Episode 237: How to Be A Successful Wrestler With Empire Wrestling Academy Owner John Degl
How to Be A Successful Wrestler With Empire Wrestling Academy Owner John DeglWelcome back to the Fitness, Wellness, and Longevity Podcast! In today's episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with owner and head coach of Empire Wrestling Academy John Degl. John is a New York State High School wrestling champion and in 1992 John packed up his things and drove from Mahopac, New York to the famed University of Iowa intent on pursing his academic and athletic career. With grit and determination, John made the team for Coach Dan Gable went on to qualify for and wrestle at the NCAA Championships for the Hawkeyes, and participate in four National Championship teams. He has coached multiple state champions and All-Americans and has a wealth of knowledge on what it takes to be a champion in one of the most grueling sports.In today's podcast, we cover:0:00 The Lock Down2:30 Pivoting After Lock Down7:30 Being an Aging Athlete9:30 Shaping his business after NCAA13:00 The risks of travel in 202123:00 The difficulties of laying off employees24:15 The strength of the wrestling community26:30 John's wrestling career32:00 How John went from not being allowed to wrestle to becoming a state champion35:00 The freedom of being broken37:00 The wrestling camp experience38:00 There is no excuse to miss practice43:20 You Don't Need Permission to Succeed44:30 Work and Sacrifice= success45:00 If you to be exceptional, you have to be obsessed47:00 Long Island Wrestling51:00 Making the best of what you have53:00 Better, Worse, and Equal in the wrestling room54:30 Peaking 55:30 Getting destroyed by Kurt Angle58:30 Coach Dan Gable60:01 Once you have been broken60:03 Leaning about coaching60:06 Changing mentalities to gain success60:08 Trusting the people who love you60:19 Trust someone else until you have enough info60:10 Parents as mentors?60:12 Eliminating winning as the goal60:13 Improving as the goal
