#94 Mark Branch - 4x NCAA Finalist, 2x Champ, Wyoming HC

Wrestling Changed My Life (Wrestling Podcast)

Wrestling Changed My Life

Sports

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 27 January 2020

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Mark Branch is one of the few 4x finalists in NCAA wrestling history. As a freshman, he entered the nationals with a losing record (8-9) and shocked the wrestling world by winning the national crown. He’d finish 2nd as a Sophomore and Junior, and won the nationals a second time as a senior. After competing, Mark coached at Oklahoma State for 11 years. During that time, the Cowboys won 4 team titles. Mark is now the head coach at Wyoming. We talk about: --His crossroads moment: missing weight as sophomore in high school at the regionals --Changing his expectations and mindset as a college freshman --The emotional rollercoaster of an NCAA season --John Smith early into his coaching tenure --Battling Marcus Mollica --Why wrestling is the one true sport For all past episodes please visit WrestlingChangedMyLife.com Going to the Iowa vs. Penn State dual on Friday? Stop by the Airliner from 5-7pm. I’m hosting a listener appreciation Happy Hour event.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to the wrestling change my life podcast episode 94 with Mark Branch.
0:06.0	Yeah, I put a tweet like last week. I said I don't know when but I said I think you know wrestling will become the sport of all sports.
0:19.6	We can endure anything and adapt and pivot and change.
0:25.0	Wrestling gave us that ability.
0:26.8	I would say nothing in life has impacted me
0:29.4	more than the things wrestling has taught me
0:31.5	in terms of self-reflection, resilience.
0:35.0	Toughness.
0:36.0	Some guys have it, some guys don't.
0:38.0	Adversity, 100% how to pick myself up and be a man after I failed. And everything that has shaped my life and where I'm at today
0:47.3	would not be there without the values and basically the lessons I've learned through the sport of wrestling.
0:53.0	For me, you wrestle saved my life because it allowed me to focus and channel my energy.
0:59.0	We're fortunate if you wrestled because if you rustled natural talent helps but it's 5% of the ingredient.
1:10.0	It pales in comparison to heart and technique and effort.
1:15.0	It humbled me, taught me humility.
1:17.0	Nothing can humble you more than wrestling.
1:20.0	I think it's the learning to adapt, right learn you learn how to adapt you learn how to solve problems
1:27.2	You know if I look back my time that's good wrestling if they gave me one thing more than anything else
1:31.0	It's mental toughness one thing more than anything else is no toughness. Yes indeed.
1:36.6	We've done it.
1:37.6	We're back another episode is here.
1:39.6	Rejoys ladies and gents, it wrestling, changed my life.
	...

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