It never fails, no matter what kind of mood I’m in, I can walk into the last three minutes of the movie ‘Rudy’ and start crying. It’s been on a little more than usual, no doubt, due to the Notre Dame v. ‘Bama National Championship game tonight.
Although the movie is focused on Daniel ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger’s achievement of playing football at Notre Dame as an underdog , Ruettiger says that the main message he wanted to get across was his desire to contribute. To be a part of something. Awesome.
It’s a great lesson for us strength coaches. How can we contribute to further someone else’s goals and dreams? We never know where these opportunities can come from but we need to be ready for them. Our impact could be from an everyday client or a random encounter in some globo gym. Just be ready. And be nice.
Some interesting “Rudy” facts:
*All of the Ruettiger boys went by ‘Rudy.’
*The youngest boys were the best wrestlers with many going on to successful coaching careers. Attributed to the fact that they had to wrestle for everything and they learned most from the older brothers.
*Rudy’s parents settled in mid-state Wisconsin.
*ND Head Coach Dan Devine, who is portrayed in the movie as not wanting to dress or play Rudy on his last home game was actually the one who came up with the idea of dressing Ruettiger. Poor guy took a beating on the movie.
*Ruettiger found out he was Dyslexic in college at Holy Cross prior to his Notre Dame transfer.
*Rudy’s former football coach claimed that there was no quit in Ruettiger. If he were losing in a bar fight, his opponent would have to quit or kill him. He had no quit.
Awesome.
Yup. Tears. Again.
If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven’t done anything today.
For training opportunities at tosabarbell, call or text Juli at 320-296-9313. e-mail to jep6095@gmail.com
At tosabarbell, I build relationships cultivated in a strength and learning environment. There is no 12 week magic pill program to strength but rather a lifetime commitment to be the very best and most useful human you can be.
tosabarbell is a private, home grown gym with three lifting platforms; squat rack; prowlers; throwing implements; bars, bumpers and everything else needed for an effective strength and conditioning program. Straightforward barbell programming including the Olympic lifts; sound (read: not fancy bullshit) diet advance for weight gain or loss; and strong coaching will ensure you will meet your goals such as becoming stronger, more explosive, and better conditioned.
I have been coaching teams and athletes for over 30 years. I grew up participating in various sports at various levels but was always drawn to those that require strength training. I have multiple local, national, and world records in the sports of Weightlifting and Highland Games Heavy Events as well as a combined total of 5 World Championships. My 5 years of training and coaching under Mark Rippetoe provided a wide range of influence from some of the top strength & conditioning and throwing coaches in the country. I will strongly encourage tosabarbell athletes to compete (and prepare you to do so.) However, tosabarbell is also for those who wish to be stronger and go through life feeling better.
Matt WanAt is a retired Professional Strongman who competed frequently with Strongman Champions League in Europe. He played a year of D1 football with Iowa before concentrating on his Chemical Engineering degree in Iowa City. He is a native of Wauwatosa and still remains a staunch supporter of Tosa East.
This blog will be a mixture of strength notes, coaching and nutrition tips, personal shit; bacon delicacies, and a whole lot of fun.
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