Practicing Patience: USA Wrestling Coach’s Corner feature on Pat Smith

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in WIN’s Volume 32 Issue 5, which printed on Jan. 21, 2026. 

By Wes Littlefield 

Pat Smith, yes, that Pat Smith, the first four-time NCAA Division I national champion, who wrestled for Oklahoma State University (1990-92, 1994), admitted, “My biggest challenge as a coach has probably been having patience.” Why then does he preach patience to his wrestlers and fellow coaches?

Smith has dedicated his life to wrestling. He began wrestling in third grade, was the nation’s No. 1 recruit out of high school, won four individual NCAA DI national titles, and had a very successful 12-year stint as an assistant coach at OSU. All his success didn’t magically appear. He had to work hard, and it’s a wonder he didn’t burn out, as so many other wrestlers do. Even though Smith admits that having patience is one of the biggest challenges he faces, it is clear he has turned this “weakness” into a strength.

Charging after challenges

Call him crazy, but Smith gave up being an assistant coach at one of the leading wrestling universities in the nation to chase the chance of accomplishing another first. “It was the spring of 2007, and I got a call (from wrestling supporter/philanthropist Greg Hatcher) asking me to help start high-school wrestling in Arkansas. After hearing the pitch, I thought, “This is something that nobody else in our sport is going to be able to do in my lifetime, if ever.”

This endeavor took patience. “The biggest challenge of starting wrestling in a state was just educating the people about the sport. The first three or four years were solely devoted to educating the public. Our first goal was to get high school wrestling as a sanctioned sport in Arkansas. All we did was call athletic directors and explain the benefits for student-athletes and what they’re missing by not having the opportunity to wrestle if they want to. It was a slow start, but it began gaining momentum as more schools joined.”

Now 18 years later, Arkansas has 50+ youth wrestling clubs, over 75 high school programs, and five college programs, with schools representing every division. “It is amazing how fast it has grown,” Smith said. “Arkansas is a blue-collar state, and people just love wrestling when they hear about it and learn more about it. The people of Arkansas took to it, and the sport exploded.”

Presently, Smith serves as a wrestling coach for the Mighty Bluebirds Organization in Little Rock, an organization that was started “to help give kids productive things to do after school to help develop character and confidence through competition.”

Practicing patience at all levels

It is easy to see by the positive results across Arkansas that Smith’s patience in bringing wrestling to the Natural State has paid off. However, he believes he has plenty of room for growth. “I have to tell myself every day, you’ve got to have patience, and you’ve got to have fun. I want to make the practice fun and intense for my wrestlers. I’m constantly checking my attitude and approach toward my athletes.”

Smith says, “There’s not a lot of difference between coaching youth and Olympians. I was fortunate enough to coach many NCAA champs and Olympians during my 12 years at OSU. During that time, I realized that not much changes between five-year-old wrestlers and Olympic-level athletes. You’re still working on technique, developing their confidence, and maintaining their weight at every level. Younger wrestlers require a slower pace and more patience as they develop their skills. Be patient with them, stay positive, and make wrestling fun.”

Being patient is especially beneficial after a wrestler loses. “One thing that every coach (me included) can do better is know how to handle a wrestler the right way after a loss. It gives wrestling a bad name when coaches scream and yell at young kids for losing. It’s hard enough to do this sport as it is. This isn’t a team sport; it’s a personal sport, and that puts a lot of pressure on an athlete. They have enough pressure as it is, and they don’t need any more from a coach when they lose.

“I give them a comforting hand on the shoulder and let them know I’m there to support them, and then I leave them alone and give them space to cool down. After 30 minutes to an hour after they’ve calmed down, I talk to them in a calm voice and say something positive, such as, ‘Hey, you lost this match but keep your head up.’” However, there are times that you have to be honest with them, Smith said. “Hey, you gave up and let them pin you; you’re not going to get better doing that.

“I always end the talk on a positive note because I want my interactions to end with the wrestlers respecting and loving me as a coach.”

No matter what age they are, it’s important to “remind them that as long as they’re doing their best and getting better each time they step on the mat, that’s what matters most. We focus on wrestling at our best, not winning and losing.” That is the basis of how Pat Smith has encouraged an entire state to develop healthy and happy wrestlers of all ages.