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 Broncs Blog: John Hangey 
11/10/08
This past Tuesday we were very fortunate to have three former college wrestlers and current high level MMA competitors in our wrestling room to workout. Phil Davis, NCAA Champion from PSU, Paul Bradley, 2 time All American from Iowa and Nick Catone, 2 time NCAA Qualifier and Rider Alumni were all present in the Rider wrestling room. The energy was very high from the start, I think our wrestlers wanted to impress the visitors and show them how hard they worked and how tough they were. In my opinion our wrestlers did not disappoint!!
The workout went for 1 hour and 45 minutes and it kept moving the whole time, with a 20 minute warm-up, 25 sets of stairs, 25 minutes of hard drilling, 25 minutes of live wrestling and 20 minutes of conditioning to close things out. Needless to say everyone was shot at the end! As a coach, it was a win win situation for our team. They got a great workout in with some new faces and different technique and styles, but they were also able to see, talk to and wrestle with an NCAA Champion and a non-Rider All American. If that does not bring out your A game, shame on you!! This, I felt, brought our team that day to a new level of confidence, one that is absolutely necessary to be successful at the college level. The benefit of that type of exposure is one that you can not place a value on. Anytime you can get All American caliber kids (which are abundant in our room) to see how another All American and National Champion train you get them one step closer to achieving their goal. They get to see the facial expressions, body language and work ethic of someone who has accomplished what everyone in our room trains for and compare themselves to.
As a program, we have had great success producing All Americans. We have also done this without the constant influx of Blue Chip kids, we have had them but never a full lineup of them. Which means that we have taken kids who were willing to work hard and pay a price to be good and made them very good at what they do. As we have always said: "If a program is producing All Americans there is a reason and if a program is NOT producing All Americans there is a reason!" The one goal that our program is still striving to achieve is to have an NCAA Champion!! We have been close with 3 semifinalists and two 3rd place finishers in our history but close does not cut it when it comes to being the best. This is why it was so important to have Paul Bradley and Phil Davis in our room to create a reality for the student athletes in our program to see that an NCAA Champion is /was a student athlete that trains just like they do. We will continue to provide that type of environment for our student athletes because I do believe that we have an NCAA Champion in our room!
John C. Hangey
 Broncs Blog: Jay Nase
10/08/08 DARREN - THIS ONE IS FROM THE HEART....
As a coach, you often find yourself thinking about how to get your athletes to motivate themselves. At the Division I level you see all types of wrestlers work. Some work hard, some think they work hard and others often times just follow suit. It's those wrestlers that are able to look inside themselves and find that one thing
that will drive them that tend to out-work the rest. Coaches always think of encouraging things to tell wrestlers in order to motivate them. We try to set up a vision for success and hope that's enough. As coaches you hope that your athletes perform beyond their capabilities. You search for ways to get them to do that and
sometimes you can't find the answer. I have come to realize that in this crazy sport there has to be something that drives you. Each wrestler has to find one thing that will allow them to expand their will beyond the point of what they think is impossible. This motivation is the answer. It is what drives us, makes us go hard, allows us to reach deep and even suffer through the most grueling times in order to be content. What is it???? The answer lies with in every wrestler; they just have to find it.
For many the motivating factor may be different. I feel that what ever the motivation is, it has to be internal. Mine was simple. It was my little brother Darren. He was born with Down syndrome. For anyone who knows anything about this genetic disorder knows that with it come every day challenges; challenges that would make many crumble in defeat. He has touched the lives of all those who have come into contact
with him with his spirit, sense of humor, love and determination. For me he made life simple. He always has a way of making you forget about what you were feeling in an instance. His smile lights up a room and any wrestling gym. Darren is an incredible human being with the ability to make you want to be a better person.
I learned at a young age that many of us are blessed with an ability to compete. Not everyone was given this ability, this includes my brother. In his lifetime, he will not have the opportunity to feel that thrill of victory, or
even that agony of defeat. Those who were fortunate enough to have been blessed in this way should embrace it. He would show up in my mind at many crucial times in my career as a wrestler. If I needed to go harder I would think of him. If I needed a takedown, an escape or even some confidence he was always there. He was driving me, pushing me and he became the soul reason for why I continued to be fortunate enough to excel in this sport, but more importantly in life. He couldn't do what I was doing, so everything I did, I had to do for him and I had to do it well. His presence became contagious and it was that presence that helped me beat some of the best wrestlers in the state and collegiately the country. Darren was never going
to be able to do what I was doing out there on the mat, so I always wrestled with mindset that I was wrestling with the power of two. If you were to win you had to beat us both. I am just sorry I didn't win more matches.
