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AMERICAN WRESTLING THE PROGRAM Character Matters
Teague Moore Lianna Bright Shannon Scovel
INTRODUCTION The American University wrestling program has had a tremendous decade of success on the mat and in the classroom. Our first NCAA Champion, 17 All-Americans, and 34 Academic All-American honors top the list of accomplishments. However, these are merely a few of the outstanding accomplishments AU wrestlers have earned over our program’s long and illustrious history. Conference Champions, Wrestlers of the Year, and statistical leaders have made a significant mark on the program, and our tradition of academic success transcends generations of AU wrestlers. AU has graduated an NCAA Elite 89 Award Winner and twice
earned the top male team GPA in NCAA Division 1 Wrestling. Our program strives to bring scholar-athletes to our campus and foster them in a challenging and enriching environment in order to maximize their athletic and academic potential. Just as the NCAA Championship podium is a measurable benchmark of athletic success, academic honors, both at the national and conference level, serve a measurable benchmark for our academic endeavors. We seek to create a whole athlete that is hard working, committed, and well balanced so that when our wrestlers leave campus for their professional careers, they can utilize the tools
established and reinforced through the sport of wrestling. Character forged through competition is the AU athletics motto. AU Wrestling strives to support this through a lifestyle committed to excellence. This is a journey for AU Wrestling, not a destination. The lessons and experiences that will assist a person throughout a lifetime can be forged in a matter of years at American University. Teague Moore Head Coach
American Wrestling: The Program
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CONTENTS 6
Mission Statement
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Core Characteristics
10 Objectives 19 Program Goals
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The Mission
The Vision
The American University wrestling program strives to maximize the potential of its student-athletes in their athletic, academic, and social pursuits. Success of our athletes is not merely measured by their accolades on the wrestling mat but by their actions and character in all aspects of life. The fundamental characteristics of an American University wrestler are meant to complement the mission of AU Athletics and The University’s educational mission while enhancing the athletic experience that will help guide them well beyond their time on the wrestling mat.
American University wrestling will be recognized locally, nationally, and globally by the athletic accolades, academic honors, and a lifetime of leadership and service lived by those who participated in this program.
American Wrestling: The Program
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Core Characteristics The character of an American University wrestler matters in all that he does. His character is displayed on the mat, in the classroom, and in the community. An American University wrestler approaches his life with a mission--a mission to respect all those with whom he interacts, to showcase honesty and integrity, and remain committed to his goals. The AU wrestler
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selflessly gives of himself, approaches challenges with confidence, and recognizes the importance of maintaining his health on his path to success. We hold these attributes in high regard and expect them from all who represent this program.
Committed
Passionate
Selfless
Confident
Remaining committed to attaining measurable goals, such as championship titles or academic honors, takes time, effort, and energy. Commitment to one’s goals and dreams will transcend the sport of wrestling and help a wrestler throughout his life. Nothing worth attaining, in life or in wrestling, will come easy.
An AU wrestler understands that he is a part of something bigger than himself. This program is not one wrestler, and success is not possible without the support of a team. An AU wrestler challenges his teammates to be better competitors and better people. He is a good teammate and a good friend.
To be passionate is to care about the process and the goal when no one is looking. An AU wrestler invests himself in a worthy cause--being a champion on the mat, achieving success in the classroom, and being a good person in the process. He seeks to succeed when others might give up or look for a way out.
The AU wrestler believes in himself and the system that is AU wrestling. He strives to grow faith in himself and in those around him. To be confident is to be prepared and assured that the wrestler will succeed when his moment comes.
Healthy
Honest
Respectful
The body, the mind, and the spirit all contribute to a wrestlers' health; to focus on one and ignore the others is an act of futility. By maintaining his health, an AU wrestler is able to help those around him, which creates the best possible environment for AU wrestling.
An AU wrestler knows that being true to himself and those around him allows him to become the best that he can be. The members of this program are not afraid to acknowledge their shortcomings and take responsibility. The is a champion’s approach to life reinforced through the AU wrestling program that allows every individual to strive for their best.
An AU wrestler is able to achieve his best because of the positive interactions with those around him. He is respectful of his teammates, coaches, administration, and opponents during preparation and competition. This makes the AU wrestler the best he can be.
Objectives Achieve Excellence in Academics Maximize Individual Potential Be Humble, Confident, & Humble Embrace the Underdog Love the Competitive Experience Foster an Interdependent Community Advance the Program
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Achieve Excellence in Academics Core Characteristics: Committed, Passionate, Respectful The AU wrestler is committed to maximizing his opportunity while growing as an athlete. His success is measured by his GPA and the academic and extracurricular oppurtunities he pursues while on campus. He recognizes that every class is essential in this mission and he is passionate about his studies. The AU wrestling program has twice earned the top GPA in college wrestling. The program has earned one of the Top 7 wrestling team GPA’s in the country for the last ten years and 34 Academic All-Americans have graduated from AU wrestling. In the inaugural season of EIWA awards AU had the most honorees, 5 out of the 10 starting wrestlers, more than any other school in the EWIA. Nine AU wrestlers have been named the AU Scholar Athlete of the year and in 2016 the program had the highest men's team GPA in AU athletic department. The American wrestler respects this tradition of academic excellence and does his part to continue the legacy.
