“The Vision of Stanford Wrestling”

Last week we had our last full team meeting and handed our team the first edition of “The Champions Way” manual. The manual is a 50 or so page document, which, in its simplest form,  provides a guide for our wrestlers to use as they navigate how to succeed at the highest levels in Division I wrestling. On a deeper level, the document is an instruction manual for how to achieve success in any area of life, as the character traits required to be successful in wrestling are the same ones required to be successful in life.

Discipline, attitude, perseverance and others are highlighted.

One other piece of the manual is the “Vision of Stanford Wrestling”. It’s only a page and a half, but may be the most powerful piece of the document. How I came to the process of developing a vision is an interesting one. 

When I started my first DI coaching position in 2006, I was 32 years old and one of the youngest head coaches in the country. I had spent six years as an assistant at Lehigh during some of the program’s most successful years, earning team trophies at the NCAA tournament and winning the EIWA multiple times.

The success at Lehigh allowed the younger me to be supremely overconfident. I thought I was ready to run my own program. I wasn’t.

At the time, I believed that building a successful team primarily came down to effectively training the team and recruiting. If I could teach the team the highest level of technique and bring in the best wrestlers, I assumed the wins would follow. That belief was quickly challenged.

The program I inherited hadn’t won a dual meet the season before and had no NCAA qualifiers. Still, I charged ahead, thinking my knowledge and energy would be enough.

It didn’t work.

In my first season we didn’t win a single dual meet and failed to win even one match at the conference championship. I realized that transforming a program required much more than running effective workouts and recruiting. But I didn’t know exactly what was missing.

So I started studying other examples of organizational turnarounds. Not just in sports, but in business and leadership. I had to change my mindset from being a “coach” in the most typical sense of the word, to being a leader of an organization. 

One of the most influential things I came across was a Harvard Business Review article called “Building Your Company’s Vision” by Collins and Porras (interestingly, Porras is a professor emeritus at Stanford Business school). It outlined a process used by some of the most successful companies in the world. 

In short, it involves identifying the Core Values and Purpose of your organization as well as a “BHAG” (Big Hairy Audacious Goal), and then creating an extremely descriptive “Envisioned Future” for the organization. The exercise wasn’t intended to create a goal or mission, but rather a “guiding star” for those within the program to follow.

This wasn’t about a mission statement or short-term goals. It was about building something lasting. Something that would inspire belief even when there was no evidence that success was coming.

What I didn’t like about the process that was laid out in the article was the fact that it seemed as if the executives of the various companies were the ones creating the vision for the organizations, and I felt if I just did the process by myself or with the other coaches, it wouldn’t truly reflect what the team thought was important. So I invited anyone on the team who wanted to engage in the process to join me. A handful of them raised their hands. They were part of a team that hadn’t won a single match in the conference, yet they were willing to sit down and dream about what the program could become.

Together, we wrote a vision that was bold. Most would have called it crazy. It described packed arenas, a roaring fan base, and a team that would earn national respect. At the time, if we had 50 people in the stands, it felt like a big deal. But we refused to limit ourselves.

And over time, the vision started to take shape in real life. We produced All-Americans. We climbed the rankings. We won. The culture changed. And so did the expectations.

The best part was that the original group who helped write that vision stayed connected. They were a part of it, even years after they had graduated. The vision spread to alumni, fans, and donors. Everyone felt ownership in what we were building.

When I arrived at Stanford with 17 years experience as a head coach I came much more prepared for the transition, and creating a vision with the team was going to be a big part of the early steps. The interesting thing about taking over Stanford was there was already a very strong culture, so the vision would only enhance an already strong foundation, which was very exciting.

Also, because of the strong culture I could take a little more time to get to know the team as well as the “place.” So after a year we got the team together and ran those that wanted to be involved through the process of creating a Vision for Stanford Wrestling. 

Having gone through the process with another program as well as taking the time to get a better understanding of Stanford and the team, it was relatively easy to identify what would be the two essential features of the Vision.

First, competitively we need to dream as big as possible because there are examples of success all around us. Stanford has the most national team championships of any athletic department. Stanford has the most individual national champions of any department. Simply put, Stanford wins National Championships…we just haven’t done it in wrestling yet.

The first line of the vivid description states: “Stanford Wrestling will become a dynasty among college athletics by winning consecutive NCAA championships…” I think that sums up what we are capable of doing here quite well. Stanford wrestling is a sleeping giant among college wrestling and we have to unapologetically charge toward the goal of dominating the NCAA championships.

