“It’s Supposed to Be Hard”: A Lesson From My Wrestling Coach
I’ve had many great coaches throughout my athletic career, and I’ve learned countless lessons along the way. But one moment has stuck with me more than most—a moment when my college wrestling coach was brutally honest.
We were in the grind of the college wrestling season. Our bodies were beat up from training, competing, and cutting weight. On top of that, we were stressed about school and exams. Needless to say, we all had plenty of excuses and complaints.
After days of hearing the same grumbling, my coach sat us down. In a firm, no-nonsense tone, he said:
“You guys need to get something through your skulls. Wrestling is ****ing hard and it will always be ****ing hard. If you want it to be easy, then go play a different sport. You chose to be here, and this is what it takes to be successful. So either stop complaining—or go play an easier sport.”
It was blunt. It was raw. And honestly, it was exactly what we needed to hear. That moment changed the mindset and culture of our team for the rest of the season—and the rest of my life.
The Reality
Outside of sports, 99% of people don’t have someone in their life REALLY challenging them. Coaches have been given permission to yell and handle their athletes with some level of aggression and intensity. But as an adult, outside of a boss or parent occasionally, when are we really pushed and challenged with brutal honesty?
We live such comfortable lives that when we are confronted with absolute truth and honesty, it’s almost offensive and shocking.
So how does this relate to your health and fitness? I’m glad you asked! When you hire a coach to help speak TRUTH into your life, you’re inviting them to challenge you. To challenge your laziness, apathy, and poor habits that lead to frustration and stagnation. Great coaches don’t just yell. They correct. They teach. They listen. And ultimately, they help transform your life in a positive way.
The Takeaway
There’s real power in being brutally honest with yourself about where you are, and what it will take to get where you want to go.
Whether you want to:
Lose weight
Change your eating habits
Build muscle mass
Get out of chronic pain
…it will be hard.
It will require change. It will cost you time, energy, and money. You’ll have to show up even when you’re sick, tired, or stressed. You’ll battle cravings. You’ll face frustration. You’ll fail at times.
And yet—it will be worth it.
What other option is there? If you choose to NOT engage in the difficult things, what you’re choosing is also difficult. It sucks being overweight, sick, depressed, not having good energy, having low self esteem, struggling to do basic physical activities, being in pain, having health issues, and not feeling proud of your life.
Both options are hard. You have to choose your hard.
Choosing to eat right, workout, manage your stress, and prioritize sleep is definitely the better “hard”. You won’t get to the end of your life and regret doing these things.
When you face the hard realities of change before you commit, you’ll be less likely to quit when challenges come. Accept that it will be hard—and push forward anyway.
-Coach Austyn