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Maximize Individual Potential Core Characteristics: Confident, Healthy, Committed An AU wrestler establishes three long-term goals when he first enters the program. These goals are athletic, academic, and social in nature. He commits himself to attaining these goals over the course of his athletic career at American. Wrestling goals are supported through competition, technical knowledge, and mastery of the sport. Long-term academic goals are supported through program goals both nationally, within the EIWA Conference, and thorough the athletic department. Socially, the wrestlers are committed to representing AU wrestling through positive actions and lifestyles. The ‘no drinking, no drugs’ lifestyle of an AU wrestler allows him to focus his energies, minimize his distractions, and live a healthy lifestyle. Every AU athlete in this program values the positive lifestyle that can be learned through the sport of wrestling and fostered throughout the remainder of their life. The AU wrestler is confident is his ability to attain these goals even in the most challenging of moments.
American Wrestling: The Program
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Be Humble, Confident, & Humble Core Characteristics: Honest, Confident, Respectful An AU wrestler is humble in preparation, confident in competition, and humble in reflection. He is willing to listen and learn new strategies and techniques while giving 100% effort in practice. He is confident that the training he undergoes with his teammates and the instruction he receives from his coaches is all he needs to achieve victory. Therefore, AU wrestlers enter every competition with a belief that they can win. Following competition, AU wrestlers honestly reflect on their efforts and their teammates respectfully critic and support positive changes for future results. Lastly, remaining grateful by words and actions after reaching goals exudes what the AU wrestler is all about.
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Embrace the Underdog Core Characteristics: Committed, Passionate, Confident AU wrestlers are confident that the program's “ER� Philosophy, Extra Rep - BiggER, StrongER, FastER, and SmartER, will transform them from underdogs to champions. The extra effort accumulates after years of additional practice, longer runs, and working harder when no one is watching. An underdog is willing to do more to find success and AU wrestlers are committed to this underdog mentality. Because of their unwavering passion for the sport, AU wrestlers are able to maximize their time, grow their desire, and build on past success. The AU underdog will never stop fighting, never give in, and never walk away until the task is accomplished.
American Wrestling: The Program
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Love the Competitive Experience Core Characteristics: Committed, Passionate, Honest AU wrestlers value the opportunity to wrestle. Passion drives them to give 100% whenever they step on the mat. An AU wrestler competes not because he has to, but because he wants to. To wrestle is not a chore, its a privilege. AU wrestlers understand that in order to truly embrace the competitive experience, they need to be committed to excellence not only in the arena, but also in the practice room. AU wrestlers are good teammates, motivators, and honest critics. The work put in during practice is reflected in the arena, where AU wrestlers earn the accolades of victory. Preparation without competition does not allow the program to measure its efforts. The results of the group’s efforts therefore must be measured through competition. To embrace this experience allows an athlete to become a competitor and a competitor to become a warrior.
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Foster an Interdependent Community Core Characteristics: Selfless, Respectful, Honest The AU wrestling program becomes better not by one individual but the individuals that make us one. Team members must learn to rely on one another for support in the most challenging times. Teammates are the people who will prepare you for battle and pick you up when you have fallen down. AU wrestlers selflessly give of themselves at every opportunity: in study hall, in practice, and during competition. They know that the best way to prepare their teammates is to be honest--to identify their shortcomings and work tirelessly to overcome them. The AU wrestler understands that this community rose from the long legacy of AU wrestling. He respects this legacy and seeks to build on it. Just as the teammates of today support one another, the athletes of our past help our athletes with tangible opportunities like internships and jobs for tomorrow. A network of successful individuals build a better tomorrow today by supporting other American University wrestlers.
American Wrestling: The Program
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Advance the Program Core Characteristics: Committed, Passionate, Respectful When one enters the AU program, he brings an ability to make it better. The passion for the program shared by current athletes, the coaching and support staff, alumni, and fans drives the program towards advancement. Our network is athletically, academically, and socially strong. Respect for the legacy is evident, even in the menial tasks of facilities maintenance. AU wrestlers understand that they represent the program on and off the mat: in the classroom, in the university community, and in the global community. Everyone has a place and time that they will shine bright as an AU Wrestler. It could be winning an NCAA title, earning an All-American Academic Honor, or simply remaining committed to the program post-graduation as a lifelong donor and fan. Everyone has the opportunity to have a significant impact on the program and expand the legacy.
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Program Goals The AU wrestling program has three foundational program goals. We strive to win NCAA Championships, EIWA Championships, and earn Academic All-American status. These foundational goals are either all, or partially attainable by every individual on the team. To achieve one or all of these foundational goals is to have spent your time well as part of American University’s wrestling program.
NCAA Championships Earning the national title at the Division I NCAA Championships is the pinnacle of collegiate sports. Individually you are recognized as the best in your weight throughout the country. Winning an NCAA Team title takes a total team effort with athletes accumulating points in every bout that combines to earn the title as the best team in the NCAA.
EIWA Champions Our conference is the oldest competed conference in the country beginning in 1905. Winning this title earns a place in wrestling history and ensures an athletes chance to represent AU at the NCAA Championships.
Academic All-Americans Any athlete that earns a 3.25 GPA and either competes at the NCAA Championships or wins 60% of the team schedule can earn this illustrious honor. If an athlete earns All-American status at the NCAA's that must have a 3.00 GPA. Our academic performance is just as important as our athletic performance.
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