By RICHIE HALL
CARMEL – Even while taking a break to chat, James Tanniehill will go back to coaching mode in an instant.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame member conducted two practices for the Carmel Wrestling Club this past week, leading wrestlers with his wisdom and knowledge of techniques that he had accumulated from 60 years of being involved with the sport. While talking with the Reporter on Thursday after practice, Tanniehill was watching CWC coach Henry “Pete” Peterson and Carmel wrestler Jordan Jay as Peterson was helping Jay run through a technique.
After finishing a thought, Tanniehill looked up. “Ah, ah,” he said. “Stay on the side, pick the leg up and then go for the pin.” Jay did just that, practicing that move several times.
Tanniehill was introduced to wrestling as a teenager, after he, his mother and sisters moved to Minnesota from Alabama. He picked up wrestling right away, soon becoming a top high school wrestler and placing third in the state. Tanniehill continued his wrestling career at Winona State College, where he won over 100 matches and became a two-time Division I All American. Tanniehill was the first African American Northern Intercollegiate Conference champion for all four years. (You can read Tanniehill’s Hall of Fame biography here LINK https://nwhof.org/hall_of_fame/bio/14607)
Tanniehill soon moved on to coaching, becoming the first African American to coach wrestling at Terre Haute South, where he mentored two state champions and took the team to a runner-up finish in the team tournament. He was involved with the Pike High School wrestling program for several years, which is where he crossed paths with Peterson, who graduated from Pike in 1997.
“He started off as my trainer, as a team trainer,” said Peterson. “He got on the coaching staff for my junior and senior year.” During his senior year, the 152-pound Peterson won sectional, regional and semi-state championships and finished as state runner-up.
“He’s the reason that I fell in love with the technique of wrestling,” said Peterson. “The process of training, the skill and everything that it takes to become a champion wrestler. He instilled in me a love and appreciation for the process of becoming a great wrestler.
“The fun for it is in trying. You may not become a champion, but you’ll become a better person and a better person and a better version of yourself in the attempt to become a champion wrestler. And so, I enjoy doing that with these young people. They may not be a champion, but the goal is, we’re going to set that as a goal, and then as close as you get to it will make you a better person.”
Tanniehill shared his coaching expertise with the young wrestlers at the practices. He also mentioned several intangibles, saying that the belief that wrestlers have in their wanting to become a champion is just as important.
“You’ve got to believe it,” said Tanniehill. “You’ve got to want it so bad you believe that you will. Do what’s necessary. Get the proper sleep. Get the right food.”
He also believes that any athlete, not just wrestlers, need to have a love of competition. Tanniehill encouraged athletes to play multiple sports, not just wrestle in the winter. Doing so will make them more valuable to coaches.
“Coaches want to see, can you compete?” said Tanniehill. “Do you want to compete? Because they’re going to teach you their techniques.”
In addition to coaching, Tanniehill has given back to the community, forming a youth program called “Take Down Crime” to help at-risk young people in the inner city of Indianapolis.
“We had some good kids,” said Tanniehill.
Even after over 60 years, Tanniehill is still enjoying wrestling. That is another one of his beliefs: wrestlers need to be having fun on the mat.
“You got to allow these kids to go out there and have fun,” said Tanniehill.