A lesson in life, I wanted to share this blog with many of you who know Darren and also with those who don't. I am proud to say that he has been able to shape me as a person. I know I am better because he is my brother, best friend and inspiration in life. I will finish with how he was able to pick me up when I felt as though the world had ended. I was a State runner-up in high school as a junior so coming back my senior year I had to win it all. I was as determined to complete my senior year with a state title and
perfect record. Needless to say I lost for the second year in a row in the final and finished
with a 31-1 record. Ouch, it hurts to even write it. I left the mat so dejected that I went to a small corner in Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City and collapsed to the floor and began to lose it emotionally and I mean lose it. After about five minutes, the one person that I needed to see was there. DARREN. He sat down next to me and said "Hi Jay, What are you doing?" I wiped my tears as I did not want him to see me so upset. I said
"nothing buddy I LOVE YOU". Everything at that moment was right again.
Thanks for reading - Good luck with your motivation, hopefully you are able to find that one thing that keeps you going..
Jason Nase
Broncs Blog: John Hangey
09/15/08 FRESHMEN
After the first few weeks of school it is interesting to see and evaluate how your freshmen are adjusting to their new environment and challenges. They have been thrust into a completely new setting with a roommate, a new set of teammates, social pressures and class room responsibilities that were emphasized in high school more by their parents. It is extremely important that your freshmen get off to a good start academically, athletically and socially. They are obviously excited to begin a new chapter in their life but there also lies an unspoken nervousness within each of them. What has worked for us is to set up some very strict guidelines for them to follow and to give them daily obligations to make them act responsibly on their own behalf. We have them attending study hall (freshman only) two nights a week for 2 hours each night. The real point behind this
study hall is to help them get organized with their upcoming tests and assignments. Every year it is amazing to see how much each one of them needs to learn in regards to time management. We have them
write all their tests, quizzes, papers and other assignments in their academic planners so we can check them regularly. This allows us to see what they have done to prepare for the upcoming work and plan ahead for future work.
You might ask why so involved? BECAUSE we made a commitment to them and their parents when we recruited them to provide them with a college education. Plus, this alleviates a lot of the stress academically and when that happens they are able to perform better on the wrestling mat!! Within wrestling we are
stressing their commitment to Rider University and their training. This really allows us to emphasize the two reasons why any wrestling student athlete should ultimately decide on a college or university; education and wrestling. We have them weight training three days a week at 6 am. Some of them have never really lifted
like they should have but are willing to do whatever it takes to be good at the next level. They are gaining valuable size and strength that will help them lean out the learning curve adjustment that all freshman experience. We also train them very hard in the afternoon each day and test their will and determination. This is what will help them win matches when push comes to shove during the year. It also helps remind them of their priorities when other students are trying to get them to sacrifice their goals. That leads me to the
social adjustment of college life. There are numerous distractions that freshmen are exposed to and they need to have good values in place to make the right decisions to move toward achieving their goals academically and athletically. They also need good role models on the team to guide them in the right direction and teach them to make the right decisions. A very important part of this from a coaching standpoint is that we express to each of our incoming freshmen that they are now representing Rider University and the wrestling team at all times and in all settings, so they need to do the right things!!!
If I were to grade the overall adjustment for our incoming freshmen thus far this year, I would give them a B+ and on the verge of an A-. They have been very mature in handling their responsibilities as student athletes but they can always do better. Their work ethic is much better than I thought it was going to be and they are very
excited about meeting their new challenges. They have all got off to a good start but the challenges never stop surfacing. They have mid terms coming up in about three weeks and as we get deeper into the preseason we get closer to our wrestle offs and varsity competitions. Those are pressures that they have not faced at this
level yet, so it will be important for us as a coaching staff to prepare them for what they are about to experience. As we get to know each of them better we are able to determine who needs more attention than others. Regardless they will be looking to us for the guidance and experience to take on each of these challenges head on and be a successful as possible. We look forward to their continued progress both academically and athletically and will give them another evaluation mid way through the school year.
