Osterman already starting to feel like a SPARTAN
This blog was written and submitted by Michigan State University true freshman Dan Osterman. Osterman will be wrestling 133lbs for the Spartans and was a 3x Michigan High School State Champion as well as Double Junior All-American last year in Fargo, placing 5th in both styles.
9/16/2009
SPARTANS, WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION? HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH!
Welcome to East Lansing, home of the Michigan State
Spartans. I am entering my third official week of school and I
have already had to endure many new challenges including
life in the dorms, classes, and workouts.
The first week of school was somewhat boring with meetings
almost everyday, but once we started open rooms I realized
I had begun a new chapter of my life. I went from high school
being one of the better guys in the practice room, to being
low man on the totem pole. I am even lucky enough to get
beat on day in and day out by guys like Coach (Chris)
Williams, Coach (Roger) Chandler, Franklin Gomez, and
David Cheza. Even though I'm not yet dominating in the
wrestling room, I need to stay positive and keep pushing
myself harder and harder, past my breaking point, so that I
can reach my goal of becoming a national champion.
Since coming to Michigan State, I have learned that I need to
focus on the small details in order to take my abilities to the
next level. Coach Williams recently told me, "The level of
competition is now higher, and everyone you wrestle is going
to be good, so for you to be able to compete with them you
have to come to practice everyday with the right attitude and
focus on just one thing at a time." I've learned that you have
to set everything up and you can't take lazy shots from the
open position, because it simply won't work at the collegiate level. I have also learned how to properly drill by giving my partner the right looks with a little resistance, not just falling over, and taking my time to get back up when my partner takes a shot. In order to become a great collegiate wrestler, I have to make the most out of every practice.
We recently started pre-season workouts which have been tests of pride and mental toughness. Pre-season workouts consist of lifting, running, soccer, and stadium runs. My team is currently 2-1 in soccer mostly because I am an All-State soccer player. Who am I kidding? I'm actually not good at all, I am the guy who runs around trying to make it look like I know what I'm doing, but in reality I have no idea. The workouts are physically demanding and if you don't have the right mindset going in, then you're simply not going to make it through the whole workout.
One of the biggest differences between high school and college is that everyone is there to get better. All of the guys on the team want to be great and everybody pushes each other further than they have ever been pushed. This really helps me get better and in condition more quickly because I want to be in the front when we do our runs and the guys who are at the front of the pack are fast, so it makes me work harder. Some advice for kids who are looking to wrestle at the collegiate level is that you should always be excited about working out; if you go into a workout not wanting to be there then it will not only hurt you, but also your partner. I realize that some days can be a drag and you don't want to practice, but go put in a few hours of hard work and I promise you that the end result will be rewarding.
The college life can be crazy if you don't manage your time. People, mainly non-athletes, often ask me to go hang out at late hours of the night, but I know that if I want to be successful I have to stay on top of my grades, practice hard, and get rest. No one can function properly if they are staying out till 3 AM and getting up at 8 for classes, especially when you have practice or conditioning later in the afternoon. One of the hardest parts of college is something as simple as managing your time and being responsible about getting to bed and doing my homework. These two things can be the key to someone's success.
After walking campus one time I realized that I needed a bike to get around, because it took me over an hour to get from one side of campus to the other. The campus is huge and it always seems like I am in a rush, but I try to take time to just look around and enjoy the beauty of this place. I like it because even though we are located in a large city, I can go by the river and see all of the trees and feel like I am back home. I love it here at MSU, people are really friendly and easy to talk to. Everyone seems to have a lot of school spirit and you can tell that there is a lot of tradition around here.
We have a state-of-the-art athlete/academic center called the Smith Center. It's a very convenient place to do your homework and get help on things that you're unsure about. I'm really excited to be a part of this team because everyone works hard and the coaches expect a lot out of us. We have a really young team right now, but I believe we can do great things with this group of guys.
I look forward to the day when I step foot onto the mat for the first time as a Spartan. I can only imagine the incredible feeling that I am going to have when that day comes. I really think I can do great things here at Michigan State because I have great practice partners and coaches that are passionate about the sport. If you would like to come watch us wrestle this year, click here to check out our schedule for the season. If anyone has any questions or comments, you can email me at osterm12@msu.edu.
Michigan Grappler would like to thank Dan for taking the time to write this and wish him luck in his college career at Michigan State. Check back soon for more updates from Michigan's top 2009 graduates as they adjust to life in college.
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"I look forward to the day when I step foot onto the mat for the first time as a Spartan. I can only imagine the incredible feeling that I am going to have when that day comes."
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Osterman, shown here in Fargo, says he will likely be redshirting this year and wrestling in Open tournaments