The second key feature of the vivid description would be the importance of community. In short, we will never have competitive success unless we have a community behind us. As a young head coach I thought success could be achieved within the 35 or so coaches and wrestlers that made up a wrestling team, but the number one thing I learned over time is that it takes a community around that core to reach the highest levels.

We currently have a strong community of  alumni, fans, and friends of wrestling in the Bay Area, but it is nowhere near what is necessary to have a national championship wrestling program. If we compare Stanford against the current kings of wrestling in the NCAA we have a long way to go and this will be one of the primary focuses of the leadership of this program.

As we navigate this new landscape of NCAA athletics, community will be the key differentiating factor between the programs that thrive and those that don’t, not just among wrestling programs, but all Olympic sports. We are in a period where we have to re-define how a college athletics program is run.

Yes, this newsletter tells the story of how the Vision of Stanford Wrestling came to life. But more importantly, it is a call to action.

Stanford Wrestling is on the verge of something extraordinary. The foundation is in place. The athletes are here. The values are clear. What we need now is a surge of energy and belief from those who care about this program.

We are building a championship culture, but no program reaches its highest level without a powerful community behind it. We need fans in the stands, alumni mentoring our athletes, donors investing in our vision, and local wrestling families seeing Stanford as the beating heart of West Coast wrestling.

There is a kind of magic here in the Bay Area and at Stanford. It’s created by people—visionary, committed, relentless people. When we rally that energy around this team, there will be no ceiling to what we can accomplish.

The Vision that follows is not just something to read. It’s something to believe in. Something to build. Something to live.

The Vision of Stanford Wrestling

(Created 2024)

Core Ideology

Core Values:

Attitude

Discipline

Perseverance

Infinite Growth

Family

Core Purpose:

To transform lives through lessons learned in the sport of wrestling, forging a lasting bond and commitment within our community.

BHAG:

Become a “Dynasty” in college athletics

Vivid Description:

Stanford Wrestling will become a dynasty among college athletics by winning consecutive NCAA championships and consistently crushing the points record for the tournament.
At Stanford, wrestling will be synonymous with greatness. Wrestlers of all ages will flock to Stanford with dreams of first wearing the Cardinal singlet and then the Red, White and Blue for the United States of America, driving them to become the best in everything they do, because that is what the Stanford culture demands. The Bay Area will become a mecca for wrestling, producing Olympic and World medalists who are drawn to Stanford’s reputation for producing champions. 

Among the team, a culture of care and support thrives—this is their chosen family. It is also understood that this is an elite group that upholds the highest standards, so teammates fearlessly challenge each other to maintain this excellence, fostering a collective commitment to greatness. Those that fall short of the standard are corrected. Stanford Wrestling is the ultimate example of “accountability from within.” The camaraderie created in this environment will be profound, extending beyond the mats to create lifelong connections. Alumni, fans and supporters of the program will do whatever they can to touch the magic of this culture, yearning to be part of something so special. Resources will flow to the program because of this, ensuring that the Stanford Wrestling dynasty continues throughout history. 

The Fred Weintz wrestling room will constantly buzz with activity throughout the day as wrestlers work tirelessly to achieve their goals. While other programs across the country enter their rooms as routine, practice is considered a “sacred” time among the Stanford team. When the whistle blows to start each activity, the room pulses with a violent, yet beautiful rhythm, as each individual gives everything they can to get the most out of every second. Sweat and blood flow from the athletes’ bodies, symbolizing their sacrifice to the program that has provided them with so much in return. 

The Stanford Wrestler is seemingly fearless in competition, applying a unique and exciting style of wrestling that is fun to watch. Our dual meets will become legendary events, with fans flocking to Maples Pavilion to witness the electrifying atmosphere and relentless energy of our matches. On occasion we will move dual meets to Stanford Stadium to accommodate the interest in attending a big dual meet. The Stanford Wrestling experience will be so captivating that every match will feel like a major event, with attendance records broken and fans eager for more.

We will leverage Stanford’s world-class resources and innovative spirit to drive our success. Our program will be inclusive, welcoming athletes from all backgrounds and fostering a diverse environment where everyone can thrive. Stanford wrestlers will embody the highest standards of character and integrity. We will be role models, inspiring others through our achievements and the way we conduct ourselves. Our success will not only be measured by the titles we win but also by the impact we have on the sport and the broader community.