Wartburg’s Scott Kauffman’s Making Most of Second Chance
A Variety Of Reasons Led The Emmetsburg, IA Standout To Quit The Team At Iowa, But Now, at Age 25, He is a Force at DIII Power Wartburg
By Jim Nelson “Special To The Wrestling Mall
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WAVERLY, IA – He was the hot shot recruit.
Everybody wanted him.
He was cast from the same mold as twin brothers Tom and Terry Brands, but in an upperweight’s body.
Scott Kauffman ruled the Iowa prep wrestling scene in the late 1990s.
He was a four-time state placewinner, never finishing worse than third and capping his career with a 42-0 state championship senior season. Twice, he finished in the top four at the Junior National Freestyle championships, and Kauffman was named an Amateur Wrestling News prep all-American in 1998.
The University of Iowa was an obvious choice for the prep standout from Emmetsburg.
As easy as it had been in high school, Kauffman never expected it to be so difficult in college. After 2 ,½ seasons as a Hawkeye, one as a redshirt, Kauffman quit.
“I guess … I don’t know what happened, “said Kauffman. “Maybe it was I had to find out a little bit more of who I was. Maybe it was simple frustrations of being one of the best guys in the state and finding out you are at the bottom of the totem pole when you get there.
“I really didn’t handle it well. I had always been on top in the practice room and at meets. It really frustrated me, and then wore on me. “
As the frustrations mounted, Kauffman made questionable decisions out of the practice room. Downtown Iowa City and its vices became a place to mask those frustrations.
His life started to spiral out of control, and finally Kauffman gave up on wrestling.
“It was simple. I was unhappy in my life, with school, with my social life … with everything, “said Kauffman. “My life was really out of balance, and they were all thrown out of balance by a few choices I had made. “
After competing the first semester of the 2000-01 season, he left Iowa. Kauffman returned home to Emmetsburg for a short period before returning to Iowa City where he worked odd jobs.
During the 2001-02 season, he started coaching wrestling at Iowa City Regina with John Strittmatter, the brother of Hawkeye wrestler Jody Strittmatter.
As time passed, Kauffman started to get his life in order. His competitive drive began to return and one day he was resting on the Regina practice room floor reading The Predicament.
“I see Sonny Alvarez’s name, and he’s ranked No. 2 in the nation in Division III, “said Kauffman. “Sonny was a guy I wrestled in high school and beat at the state tournament. I thought, here is a guy living his dream and doing it his way.
“I thought, why can’t I do that? It really began to hit me that I didn’t want to be 65 one day sitting with my buddies and say I still have two years left. I didn’t want to live with that hanging over me. “
With his life heading back in the right direction, Kauffman began setting in motion his return to competitive wrestling.
He contacted one of his confidants “current Waverly-Shell Rock head wrestling coach Rick Caldwell – whom Kauffman got to know during Caldwell’s days as the Ames High head coach.
“I called coach Caldwell one night to discuss team and stuff like that, “said Kauffman. “He kind of listened, listened and listened, and he didn’t really give me any feedback when I was done whining.
“Finally, he said, ‘When are you going to start wrestling again Scott?’ I told him I thought about it every day. “
It was at that time Kauffman got Wartburg College wrestling coach Jim Miller’s phone number. He had friends and several former Emmetsburg wrestlers at Wartburg — including Paul Reedy, Mark Sturm and Ryan Sturm.
“It was a strange deal, “said Miller. “Two years ago, he showed up at the conference meet at Coe College and said he wanted to transfer to Wartburg. “
After hearing the right things from Kauffman, Miller welcomed him.
“He asked me what was my number one goal if I came to Wartburg, “said Kauffman. “I said, ‘To get a degree.’ I told him wrestling can come second because there was a chance I wouldn’t have been granted my eligibility back.
“Getting a degree was my priority. I worked enough odd jobs in Iowa City where I saw 40-year old men who looked 60. I didn’t want to be one of those guys. “
Added Miller, “He expressed a desire to become a teacher and a coach. I felt given the opportunity to earn a degree, even if nothing happened with wrestling, it would be a plus for him. “
There was no guarantee Kauffman would ever wrestle for Wartburg. One factor was the depth and talent the Knights already had at Kauffman’s weights — 184 and 197.
Last year, Ryan Sturm (184) and Akeem Carter (197) won national titles for Wartburg.
Kauffman, a junior academically and athletically, spent last year working his way back into competitive shape and re-adjusting himself to academic life.
He was slated to return at the break this year and provide competition in the room for both Sturm and Carter. But Sturm suffered an arm injury in the offseason and will miss the entire year, giving Kauffman an immediate chance to make an impact.
His first action was at the Desert Duals in Las Vegas where he won all four of his matches, including a 7-2 victory over Division III’s top-ranked Matt Sassolino of Elmhurst College.
“I can’t remember the last time I was this happy with all aspects of my life — job, family and school, “said Kauffman. “My parents have been supportive. My family outside of my parents has been really supportive in helping me get back into school. I have a lot of people to be thankful for. “
Kauffman, who will turn 26 in May, is a true non-traditional student/athlete.
There is little free time in Kauffman’s life. He continues to work — working at least 20 hours a week for Cardinal Construction of Waterloo.
In addition, he takes a full load of courses, and when he’s not working, taking class or studying, he wrestles.
“Without Cardinal this thing may not have fallen the way it did, “said Kauffman. “They got me a job right here on campus, which is a gold mine for me. I love getting up and going to work with a great bunch of guys. “
Having a job on campus sometimes means going to class in his work clothes.
“I explained and apologized to my teachers that I’m sorry if I stink one day because it might be a little hot outside, “quipped Kauffman. “But the atmosphere here as far as school goes is unbelievable.
“Wartburg has so many caring teachers who are willing to go the extra distance if you’re willing to meet them halfway. “
Miller and Caldwell are two of many supporters who are happy to see Kauffman succeeding.
“He has done a 180 from where he was a few years ago, “said Caldwell who coached Kauffman during the summer freestyle competitions. “It was not like he was a bad person in any way, but he really is on track now, and things are going great for him. “
Miller said Kauffman has made a bigger impact on Wartburg’s program than what occurs on the mat.
“You never know how something like this is going to turn out, but Scott has been a pleasant surprise, “said Miller. “He is a good leader and a very common-sense guy.
“He knows what happens when you don’t make the right decisions in life, and he’s passed on what he has learned to our guys. “
Jim Nelson is a sports writer for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, where this article originally appeared. Nelson can be contacted at (319) 291-1521 or at [email protected]
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