MatNoise Episode 1

Meet the founder and host Brian Church. Listen as I share my story of how wrestling became apart of my life, and what MatNoise really is. This isn't just a podcast about wins, losses, or technique. It's about the people, moments, and lessons that make amateur wrestling one of the greatest sports in the world. Every whistle. Every handshake. Every victory. Every heartbreak. Every lesson learned. 

Those are the sounds that stay with us long after the match is over. 

Welcome to MatNoise.

The Stories begin here.

Transcript

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Hello, my name is Brian Church, founder and host of Mat Noise, where we preserve the stories, voices, and values of amateur wrestling. Not just the champions, but everyone who has ever stepped onto a wrestling mat. Before I ask others to tell their stories, I think it's only fair to tell mine. As a high school coach for over 20 years, a USA Wrestling Gold Level Certified Coach, National Strength and Conditioning, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a member of the USA Wrestling National Coaches Pool, an Ohio State University alumni. I want to start off with my own story. I started wrestling in ninth grade. I weighed 105 pounds. My inspiration was I wanted to earn a varsity letter. I'd played football and considered myself pretty athletic, but I knew it would take time for me to build up enough to get on the field. Wrestling was something I'd learned about in elementary school, and I remembered being pretty good. So I thought wrestling would be the perfect choice to pursue a varsity ladder quickly and excel at something that was a sport where you compete in weight classes. I wasn't immediately hooked on wrestling. As a freshman, I remembered being in a wrestling room with a bunch of guys I didn't know who had more experience and knowledge than I. Quickly, I noticed that as the new guy in the room, they were sure to show me that they were superior than me, and I would respect them for being so. Those lessons didn't come without a price. They used the most painful moves on me that they knew and many days sent me home crying. I remember one day when more than a couple of guys really got the best of me, and I was at a crossroads. I was defeated, bloody, and bruised. I wanted to quit and give up. But I came back the next day with the attitude that they were not going to run me off like a scared baby. I was determined to work hard and learn everything I could about wrestling, and I knew in my heart, if I committed to this, I had it in me to punch the bully in the mouth, gain their respect, and become the champion I knew I could be. Although I didn't letter as a freshman, I ended up being a three-year varsity letterman in wrestling, a league champion, and a two-time district placer. Wrestling helped me in football as well as I completed my high school as a two-year varsity letterman and an all-league punt returner. I learned a lot from my high school wrestling experience. I learned a lot about me as a person. I learned that wrestling doesn't build character, wrestling reveals it. So you ask, why mat noise? Well, people think mat noise is about the sounds you hear in a wrestling room. It is. But it's also about the stories behind those sounds, every whistle, handshake, cheer, every tear. That's mat noise. The podcast isn't about me. It's about preserving the history of amateur wrestling through the people who lived it. The match may be over, but the mat noise never stops. We'll see you next time.