Listen to “5PM40: Sam Hazewinkel and Jesse Porter” on Spreaker.
The two-guest format continues with the 40th episode of The Five Point Move Podcast as three-time U23 World Team member Jesse Porter (77 kg, NYAC/NTS) and 2012 freestyle Olympian/’18 Greco World Teamer Sam Hazewinkel both stop by the program.
In the opening segment, co-host Dennis Hall — back from a mini break — discusses what his approach would be for the upcoming US Nationals next month, and why he feels the tournament is going to offer more excitement than most might expect. And similar to Corey Hope‘s (77 kg, NYAC) appearance in Episode 39, Hall shares his thoughts on why wrestling kicking back into gear is an important morale boost for athletes, coaches, and fans (though not as controversially).
Porter has been one of the more fortunate US Seniors lately after having participated in two of the four “Summer Series” training camps. In fact, we have chronicled some of that. But that doesn’t mean he has gone untested. Porter had to fight through a few mental hurdles early on during quarantine, challenging himself to find ways to stay sharp whilst training at home. He also opens up about how he has managed to come out the other side of this unusually vexing situation, and what he wants youth wrestlers and even coaches to take away from his experience.
The main topic with Hazewinkel centers around the impending release of 5PM’s Greco-Roman Rankings, an endeavor in which the Oklahoman is partially responsible. Concepts such as the “two tier” tournament system, head-to-head implications, and why fans are attracted to rankings pepper that part of the conversation. In addition, Hazewinkel provides insights pertaining to Oklahoma’s own wrestling restart, the US Nationals, and why he is looking forward to what the sport’s immediate future may hold.
A Few Highlights
Hall on why athletes should enter the US Nationals
“You’ve got the (Olympic) Trials hopefully in April, though who knows when that’s going to be? So, the tournament wouldn’t be a bad thing. Go out, go test your skills, and have some fun. Get away from the crazy world that we’re living in. The guys who are able to train, you’d think that they would want to get some competition in and see what’s working, what’s not. Use it as a test series.”
Porter on remaining disciplined despite unconventional training circumstances
“I don’t really think there is a place to give yourself slack because there is always, always something you could have done better, and I feel that’s what you should be focusing on. Now, when you have personal growth, you do need to congratulate yourself to some extent. That is very important — and often. You need to congratulate yourself often. But when you made a mistake, the only thing you should be focusing on is how you could have done it better, and focusing on that personal growth.”
Hazewinkel on what he learned about rankings from coaching in the NAIA
“As everyone knows, rankings don’t mean anything — but they do. For instance, calling National champs and All-Americans last year at NCAA’s. That was weird to me. There are upsets. I think there was one weight last year where the top-4 guys met in the semis. Every other weight someone got upset. It’s rare that you have #1, #2, #3, #4. So on one hand, rankings are not needed, but they are. It helps the fans a lot, and it gives some validity to why people are ranked where they are. It keeps the arguments out of it a little bit, keeps the politics out.”
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