The Emery High wrestling team will be coached by Ryan Rainey in his first year with the program. He will be assited by Jaden Bagley, Bevan Collard and Matt Mecham. 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. Some notable athletes this year will be Dixon Peacock, Tavin Allen, Damon Farley and Boden Christman.
“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.
“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,” Rainey continued. “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.”
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 five 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.”