Ryan Rainey is the new head coach of the Emery High School wrestling team. He grew up in a small town called Mud Lake, Idaho, where he was the oldest of seven children. Growing up, he played as many sports as he could, with his main sports being football, wrestling and baseball. He also played basketball throughout elementary and middle school, as well as training in cross country during football season for added cardio.
“I attended West Jefferson High School for all 4 years of high school, but toward the latter part of my senior year, I transferred to Central High School and graduated early to join the Marine Corps,” said Rainey.
He continued, “My wife and I have two children, ages two and three, and one more due in late October/early November. There’s nothing I’d rather do than spend time with my wife and kiddos. Being a dad is the greatest job in the world! A few of the things they currently enjoy doing are: going to the zoo or aquarium, going to the Museum of Natural History (with all the dinosaurs), chasing the dogs or any animal (sheep, chickens, ducks, etc), playing chase, and wrestling with me.”
Rainey was then asked about he started his coaching endeavors. “I started volunteer coaching after returning from a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 2015. I volunteered as much time as I could from 2015 to 2018 for high school, middle school, and youth wrestling in Idaho, while working on a farm and balancing my obligations to the Marine Reserves. I also helped coach jr. high football during my time there. After moving to Orangeville in 2018, I helped with the Emery High School wrestling team and coached at Canyon View Middle School and San Rafael Middle School.”
Coach Rainey says he mirrors the philosophy from his former rugby coach at Highland, Larry Gelwix. “He was my mission president in Fresno, CA and I was captivated by his coaching/leading style and philosophy. I have never in my life felt more motivated or inspired than I did while serving with him. I strive to teach the same principles I learned from him. This philosophy can be summarized into what he called the ‘5 Championship Strategies for Sustainable Success’. They are Horizontal Leadership, don’t Play with Snakes, hit the Field (or mat) running, expect to W.I.N. and focus on the final score.”
He continued, “Promoting a positive environment really comes down to the first and last championship strategies, Horizontal Leadership and Focus on the Final Score. Neither I, my coaching staff, nor anyone else on the team should see themselves as somehow greater than anyone else on the team. We’re a family and the only things that separate us from each other are our responsibilities. I do not believe in negative motivation. We focus on multiplying rather than diminishing. The only way to get the most that you can out of each and every athlete is to believe in them, help them see the big picture and help them believe in something bigger than themselves.”
Coach Rainey then stated, “You read in history and hear stories of people who have done extraordinary things, soldiers who have thrown themselves on grenades for others, people who have made incredible sacrifices and ultimately gave everything they had for someone or something. Why? It’s because they believed in something bigger than themselves. Now, you can terrorize athletes by yelling, screaming, swearing and berating them, and yeah, you can probably get a short-term behavior change. But, you will never capture their heart that way. They’ll never throw themselves on a grenade for you. When the chips are down, they won’t be there for you.”
He plans to motivate and inspire each athlete by helping them find their passion for the sport and helping them see beyond medals and championships. Teaching the athletes “what” they become is far less important than “who“ they become.
“My main focus this year is to help the team adopt a united and winning culture. A culture that motivates and inspires each athlete to give their honest best attitude and effort in all aspects of life, not just on the mat. A culture with a laser-like focus on moving from good to great. A culture where we all know what the final score will be and what we must do to obtain it,” said Rainey.
He then spoke about the morals and values he will teach his team, “The morals and values that will be embraced by the team are contained in the 5 championship strategies. One of the primary questions that I want each and every athlete to ask themselves regularly is, ‘What do I do when no one will know what I do?’ I believe the answer to this question ultimately defines who we are and the direction we are going. I believe each athlete will have to work on consistently giving their honest best attitude and effort day in and day out. Over the few years that I have coached, I have noticed many athletes are satisfied with getting by with their natural talent and abilities. I believe the biggest obstacle to greatness is goodness, and it takes a lot of humility and discipline to overcome that obstacle. There are a lot of really good athletes and good young men on the Emery Wrestling Team, and I hope to help them do what it takes to move past good to great.”