Broncs Blog: Jay Nase
09/08/08 DRIVEN BY A DREAM
Some times the sport can be hell. If you ever needed inspiration as to what drives us, this may help. When I think back to the things I learned from the ones who are close to me I often stop, shake my head and quietly say to myself “unbelievable.” The will of a human being is sometimes more powerful than one can even imagine. Francis Dunn was an exceptional high school wrestler from Boonton, New Jersey. He left with a remarkable record and won the 140lbs state title in 1992. He was heavily recruited and decided to stay home and wrestle for Rider University, who was a top 25 Division I team at the time of his arrival. The minute he stepped on campus he realized that there was nothing in the world more important to him than becoming an All-American.
From the moment I met him I knew he was different. He had a confidence about him like none that I have ever met. We came in to Rider the same year and quickly became work out partners. We ran, lifted and drilled countless hours in order to be able to compete at that level. We realized quickly that high school was easy and collegiate wrestling was a different animal. We both lost more times our freshman season than we did in four years of high school. Through hard work we managed to win conference championships and qualify for the NCAA Division I Tournament. We both won a match or two.
Francis as a sophomore was a repeat conference champion at 142lbs. He went to the national tournament for the second time only to be denied of his dream. Determined to accomplish his feat, going into his junior year he trained harder than I thought even possible. Then it happened. He was driving a four wheel all terrain vehicle that summer. He accidentally flipped the vehicle and broke his femur as well a suffering multiple internal injuries. He literally crawled in severe pain about a half mile to a house for help. He was in critical condition for a period of time and kept fading in and out of consciousness from the trauma of the accident. Hearing the news was devastating to all those who cared about him. Wrestling was no longer an option. Healing was a priority, so that he could someday hopefully soon be able to walk again. In the hospital he told our head wrestling coach that he was going to finish his career at Rider and stated that he would still become an All American. Not to crush his dream, coach just said lets get back on our feet again. Francis replied with the same statement only this time a little more sternly, I will become an All American.
We went on without him in the wrestling room for several months that season and he was surely missed. After all, I lost one of the best partners I ever had. Before the conference tournament, after he finally lost his wheel chair, he started slowly working out with our head coach on the mat. Wrestling on his feet was not something he could do yet so he used that time to make himself better from the top and bottom positions. I watched many of those work outs in pain as I felt sorry for him because I knew what he was once capable of.
He came back as a senior and remarkably found his groove. You see, Francis was wrestling with the same love he had for the sport just like he did when he was younger, only now he had a greater appreciation for it. Sometimes we take for granted the fact that we can compete. We truly are lucky. I don’t know how he did it, but somehow, someway he managed to make it work. I will never forget the last month in the practice room. Francis and I always battled back and forth, we traded takedowns our whole career. Every day we went at each other and I can honestly say neither of us got the better of the other. That last month leading up to the national tournament he was untouchable. I couldn’t score a point on him. I didn’t understand why I was unable to beat a kid that less than a year ago couldn’t even walk. Needless to say I was pissed. He continued to beat me as I tried even harder.
