Steen Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

Randy Steen, a former wrestling coach at Rogers Heritage and now a wrestling official, has an extensive background in wrestling coaching and officiating. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Randy Steen, a former wrestling coach at Rogers Heritage and now a wrestling official, has an extensive background in wrestling coaching and officiating. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday.

ROGERS — Randy Steen said he just found his niche in wrestling in 1969.

He’s now at 44 years and counting as a competitor, coach and official in wrestling.

“I was too short to play basketball, too small to play football and too slow to run track,” Steen said. “We had a unit on wrestling in P.E., and the teacher said ‘you might try doing this.’”

Steen was recently inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for his lifetime service to wrestling. He was honored last weekend in Russellville during a banquet sponsored by the Arkansas chapter of the Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Several colleagues wrote letters of nomination, Steen said. But the response from former wrestlers and coaches has been great over the last week.

“My daughter put it out over the social network, and it’s pretty neat to hear from all the people,” Steen said. “They aren’t kids anymore. It’s neat. They still call me coach after 30, 35 years.

“I didn’t even know all this, but my name will be engraved in Stillwater and I can go by and see it. Really kinda neat.”

The 56-year-old, who lettered for three years in wrestling at then Southwest Missouri State, now teaches at Elmwood Middle School in Rogers. Steen led Rogers Heritage to the Class 6A-7A state title and earned Coach of the Year honors as selected by the Arkansas Wrestling Association before getting out of coaching.

Steen earned the national honor for what he has contributed to wrestling, but he is quick to point out the sport has given him plenty, too.

“Wrestling has helped me get jobs, taught me perseverance, allowed me to see the world,” Steen said. “It’s given me and taught me so many things.”

Steen has also helped wrestling to gain popularity in Arkansas. The state’s fifth sanctioned state high school wrestling championship was recently contested.

Several of his colleagues were quick to acknowledge Steen’s contribution specifically in Arkansas.

“He brings a lot of expertise as an official,” Rogers High coach Ken Simmons said. “As an official, he’s really hard on himself. He coached and helped to get programs going, too.”

Steen, who is now strictly an official, loves still being involved in the sport.

“I tell everyone I’ve got the best seat in the house,” Steen said.

Simmons and Steen crossed paths approximately 30 years ago when Steen turned down a high school coaching job in Missouri, which Simmons ultimately took.

Steen has coached high school wrestling in Missouri, Kansas, Nevada and Arkansas from 1979-2010, winning seven state titles. He also coached 11 junior national and cadet national teams.

But his officiating resume is also eye-catching, serving an official for high school, collegiate and international competitions.

Steen talked about his trip with the US Greco-Roman wrestling team to officiate in the world championships in the former Soviet Union in 1989.

“It was pretty amazing to me,” Steen said. “We were 60 miles north of Mongolia. They told us to bring things to trade like bubble gum. The little kids, I had to teach them to chew bubble gum. They ate it because they thought it was taffy.

“When I taught them to blow a bubble they thought I was God.”

Bentonville assistant wrestling coach Steve Grigsby said Steen has definitely had an impact on wrestling in Arkansas.

“Ten years from now when you look back at where we are in the sport, Steen is a name that’s gonna come up,” Grigsby said. “He’s a reason why we’re as far as we are in wrestling in this state.”

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