Blog Post 5 - Who is Coach REd? Part 2
In case you missed it, go read Part 1!
Now, to continue…
School, Coaching, and MMA Training
Returning home to California in the Summer of 2011 was bittersweet. I was thankful to be away from the heat and misery of Arizona, but I also felt as though I had betrayed the years of hard work that was leading me towards my athletic goals.
Much had transpired during this time in my life.
I was going to school at UC Riverside, pursuing a degree in History with the intent of becoming a teacher. Like most of the students at UCR, I commuted to campus each day for classes. It was about a 30 mile trip one way. I also took up a restaurant job, starting in the kitchen and eventually becoming a server and earning tips. The restaurant was located in a different part of the Inland Empire. In addition, my former wrestling team in Lake Elsinore was looking for assistant coaches, so I jumped at the chance to help out. In total, I was commuting about 90 miles each day between school, work, and coaching. I’d like to briefly talk about each of these things in isolation.
UC Riverside
As I mentioned in the previous post, I was disillusioned with the whole college experience very early on. I viewed college more as a burden rather than an opportunity and there were times I wanted to drop out. It was not all negative, however, because there were classes I thoroughly enjoyed and some professors who made a lasting impression on me, one of whom I still speak with today (shout out Dr. Keith Harris!).
I took a liking to history as a branching off of my earlier pursuit of psychology. I discovered I did not want to be a psychologist, but I was still intrigued with human behavior to some degree. What better way to learn about human behavior than to study human history, I asked myself. I took several classes on early American history, just before, during, and immediately after the Revolutionary era. I can’t quite articulate it, but something about this specific piece of history was fascinating to me. In particular, I enjoyed learning about the fascinating figures who shaped our country. Their triumphs and their flaws were endlessly enjoyable for me to learn about. One of my favorite things that I taught my history students was the petty feud between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton (this was before I ever heard of the musical, by the way). These geniuses of their time, who literally molded the United States, were such children when it came to disagreeing with one another and stooped to such levels of pettiness that it astounds me!
I almost had enough credits for a minor in religious studies. I took a world religions class my freshman year that captivated me. Learning about the cultural and religious practices throughout the world was so interesting to me that I continued to take other such courses throughout my college career. I took classes on early American religious history, Hinduism, Christianity, and Judaism. In truth, I saw the history of humanity and the history of religion as one and the same. It’s virtually impossible to tell the story of humanity without the inclusion of religion and its impact.
I’m convinced that if I went to college after some time away from academia, I would have a much different perspective and a greater appreciation for it. At the time, I felt completely boxed in, as if I was fulfilling a destiny that was not mine, taking a path that I did not choose for myself. After I earned my degree, I wanted nothing to do with school and took several years off before even considering a graduate program. I now understand why many European students take time off after secondary school to learn about the world and travel. Why it’s such a common practice to send young kids to college out of high school is absolutely absurd to me.
Restaurant Employment
I took a job as a line cook in a restaurant chain. My brother, mom, and stepdad have been in the restaurant game for their whole working lives and helped me get a job. It was hard work and I grew such an appreciation for restaurant workers that to this day I go out of my way to be polite when dining out. It was this time in my life, working in restaurants, that I truly learned a lot about myself.
My experience in wrestling instilled in me a work ethic that I would not compromise. Even though the work was menial at times, I wanted to be proud of my work and gave my best. I also learned about my temper (another true stereotype about gingers). There were times, particularly when the restaurant was slammed, when I would let my temper get the best of me. I’d mistakenly lash out at co-workers or would just generally put out a very sour disposition. I’m friends with some former co-workers who can attest to this. I never meant any of it personally and would apologize when I really screwed up. It turned out that I was miserable, working a job that I hated in order to make some money. I also just needed to chill out. At the end of the day, it was burgers and fries, and I was treating the job like life or death.
I also learned that some people just suck. Sometimes it was a crappy customer who was fishing for something free or a shady manager that never had friends growing up and thus decided to take it out on hourly employees. Some people are saints and remind you that there is hope for humanity. It could be a simple gesture like saying “please” or “thank you.”
Returning to Wrestling as a Coach
I owe so much to the sport of wrestling, something I knew early after my high school career ended. I never knew what confidence was before I wrestled. Before wrestling, I never knew what it meant to work so hard for a goal, only to discover that the habits, skills, and relationships developed along the way were the real prizes. Giving back to the sport that gave me so much only felt right.
Bunch of knuckleheads in this pic, myself included.
I answered the call sent out by my former coach who was looking for assistants to join the coaching staff. Until that point, I only knew the athlete half to the sport, but getting to glimpse the coaching side really opened my eyes. Planning practices, studying film of our team and our opponent’s, putting together a season schedule, motivating kids to realize their potential, early mornings to take kids to tournaments in other cities (sometimes other states) - these are just some of the things I experienced as an assistant. I couldn’t fathom the responsibilities of the head coach and the more senior members of the staff. I would find out later when I eventually became the head of the program.
Fight Syndicate
A buddy of mine, who was helping out in the wrestling room, told me about an MMA gym that was getting him ready for an amateur cage fight. I still had some demons built up from not continuing my college wrestling career, so safe to say I was very interested in checking out this gym.
I walked in and met Coach Beau, the owner. I can’t remember if I took a class that day or came back later on, but I remember my first class vividly. My only other experience in a fight gym was a cardio kickboxing class as a child (maybe 10 or 11?) and a free trial at a UFC gym during college. I told Beau on my first day—just like any other young punk would—that I was looking to fight, and soon. I figured my four years of high school wrestling was enough experience to get in a cage fight. Six months or so later, I’m in the cage for my first amateur MMA fight. I was submitted via rear naked choke in the first round to a giant who hip tossed me like I was a sack of potatoes. I was eager to get back in, and sure enough only a short time later, I lost my second fight via first round TKO.
First fight, Gladiator Challenge.
The back-to-back losses stung as I contemplated if this was truly something I wanted to pursue. Beau, who recognized my work ethic and potential, really felt for me and continued to motivate me. It was around this time that my then-girlfriend (now wife) and I were making some grown up decisions, which ultimately landed us jobs in San Diego. I had to say farewell to Fight Syndicate and my wrestling team for the time being and continue my MMA dream in a city filled to the brim with fight gyms. Which one to choose?
I’m so sorry, but I’m going to have to make a part three. Picking and choosing which details to share is not an easy task. Funny enough, I did such an exercise with my history students when I asked them to write an autobiography only to later analyze why they shared what they did and what they did not.
Part three coming soon!
All love and respect,
Coach Red