I realized it wasn’t his ability that I could no longer beat. It was his will. He became possessed. He won his third conference title that year and made his last and final trip to the national tournament. He was wrestling like I’ve never seen before, winning impressively his first two matches. One of which included a nemesis of his who he had never beaten before. As a matter of fact he lost six times to this opponent over the course of his college career. That wrestler decided to choose down in the third period with the match tied at five. He never saw the light of day as Francis was now renewed from the top position. All that extra time he spent to make up for his deficiency on his feet paid off. He went on to win that match and another in the wrestle backs finishing among the top eight in the country and achieving All American status. We were both All Americans that year and Rider finished the national tournament with three. Francis was inducted to the Rider University Athletic Hall of Fame. He was also granted a courage award that is given to an athlete that displays accomplishment against all odds. This award is given by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
I can’t help but think about what he did and how he did it. I can only thank him for he inspired me to want to it too. He taught me that things are possible when your will is more powerful than your body. When I think back at his story I still shake my head and say “unbelievable,” after all he was DRIVEN BY A DREAM………
Broncs Blog: John Hangey
09/05/08 COLLEGE DECISIONS
Deciding on the right college or university for a student athlete can be a very difficult process. There are so many schools that could possibly be the right fit for several reasons. It is very important that throughout the process you do not lose sight of your priorities that you have determined the right school must have for you to make it your final choice. This decision WILL affect the rest of your life either positively or negatively. There are several key factors that you should consider when the process begins. First, you need to establish your top 5 criteria (size of school, degree, location, etc…) that each school must satisfy. This will allow you to keep a clear perspective when going through the process. Second, you should not let too many schools in the mix from the beginning. This will make your decision even harder but will also make it more difficult to keep the schools separated in the end. Third, you need to understand what your liberties and entitlements are through the whole process. You are permitted to make an unlimited number of unofficial visits to any one campus. If you feel that you really liked what you saw at a particular school and want to go back to learn more, GO! Also, by NCAA bylaws you are permitted to take five paid official visits (one per institution), take them. Even though this visit can only be 48 hours in length, this will give you a better sense of what the school is really like. You will have a chance to sit with the members of the team to get their perspective on the school, coaches, etc… If you feel that you have found the right school on your first visit, go to another one just to solidify your decision in your mind and your heart. Take for instance when people are looking to buy a house, they do not typically buy the first one they walk into; they look at several and get the one the best fits their needs.
A suggestion to make the process a bit more manageable, as soon as you return from either an official or unofficial visit write down a list of pros and cons on a piece of paper and file it. At the end of the process, you can refer to this information so you do not have to recall all of the visits from memory. Also, take your parents on as many trips as you can! I know some of you would rather go on your own, but having your parents there will allow them to see the schools you are considering through their own eyes. In addition, they are looking for different things than you are and they just want to make sure that their son is making a good decision. They will let you make the final decision but they will ensure that you do not pick a school for all the wrong reasons. Remember, this process is supposed to be fun and exciting, enjoy to ride but do not lose sight of your priorities and the importance of the decision. BEST OF LUCK with all of your decisions!
Broncs Blog: Jay Nase
09/01/08 BACK AT RIDER UNIVERSITY
I always felt that New Jersey was one of the best wrestling states around, so when I had the opportunity to stay home and wrestle for Rider University , I was excited. I was proud to be representing a New Jersey school with a history of All-Americans. I was a four-year starter for the Rider Broncs and ended my career with over 100 wins and earned four trips to the NCAA Division I Tournament. When I was a senior at Rider, we finished the season with a dual meet ranking of 7 th in the nation. We finished ahead of big-time schools such as Oklahoma , Nebraska and Ohio State . At the NCAA Tournament we came home with three All-Americans, two of which were from New Jersey . In all, the Rider program has produced twelve All-Americans, seven in the past eleven years. I was fortunate to be one of them.
When my collegiate career came to a close, I coached at three different high schools, Brick Memorial, Brick Township and most recently Wall. I have learned so much from each of these experiences. Being a coach in the Shore Conference forced me to work hard because there are so many great coaches, teams and clubs. You have to dedicate yourself entirely to the sport of wrestling in order to be competitive in this area. Having the opportunity to coach at the next level was always something that I dreamed of, but I never thought that it would come to fruition. I was approached by Rider University head coach, Gary Taylor, and associate head coach John Hangey, and together they felt that I was the right fit for their program. As a wrestler I gave my heart and soul to that place and I guess my heart never really left it. This was a chance that I could not pass up. I now have the ability to give back to a program that has given so much to me. I am now working with the two coaches that guided me though my college career and I am excited to have the opportunity to work side by side with them.
My job at Rider is primarily to coach the first five weight classes. I think part of the reason that I am looking forward to working with the lower weights is because I was one of these lower weights. I wrestled 134 pounds for my whole career. I am also in charge of recruiting mostly New Jersey talent. This is something that I feel I have a good handle on after being a coach in New Jersey for many years. I will be running practices with the coaching staff and working with student athletes to help them pursue their collegiate goals. I hope to bring new energy to our program as well helping to maintain the high standard of excellence that has been in existence for many years. I feel great about this new opportunity and I know I made the right choice. I will miss coaching high school and all the friendships that I was able to make along the way, especially in the shore conference. I look forward to recruiting in this great state and keeping our Jersey talent right here at home. Jay Nase
Rider University Assistant Coach |
