Chosen Suffering: Wisdom from Coach Tom Ryan

I can remember about halfway through my first high school wrestling practice that I felt like I'd made a huge mistake in joining the team. I was pretty sure I was going to die.

I remember every detail. The stifling, stuffy heat of the padded wrestling room. I remember gasping for air as the coaches made us drill and wrestle and sprint...this was just supposed to be the first practice of the year, and Coach Josh Holden was already trying to kill us. I was so soaked with sweat, it felt like I fell into a swimming pool with all of my clothes on. I was exhausted. Spent. One thought was repeating on a loop through my head like a broken record:

What on earth am I doing here? What on earth am I doing here? What on earth am I doing here?

Who would voluntarily put themselves through such torture?!

Well, according to Ohio State's head wrestling coach Tom Ryan.... winners. Winners choose to suffer.

Chosen suffering belongs to those few elite in the world who strive to succeed because they know that true victory comes at a price. They choose to accept the pain and hardship in the short run because they know the road to success is not smoothly paved.

In Ryan's book, (link attached), he lays this fundamental concept out cleanly.

"Real champions aren't born--they're built. It's true in life, business, athletics, and faith."

See, it's lonely at the top of the food chain in the world of wrestling or any athletic endeavor. Lots of people want to be the best, but not everybody wants to do what it takes to become the best. And that's the reality in life, not just sports. It's reality when it comes to achieving excellence in school, in writing, in anything you set your mind to. I was never a top of the line elite athlete when I was in high school, but now as a wrestling coach, I plan to pass these principles onto my kids so that they can realize their full potential.

As some of you know, I have another book in the works that I plan to publish by September 2023. In it, my main character has to come to accept the meaning of chosen suffering in the world of wrestling and in life. Stay tuned for publishing updates on Evan Myers Books.

Go read Coach Ryan's book. It's an inspiring story.

O