Chris Owens. One of the many coaches that I've had throughout my life, and one I will never forget. I met "Coach O" when I was fifteen and he became an instant hero. Like me he was from Idaho, and loved to hunt and fish. He was the first four-time, undefeated state champion in wrestling. He then went on to Oklahoma State University and became a National Finalist and All-American. His career was cut short by injury and illness, never to capture his goal of a national championship. I truly believe this hardship formed him into the self-less, energetic, and unbelievably knowledgeable coach that he is. Coach O told me once, "I get more enjoyment helping other people reach their goals than I ever got from accomplishing my own." The first thing you should know after this statement is how extremely dedicated he was to his own goals, his record speaks for itself. I not only look up to him as an athlete, but as a person. I am overwhelmed thinking about how much time and energy that he put into me, I can hardly imagine when it comes to all the kids he has coached throughout the years. It is hard not to compare my self to him when I think about my own coaching career. I always think back to the way he handled things, and continue to draw on his experience for advice. One of my goals as a coach is to try and have a positive influence on every kid that I come into contact with. I believe it is the most important thing I can try to do. I feel that there is too much pressure from our world to be winners no matter the cost. Luckily I was never brought up by parents, or coaches like this. I would like to personally like to thank everyone of them for that. Life is all about relationships, and respect (or lack thereof). Coach O was a positive influence in my life, not just in wrestling. He helped me when I was having a tough time dealing with problems in my family. We hunted and fished together, and was always reachable no matter what. I will never forget my last collegiate tournament, NCAA's my senior year. I lost in the quarter finals and came back to the round of twelve. Only the top eight of the tournament reached All-American. I lost a close match to the eventual third place finisher, someone I had beaten earlier that year. I truly felt that I wrestled as hard as I could have, so I shook his hand and walked off the mat with my head held high. Coach O and Coach Randall followed me down the empty tunnel beneath the stands. When the magnitude of the situation finally hit me, I crumbled. I broke down and started crying. A goal that I had spent years training for and thinking about daily, had barely escaped my grasp. It was over. No team to help carry the weight of the fall, it was up to me and I had failed. No one said a word. Coach O cried with me, and embraced me. Coach Randall stood by my side. All three of us in silence, fully understanding the moment. I will never forget the way that felt. I knew when my heart broke theirs did too. I truly understood how much they cared about me, and I still get emotional thinking back. I know for a fact that this moment changed my whole experience, because a lot of coaches would not have done as they did. Athletics shaped my life, especially wrestling. I would not be the same person had I come into contact with all those I've met through the sport. Especially Coach O. I hope I can have a positive impact on my wrestlers lives like he has had on mine.
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