Joey Dance, get rid of singlets, having an open mind, rice krispie treats & mountain dew, and more...

Hi 👋

Welcome to Week #54 of the Wrestling Snacks Newsletter.

I hope everyone is doing well. The leaves are starting to drop, and the smell of college wrestling is in the air. Middle school season has started here in Idaho, with high school season right around the corner.

Most of the NCAA D1 wrestling schedules have been posted. I’m just waiting for a few more to drop, then I’ll link to all of them according to conference.

Before we dive into today’s newsletter, I wanted to share one of my favorite moments from my conversation with Joey Dance, who is this week’s Wrestling Snacks. It doesn’t fit into the tips I have below, but it was such a great story that I think it needs to be shared. Below is an excerpt from our conversation where Joey was reflecting on the end of his college career, his senior year at NCAA’s in the blood round. If he wins the match, he’s an All-American. If he loses, he goes home empty-handed. I just think his reflection and thought process in that moment is so powerful:

"One of the bigger moments for me, and I feel it was a pivotal moment maturity-wise, was my senior year at the NCAA Championships. I got upset in the NCAA quarterfinals by Jack Mueller from UVA. That’s a guy I had majored earlier in the year, but he got me there. He's a great competitor. I’ve gotten to know Jack and he's a good man...

Fast forward to later in the tournament, my next match was against a guy named Tim Lambert, a 125-pounder from Nebraska. I believe he was a multiple-time blood round guy, and so he never got on the podium. I remember reflecting before that match, and I’ve told a lot of our guys this story. I didn’t warm up for the match at all. I just kind of sat on the side. Obviously, I was stretching out, but I started reflecting. I thought, "You know what? If I don’t get on the podium today, at least it’d be to a guy like this who’s been there every single year and never got the opportunity to get on the podium."

I had that moment of self-reflection, realizing that wrestling isn’t everything. That’s when I was able to take a step back and really appreciate it, just being grateful for everything I’ve been through."

Let’s GO 💪

News Bites

• 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist Rei Higuchi has arrived for a visit to the United States. Speculation suggests he’s here to visit college programs, as he has expressed interest in Folkstyle wrestling over the past few months. But he’s 28 🤷‍♂️

• Campbell administration announces they will cut wrestling scholarships from 9 to 3 starting next year.

• The Campbell Funding Situation

• Russia vs Iran dual meet set for November 23rd

• 2024 Super 32 Wrestling Results And Brackets

• World Medalist Keanu Dillard Commits To Lehigh

• 2024 U23 World Championship Schedule

• Hall of Fame Distinguished member and legendary coach Bucky Maughan passes away

• Iowa PBS welcomes back coverage of College Wrestling, showcasing five small college duals

• Big Ten Network Announces 2024-25 Big Ten Wrestling Broadcast Schedule

Snacks

This week's Snacks come from Joey Dance: 4X NCAA National Qualifier, 3X ACC Champion, ACC Freshman of the year (2014), and 2X NCAA All-American at Virginia Tech. He’s currently an Assistant Coach at American University.

Below are some excerpts from our conversation, along with key takeaways and tips that can be applied to improve yourself as a Coach, Athlete, or wrestling Parent.