Where is the Fire?
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When I was talking to a client the other day he mentioned how coaches (of any sport) tend to "pee on the fire closest to their feet." Besides the fact that this is a funny analogy, its true. The problem is there is a forest fire raging up in front of us in wrestling land.
As coaches we tend to plan practice, prepare for the upcoming trip, tie up loose ends from the last trip, order gear, watch Flo Wrestling, or scout next weeks opponent. If we ever actually had the chance to put out all of those isolated fires at our feet (we won't) we would look up and see the forest fire. Duquesne University wrestling just looked up and saw it. Their house is on fire today. Without help from the fire fighters, smoke jumpers, and aerial firefighting helicopters (alumni, student-body, wrestling community, fans, NWCA, etc...) its too late.
When you look up what do you see? Budget cuts? Title IX? Indifferent administrators? It may not be too late to cut a fire road. Your strength to fight will come from a strong community of people and businesses and student body and alumni around your program. They are out there but they're far from the heat and the smoke. They have lives they are living with jobs and bills and families and meetings taking up their attention. And when they have free time they turn on TV or go on Facebook or check their email or read the sports page or send a text message.
That is precisely where you need to be. To tell them about your goals. To tell them about your athletes. To tell them about your successes. And to tell them about the forest fire. Do it now before your house catches fire.
