Siezing Opportunity
In this powerful talk to Central Catholic High School and CCRTC wrestlers, Coach Emilio Saavedra delivers a message that every athlete needs to hear: time is running faster than you think.
Using a simple but powerful concept—730 days—Coach Emilio challenges wrestlers to recognize how few opportunities remain in a high school career. He discusses missed tournaments, recruiting, personal responsibility, and the importance of actively creating opportunities rather than waiting for them to appear.
Whether you’re a wrestler, parent, coach, or student, this message extends far beyond sports. It’s a reminder that success isn’t determined by a single moment, but by consistently taking advantage of the opportunities in front of you before they’re gone.
Take 10 minutes to watch this clip and ask yourself one question:
“What am I doing today to create opportunities for tomorrow?”
Executive Summary
Coach Emilio challenges athletes to stop thinking they have unlimited time. He breaks down a wrestler’s high school career into something tangible: 730 days for most underclassmen, 365 days for seniors. When viewed that way, the time remaining to achieve goals, earn recruiting attention, and maximize potential becomes shockingly small.
His central message is that opportunities are constantly available—tournaments, camps, duals, national events, training sessions, study of the sport—but many athletes let them pass by because they’re tired, hurt, busy, or simply not motivated. The athletes who separate themselves are the ones who actively seek opportunities rather than waiting for them.
Ultimately, he reminds athletes that college coaches are searching through thousands of wrestlers. The goal is to become the “shiny rock” that stands out among all the others.
The Core Message
Opportunity Is Perishable
The most powerful idea in the talk is that opportunities expire.
Freshman year feels long when you’re living it. But Coach Emilio forces the athletes to see reality:
- Freshmen have roughly 24 months before recruiting decisions become critical.
- Seniors have roughly 12 months.
- Every missed tournament, training opportunity, or developmental experience is time that cannot be recovered.
His message isn’t that every missed event is a failure.
His message is:
“You don’t get those chances back.”
Key Themes
1. Time Moves Faster Than You Think
Throughout the talk he repeatedly returns to the numbers:
- 24 months
- 730 days
- 365 days
He uses these numbers because they make the abstract become real.
A wrestler may think:
“I’ve got plenty of time.”
But 730 days suddenly sounds very different.
The countdown has already started.
2. Missed Opportunities Should Bother You
Coach Emilio walks through all the events athletes didn’t attend:
- Western Regionals
- Northwest Regionals
- Greco State
- Freestyle State
- Fargo
- National Duals
- U.S. Open
His point isn’t to shame athletes.
It’s to create awareness.
He says those missed opportunities should “sting a little bit.”
That discomfort is healthy because it reminds athletes that growth often happens when they say yes to difficult opportunities.
3. Nobody Can Want It More Than You
Referencing Bo Bassett’s father, Coach Emilio emphasizes a truth every successful athlete eventually learns:
Coaches can help.
Parents can support.
But ultimately, the athlete has to want it.
Nobody else can chase your goals for you.
4. Recruitability Is Built Every Day
One of the strongest sections of the talk is when he explains recruiting.
College coaches aren’t looking at one match.
They aren’t looking at one tournament.
They’re evaluating:
- Commitment
- Consistency
- Competition schedule
- Growth
- Exposure
- Results over time
He reminds the athletes that recruiting is a process of standing out among thousands.
His “shiny rock” analogy is simple but effective:
There are thousands of rocks.
Why should a coach pick yours?
5. Create Opportunities Instead of Waiting for Them
Perhaps the most important leadership lesson is this:
Opportunity isn’t something that simply appears.
Opportunity is often created.
Coach Emilio asks:
“What are you doing to create those opportunities?”
That’s a question that applies far beyond wrestling.
- Academics
- Careers
- Business
- Leadership
- Life
The people who achieve the most rarely wait for opportunities. They actively pursue them.
Why This Message Resonates
What makes this talk powerful is that it isn’t motivational fluff.
Coach Emilio isn’t talking about dreams.
He’s talking about math.
The clock is running.
Whether an athlete is working, improving, competing, studying film, attending events, or making excuses, the days continue to disappear.
That’s a message every wrestler eventually learns—but the earlier they learn it, the better.
Memorable Quotes & Ideas
These are the moments that stand out:
“You only got 24 months.”
“730 days to prove yourself.”
“There are thousands of rocks.”
“Be that shiny rock.”
“Think about the opportunities you’re missing.”
“What are you doing to create those opportunities?”
“You’re running out of time.”
