Greatness and Effort

Greatness and Effort | Blog post by Joey Oddessa

As the NCAA wrestling Championships head into the semi-finals tonight on ESPN in Missouri, Ohio State (Twitter @Wrestlingbucks ) looks to be in a good position to win a team title.

As I watch the matches I’m reminded of my shortcomings in my youth on and off the mat. I’ve also come to conclusions over the years that titles, accomplishments, and labels are everywhere in society whether deserved or not, including greatness.

With greatness comes effort. 100% effort because one can’t give more of themselves than 100% of what they are mentally or physically capable of doing. This 2015 tournament defines effort at levels I have not seen in a while in any sport. Maybe one of the greatest tournaments in my 45 years. Upsets and effort. I don’t know if Ohio State will win the title as of the writing of this blog. And I may be biased because I was on the 1987 NYS Junior National Team with their Coach, Tom Ryan (Twitter @Buckeye158). Back then an emotionally immature me saw something different in him. And the team was full of stars and future NCAA Champions and Olympic alternates. Tom didn’t turn out to be either. But not by lack of effort.

Now 25 years later I am watching a coach who never won a NYS Wrestling Championship leading his team to what looks like a possible NCAA championship. Coach Ryan doesn’t and never did settle for average or just good. He would humbly turn a cheek to the label of being great. What I see in him defines greatness. He may not be a Gable, Sanderson, Helickson and 100’s that came before him but as I define what I feel is achieving greatness through effort Tom may surpass them all. He took the tools God handed him and turned them into greatness through effort and always giving 100%.

The wrestlers under him are examples of how contagious effort and greatness may be. Biased maybe, but I’m never in doubt. Regardless of how this tournament turns out, Coach Tom Ryan will always be one I refererence and think of when I think greatness. Something special. A leader, a role model and an example if there ever was one of a man who visions where he wants to be and gives his 100%. A person who I’d want my son to admire.

Greatness and Effort | Blog post by Joey Oddessa

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