time to decide how you are going to act, decisions tend to sway more with the winds of convenience and popularity.

Sam Calavitta is one of the very best teachers in the nation.  He is extremely gifted and talented but the approach and philosophy he shares can be learned and implemented through hard work.  

I have read a lot of great coaching type books, and this one is as good if not better than any.  The only books that I would even put in the same catergory would be John Wooden and Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant’s books.

I consider those two coaches as the two best in the history of sports.   Mr. Calavitta’s book was easily equally as inspiring if not more to me.  For a coach, teacher, or someone that just wants to help people be the best they can be, this book will be priceless.     

Mr. Calavitta also has a strong background in the sport of wrestling.  He runs the Eternal Warrior Wrestling Camp in Montana every summer.

http://thecalmethod.com/ie/book/book.html

You will love this book.  I will keep my copy of “Making a Difference” close by and study it often as I run through my coaching career.    

Cael

It sounds exactly like wrestling.  The more I think about it, the more I believe taking initiative in our wrestling careers, each practice and each match might be the most important thing you can do.  

Here is Wikepidia’s description of “initiative” in chess.  It is exactly what it takes to reach our greatest potential in a wrestling match as well.  Enjoy!  

Wikipedia

Initiative (chess)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Initiative in a chess position belongs to the player who can make threats that cannot be ignored. He thus puts his opponent in the position of having to use his turns responding to threats rather than making his own.^[1] A player with the initiative will often seek to maneuver his pieces into more and more advantageous position as he launches successive attacks. The player who lacks the initiative may seek to regain it through counterattack. The importance of initiative is summed up in the syllogism that initiative is necessary to attack; and attacking is necessary to win (i.e. by capturing pieces and checkmating the opposing king); therefore initiative is needed to force a win.^{[citation needed]}

Discussion

Due to moving first, White starts the game with the initiative, but it can be squandered in the opening by accepting a gambit. Players can also lose initiative by making unnecessary moves that allow the opponent to gain tempo, such as superfluous “preventive” moves intended to guard against certain actions by the opponent, that nonetheless require no specific response by them. The concept of tempo is closely tied to initiative, as players can acquire the initiative or buttress it by gaining a tempo.

The initiative is important in all phases of the game, but more important in the endgame than in the middlegame and more important in the middlegame than in the opening (Euwe & Meiden 1966 vii,xxii). Having the initiative puts the opponent on the defensive.

Grandmaster Larry Evans considers four elements of chess: pawn structure, force (material), space (controlling the center and piece mobility), and time. Time is measured in tempos. Having a time advantage is having the initiative (Evans 1958:123). The initiative should be kept as long as possible and only given up for another advantage (Capablanca & de Firmian 2006:65–66).

“Initiative, the willingness to act on one’s own judgement, is a prerequisite for boldness.”

“It is always great to go home and do a camp. I look forward to my dad’s camp every year.  This is the summer camp I grew up going to and training at.  My dad started running the camp when I was in Jr. High and it is still going strong because he works hard and provides a tremendous opportunity for wrestlers in the region.   There are always excellent wrestlers there that want to learn and train hard, so that makes it fun.  It seems like we have always had a few kids on our team that we saw at this camp and ended up recruiting.  We are always looking for kids that work hard and that will fit in well with our program.   Plus, it’s not bad to get some of my mom’s home cooking either!”    –Cael Sanderson

SANDERSON FAMILY WRESTLING CAMP  2010

Wasatch High School, Heber, Utah

Technique Camp            July 5^th – 9^th, 2010

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Always, the intent of our camps has been to give the serious wrestler, at all ages and levels, a boost in preparation for the major summer tournaments and for the following winter.    The technique camp will provide you with a balance of drilling and outstanding instruction during each session.  It will be a unique learning experience.  The sessions are designed with the intention of working on all phases of wrestling.  

Featured Clinician:       Cael Sanderson

2004 Olympic Champion, 4X NCAA Champion, undefeated in NCAA  career(159-0)

OTHER CLINICIANS:

CODY SANDERSON :   2X NCAA finalist at Iowa State.  As a prep wrestler, Cody won 4 state titles and was a 3X Asics All-American.  Cody also is in a very rare group of wrestlers who earned recognition as an 8X Junior All-American in the Junior National Championships.  

CYLER SANDERSON:   2X NCAA All-American, won titles in both the Big 10 and Big 12 Conferences.  High School National Champion, Asics High School First Team, Junior National Freestyle Champion.

TROY LETTERS:  NCAA Champion for the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh University, 3X All-American, Assistant Coach at Penn State   

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Policies and Procedures:    Wrestlers will be required to attend all activities and comply with all camp rules and regulations.  We will provide approximately one counselor per 15 wrestlers.  We accept all ages.

Meals and Lodging:   All meals and lodging will be the responsibility of the camper, thus, the commuter camp.   A list of motels can be made available upon request. 

Registration:   Each applicant must complete the appropriate registration form on the back.  You will receive additional camp information after the application has been processed.  Camp costs will include the following:

• 10 Technique sessions with world-class clinicians
• Certified trainers at each session
• Camp T-shirt
• Camp store

 Registration costs are as follows:

          Technique Commuters

• On site Registration:     $250.00

Direct your questions to: 

                      email:   steve.sanderson@wasatch.edu

                      Phone numbers:  home: (435) 654-1354   work: (435) 654-0640 ex 3709  

                      cell: (801)319-9703

Heath Insurance:   The parent/guardian’s personal or injury insurance policy will be utilized as the primary insurance for the treatment of injuries and hospitalization or illness or injuries incurred during the sports camp.   A secondary insurance coverage is provided, the cost is included within the registration cost.  A certified trainer will be on hand at all times. 

What to bring:   Each wrestler is responsible to bring their own wrestling equipment. 

Sample Schedule for technique sessions:

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.    Morning Technique Session

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.    Lunch break and video

1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.      Afternoon Technique Session, Drill and scrimmage

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’10 REGISTRATION FORM

WRESTLER:_____________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS:______________________________________________________________________

CITY:_____________________________________STATE:________________ZIP:____________ 

PARENT / GUARDIAN NAME: ___________________________________________________ 

PHONE NUMBER:_______________________________ 

T SHIRT SIZE:___________________

SCHOOL ATTENDING / TEAM AFFILIATION:____________________________________________

UPCOMING GRADE IN SCHOOL:____________     WEIGHT:_____________________

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