"American Spirit" defined by John Smith

      Coach John Smith has been at the top of his trade ever since he was an athlete. He has seen success as a collegiate wrestler, international wrestler, collegiate coach, and international coach. It's no surprise that one of his wrestlers he coached through college and beyond is in the line up to represent Team USA in the London Olympics this summer. 

Coach John Smith

          I ran across a recent interview with John Smith, talking about his thoughts leading up to the Olympics and past experiences as a competitor and coach. Here's his philosophy, "just take nothing for granted. Every day, you don't assume that you're going to win the Olympics. You earn it." Nothing these competitors achieve will be as a result of luck or chance. Each victory is the result of a determined attitude and disciplined training schedule to get to the top. The last few responses were probably the most insightful. 
Q: You mentioned Team USA needing to have an American spirit about it earlier. What did you mean by that?
A: There's just something about the U.S. - we're tough people. Our athletes are tough. The people on the Olympic team are tough-minded people. They're solid and they live by their sport. They live a lifestyle of winning. They push adversity away and go through it. Most of them are living on peanuts but they're following their dream. For that reason it brings out a spirit in them during the Olympics that I've watched for a lot of years. I've watched it as an athlete, I've watched guys on my wrestling team that I thought had no chance at medaling beat people where you thought it was a miracle. I've watched other sports at the Olympics and seen teams and individuals perform completely over their head. America has a history of doing that. I think we have great pride and in that pride, it allows us to have our very best performance because you're not just competing for yourself - you're competing for your country and I think that's the difference. Our athletes believe that they're winning this gold medal for America. And they really are.
Q: Can you take a step back and enjoy this Olympic experience or is it becoming part of your routine?A: I've had the opportunity to be part of six Olympics. In 1996, I wasn't a coach, but I had the opportunity of being recognized as one of the 100 Greatest Olympians. It's such a privilege. I just get fired up about the Olympics. I get fired up more now than I ever have because I have an appreciation for what all these athletes have gone through. They have that spirit, they have that drive, they have that discipline. That's why I love it. I love it because you know there's somebody in archery who wakes up every day at 6 a.m. and shoots for four hours, then takes a break to rest and comes back and shoots four more hours. They do that probably 320 days out of the year because they have a dream. They have a goal. It's not about money or personal gains. It's about the medal. It's about being part of the biggest event in sports. For the public when they're watching these athletes, I wish they all can see their past three, four, five years of sacrifices and adversity they experienced because they'd all fall in love with them.
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Eliot Kelly

916-595-4064

EDH Grappling and Wrestling

"John Smith and the American Spirit."