Battle Hardened

Check out this highlight of two of the top ranked 12-year-olds in Missouri battling it out in the Regional finals with the entire gym cheering. This is why we spend so much time on mental preparation and toughness. Landen from Team Hammer was down by 2 points with time ticking down in the 3rd period. With all that stress, and the last match of the day, and being tired in the 3rd, Landen remembered his training and used a set up, hit his favorite leg attack, tried his favorite drive up finish, was blocked and then transitioned to a secondary finish and then rode him out hard to take him into OT and get that W. Exactly what he trained for in practice the last month.

These matches are what we love. We don't want the easy wins. We want the tough battles that push these kids and make them grow, even when they don't go our way. This is how you grow a battle-hardened long-term champion.