Motivation and practice

“I mean listen, we’re sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we’re talking about practice…I know it’s important, I honestly do, but we’re talking about practice. We’re talking about practice, man. We’re talking about practice. We’re talking about practice. We’re not talking about the game. We’re talking about -- practice.”

 

Of course that was former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson giving his feelings about missing practice. While he made it clear how he felt about practice on the court, Ryan Adams exhibits a whole ‘nother mindset about the importance of practice on the mat. Now that NDSU wrestling is facing some of the best squads in the nation, it’s important for the new guys in town to find an advantage. That advantage comes from practice. “We’re always on guys; we’re pushing the pace,” Adams said. “When they’re getting tired, we’re still going and taking them all the way. We wrestled Oregon State and Nebraska — top 20 teams — and we’re pushing them.”

 

But who’s pushing the Bison? Well, besides the immortal Bucky Maughan and the team’s two assistant coaches, it’s Ryan Adams. He’s a second-year captain and the only senior on the team. With last year’s young team, he saw his role as more of a leadership position but now that most of the guys have “been there before,” Adams has shifted to being the motivator. “I try to lead by example rather than barking orders,” Adams said. “I focus on the pace of the match and I try to push the pace. I want guys to watch that and emulate that when they wrestle.” With that outlook, Adams has met with success. The two-time NCAA qualifier has notched numerous big wins over top-ranked opponents, but let’s go back to how his career at NDSU got started.

 

Up and coming

“I didn’t know much about the recruiting process,” Adams confessed about when head coach Bucky Maughan contacted the star of Coon Rapids High School. Maughan explained NDSU’s transition to Division I and how Adams’ redshirt freshman year would be the first year of eligibility. Besides the draw of playing at the highest collegiate level, Adams also cited NDSU’s decorated wrestling past. “I wanted to help carry on the tradition of great wrestling,” Adams said, “and get us to the level we were at in Division II.”

 

Adams noted that the Bison initially struggled to keep up with the pace and intensity of Division I wrestling but the coaching staff and wrestlers have and continue to develop the mental and physical wherewithal to compete with the elite teams across the country. “We started out slow but we’re catching up,” Adams said. “As the years go on, we just keep getting better.” But improvement doesn’t just happen. The Bison have made changes in personnel, style and mindset in order to compete with top teams. “I’ve got to give a shout out to our new coach,” Adams said. “He’s been a big asset to us and he knows what it means to be successful.” Roger Kish is the new assistant coach and Adams said their styles of wrestling fit together quite well. “It’s a more aggressive style,” Adams said. “I used to wrestle open and passively, but now I can take it to my opponent and keep the pace up.” Adams also alluded to another form of motivation besides the coaches and his personal aspirations — one that stares him in the face every time he goes to work out or practice. “The gauntlet has been thrown down. Other sports (at NDSU) have been successful and we need to answer the call,” Adams said. “To be surrounded by athletes who excel at what they do, to have that aura of hard work really keeps you focused.”

 

Perspective

What fuels a guy like Adams to push himself and his teammates to the max in meets, duals and, of course, in practice? Well, it’s a combination of things, the first of which is the sport itself. You can feel his passion for it as he describes his favorite aspect of wrestling. “When you get in those big matches, those really tough matches, you’re both battling hard and no one wants to give in,” Adams said. “You know in the back of your mind you’re going to win. You’ve worked hard. Whether he gives it to you or you have to take it, you know you’re going to get it one way or another.”

 

That kind of intensity leaves no wonder why Adams is successful. But there’s another reason why he goes hard day in and day out. “I’d like to be an All-American,” Adams said. “I came to NDSU thinking I could be a two- or three-time All-American by my senior year but I haven’t gotten it yet. That’s probably my biggest disappointment so far.” But that empty space on his wall of achievements has only spurred Adams to work harder in his final year of eligibility.

 

One might not expect this intense motivator to be the laid back, thoughtful and funny guy he is off the mat. In his free time, Adams likes to head outdoors. Backpacking and ice fishing are two of his favorite activities when he has the chance. He also likes to spend time with his fiancé. They plan to get married in the summer of 2011. To cap off his motivational ways he had one piece of advice to share with the masses: “Find what you enjoy doing and do it to the best of your ability. Go all out, give all you have and live life.”