Coach Valyen Rauser
Pictures and Content Courtesy of Valyen Rauser
My name is Valyen Rauser, the kids Call me Coach Val. I was born and raised in Townsend, Montana. I grew up with four brothers, one of which was my twin brother Jade.
We started wrestling at the age of three. Our dad was a High School State Champion and a Wrestling Coach. All we knew was wrestling, so that is pretty much all we did. We played baseball, soccer and football, but wrestling was always the sport we focused on most. I was a 3X Montana High School State Champion and Runner Up. I was a 5X Fargo Finalist, 2X Fargo Champion and and an 8X Fargo All American. I also was a Folkstyle National Champion and Runner up. I received a Full Ride Divsion 1 Offer from Utah Valley University, and I wrestled there for almost three years. My wrestling career was cut short due to illness. I suffered from Ulcerative Colitis from Freshman year of high school through my Second year of college. I ended up having twelve inches of my colon removed and decided my health was more important. That’s why I got into coaching.
I started coaching in 2014 and have been at it ever since. I coached for numerous different programs throughout the years from teams in Utah, Montana and Arizona, but now my home is Las Vegas where I coach for Aniciete Training Club. Nap and Alex Aniciete are Vegas natives that ended up being my best friends and roommates in college. Once they opened up ATC, they asked me if I would coach with them here in Vegas, so I moved two weeks later. Our gym has been open for the last three years. We have had lots of success, and it has been a blessing to be here helping these kids pursue their goals on the mat and in life.
My coaching philosophy is very simple. The first thing I always tell my kids is have fun and enjoy. Wrestling is too hard for us not to be having fun. Second thing is, it’s not about winning and losing; it’s about continuing to improve 1% daily by learning and applying the basics and fundamentals of wrestling into your everyday life. If you can do this, you will Win more matches, and it will be a lot more fun. Be humble and learn everyday!
I love wrestling; it gave me so many things: Friendships, Families, Culture, Good Work Ethic, Grit, Resilience, Adversity, Athleticism, Determination, Discipline, Strength and Speed, and so much more. If you love wrestling then you picked a good one because there isn’t anything more rewarding and tough than wrestling. Coach Val Rauser