Why is USA Wrestling in business?    This answer could end up being something that becomes very philosophical and take-off in all kinds of directions. For me, however, the answer is simple. We are here because of the athletes.    Without our athletes, the actual participants in the sport on all levels, there is no wrestling and there is no USA Wrestling. Certainly, our organization has many, many people who are not athletes at this time. We have coaches, volunteers, officials, parents, fans, administrators and leaders, all who work hard on behalf of the sport.     But ultimately, all of our efforts, from the national staff, to the Board of Directors, to the adult coaches and team leaders, is on behalf of our athletes. This is why we give so much of our time and effort for USA Wrestling. It is for the athletes that we spend so many weekends in gymnasiums around the nation, and so many nights in wrestling rooms at practice.    At times, we need to step back and appreciate the athletes a bit more than we might during the day-to-day business of the wrestling schedule.     With this column, I would like to praise the Senior-level athletes within USA Wrestling, those talented and dedicated stars who represent our nation in all three international styles.    When things do not go according to plan, either with a performance that falls short of goals or some behavior that does not meet our expectation, the athletes are the ones who take criticism from the public. This is fair game. These are grown adults who are carrying the banner of our organization and our nation, and with that comes responsibilities.     That said, it is often easy to forget about the challenges faced by our Senior-level athletes. When we are upset and disappointed about certain outcomes, you can be certain that our athletes are feeling the same way, even to a higher degree. They are living wrestling, and the highs and lows that competition brings is personal to each and every athlete.    Sometimes, it is helpful to walk in another person's shoes, as the saying goes, so let's lace up a pair of ASICS and spend a little time as a Senior-level athlete.    Most of our Senior-level athletes are college graduates, or are trained professionals in the U.S. military. These people are extending their wrestling careers into their adult lives, passing up some of the professional opportunities that are available to them in order to be a wrestler. In today's world, you cannot be a world-class wrestler training on a part-time basis. In order for these young men and women to be champions, they often have to put wrestling first, ahead of career and family.    A good percentage of these athletes have decided to move to Colorado Springs to train as U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athletes. They have left their families and friends from their home states and moved to a new location to pursue their dreams. Many live in dormitories, something most of us stopped doing when we finished with college. Others have to piece together a part-time living to afford a home off-campus.     The Senior-level athletes who are not training in Colorado often travel there for specialized training, leaving their jobs and family behind. Then there is the travel for training camps and competition, a must for world-class performance. Often, this takes weeks at a time, and during the summer prior to the World Championships, it takes months.    Add to that the fact that each of these athletes are aiming for the same goal - making the U.S. team and winning a gold medal at the World or Olympic Championships. Of the hundreds of Senior-level athletes in the nation, there are only 21 wrestlers each year that earn a No. 1 spot on the National Team. Of this small group, only a few are able to win a medal each summer. When you look at it this way, the majority of our Senior-level athletes fall short of their goals, although they made a similar sacrifice and commitment as those who did succeed.    Certainly, our elite athletes are receiving more support than those who wrestled prior to the late 1980's. We have a National Team program that provides financial support based upon performance. The U.S. Olympic Committee also directly supports the athletes financially. Until 1993, there were no resident programs available for wrestlers. The quality of the coaching they receive has improved, with more full-time professional coaches and higher-trained volunteer coaches committed to their training.     The most successful U.S. wrestlers are not making the kind of money that regular professional athletes secure, or even athletes in glamour Olympic sports like track and field and figure skating. They are wrestling because they love the sport and have high personal goals within it, not for fame and fortune.    Our elite-level athletes are people we can be proud of. They have chosen to make a full commitment to our sport and to pursue excellence. When you take an objective look at our teams and our athletes, they have done a very good job at these pursuits.     In addition, our wrestlers are also often willing to give back to the sport. They care about building a better sport for the next generation. If you compare our athletes to those in other sports, there is a strong loyalty by our athletes to their sport.    It is easy to lose sight of all of this, especially in the heat of battle when results are so important and the pressure is on. We expect a lot from our Senior-level wrestlers, and as a rule, our athletes deliver. I just wish to say thanks to our elite wrestlers, and encourage them to continue to pursue their goals within our sport.