U.S. Navy SEALs and Minnesota
Wrestling to launch monumental event
November 30, 2006
For information on the Trident
Challenge, visit www.tridentchallenge.com - (space is limited to 350)
In conjunction with Minnesota’s wrestling match against defending
national champion Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Dec. 6, the United
States Navy SEALs will launch a focused recruiting program to
appeal specifically to the wrestling community. This unique event will
offer participants the opportunity to see how they stack up against
America’s elite operations team. The SEALs will conduct a Trident
Challenge on Sunday, Dec. 10 at the University Aquatic Center and
Field House.
The Trident Challenge mirrors the initial physical screening test given
to anyone who desires to become a Navy SEAL. The event consists of
swimming, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and running. It is a max effort
series of physical fitness events challenging athletes to maximize
their performance in individual tests of strength and endurance.
Representatives from the Navy SEALs will be at the Minnesota-Oklahoma
State wrestling match on Dec. 6 to kick off the event.
“What we’re attempting to do is get the SEALs and the wrestling
community together to benefit each other,” Head Coach J Robinson
stated. “We always talk about wanting to market our sport. This is a
unique opportunity to promote our sport and the opportunities it
affords.”
The idea of the Navy SEALs coming to Minnesota originated last spring
at the national high school wrestling tournament when Robinson ran into
a group of SEAL recruiters. In discussing the type of person needed to
carry out special operations, the high rate of failure among soldiers
training to be SEALs arose. Navy SEALs are, by nature, held to much
higher standards than that of regular soldiers. However, the SEALs were
having a difficult time finding people with the right type skill sets.
Based on his own experience as a college coach, Robinson presented the
idea of focused recruiting. Citing the skills and characteristics
required in wrestling, he particularly pushed the idea of recruiting
wrestlers.
“I’ve always thought wrestlers would make ideal special operations
soldiers because they already have a lot of the skill sets required,”
he said. “Wrestlers pride themselves on discipline, sacrifice and
dedication, hard work and the ability to function under duress. These
values are all directly transferable to special operations.”
Over the last nine months, Robinson has worked closely with the SEALs
to devise a strategy that would benefit both the Navy SEALs and the
wrestling community across the nation. With final approval passed just
last week, the plan will come to fruition next week with the SEALs
coming to the University of Minnesota.
“They’re bringing the Trident Challenge to Minnesota because they
want to kick it off in conjunction with the match between two of the
top teams in the country,” Robinson said. “They are interested in the
wrestling community in Minnesota and offering kids the opportunity to
show they have what it takes to become a SEAL. Not many opportunities
like this come along in life. This is one the wrestling community needs
to take notice of and embrace.”
Describing it as an honor to have the U.S. Navy SEALs coming to
Minnesota and specifically seeking out the wrestling community,
Robinson said the only thing left is for the wrestling community to
step up to the challenge.
“Some kids say they can become a SEAL,” Robinson said. “This event
offers them the opportunity to prove it. We want the wrestling
community to participate and see how they can do.”
If successful, Robinson realizes the impact the event could have on
promoting the sport of wrestling as a vehicle for accomplishing bigger
goals.
“Young kids out there who dream of being a Navy SEAL will want to go
into wrestling. If you spend 10 years in wrestling with the objective
of that helping you become a SEAL, then it fulfills a life-long goal.”
While the inaugural event to be held next Sunday is significant for
both the wrestling community and the Navy SEALs, Robinson sees it as
just the beginning of something that has the potential to become much
bigger. He envisions a day when the Trident Challenge will be a
national event that will attract the best high school wrestlers from
across the country.
“In the entire wrestling community in the United States, 75,000 kids
graduate a year. If we can produce just 200-300 SEALs a year, it would
mean everything to the SEALs and it would mean everything to our sport.
It could change the face of wrestling.”