Many people know Coach Jake Motzkus from his time wrestling for Battle Ground, as a youth coach with Southwest Washington Wrestling Club or recently as an assistant with the high school. For those who have not yet had the pleasure we wanted to introduce you to the Tigers new head coach.
How old were you when you started wrestling?
I wrestled for a season when I was around 7 years old, but it wasn't until I was a freshman in High School that I really began my wrestling career.
What was your most significant achievement and a wrestler?
I placed 3rd at state as a senior, but my most significant achievement actually came when I won the Clark County tournament. Clark County isn't the biggest tournament that we attended, but I faced a returning state champion in the finals. Winning that match is one of my greatest memories of my wrestling career.
How long have you been coaching wrestling?
I've been coaching for 10 years.
Who is your favorite wrestler and why?
My favorite wrestler is Jordan Burroughs. I love the way he hand-fights, clubs, creates angles, and opens up action with fakes. Not only is he a great athlete, but he's a great ambassador for the sport. I really appreciate how success hasn't gone to his head. He's among the best of the best, but he's still humble and approachable.
What is your favorite thing about wrestling?
My favorite thing about wrestling is how it prepares people to succeed in all areas of life. There are no stadiums of raving fans, there aren't any professional leagues, and there's no big paycheck waiting for the best wrestlers. To achieve greatness in the sport of wrestling requires intense chosen suffering. The wrestler does not develop when they're comfortable, they develop through sore muscles, exhaustion, hours of drilling, and long stretches of emotional anguish from losing. To achieve great success in the sport of wrestling, you're going to look like an insane person to normal people. That's OK, wrestlers aren't normal people, and that's the point. This sport has a way of sparking something incredible within some individuals. They are chasing victory, not because there's a huge payoff in the end, but because something within them demands to compete - to step toe-to-toe with another madman and let it fly. And, they are willing to put themselves through physical torture to gain every advantage possible. What the athlete doesn't realize is that they are not only forging themselves in the fires of affliction physically, but they are forging themselves mentally and emotionally as well. That is why I coach wrestling. I love the sport, but what I love most is how it grows individuals to face all of what life will throw at them.
What is one goal you have for this season?
When I wrestled for BGHS, we'd always have a great turnout for home dual meets. One of my goals is to see that interest return!
What are you most excited about going into the season?
I'm excited to develop athletes and see them accomplish great things!
What is your favorite thing to do outside of wrestling?
I'm heavily involved in my church and enjoy preaching whenever I have the opportunity.
What is your favorite food?
Tacos. Is there any other answer?
What is your favorite song?
I coach wrestling at BGHS, I think I'm obligated to say my favorite song is "Eye of the Tiger".
What is something that instantly makes your day better?
There's nothing better than seeing one of my athletesexecute a new technique I just taught them.
What is your philosophy on dealing with a tough loss?
All losses are tough, I want to acknowledge that first of all. I don't want to focus on the negative of losing, but what can be taken away from the loss? What can be learned, how can this help the athlete develop in the future? The other thing I want to say is: wrestling is a skill based sport. There are kids that have wrestled since they were five years old, and there are kids who are just starting their wrestling careers. It is unrealistic for the athlete who has wrestled for a year to expect to beat the athlete who has wrestled for ten years. I have taken a "close the gap" approach to these situations, and for many athletes it completely changes how they handle a loss. Don't make it about winning and losing when there is a large skill gap. Make it about closing the gap. You lost by pin in the first round the last time you wrestled this athlete, so this time try to wrestle a full match with them. By giving incremental goals, it removes the focus on winning and losing. I have been extremely pleased to have athletes lose a match, but run up and give me a big high five, because they achieved an incremental goal against an athlete with greater skills.
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