Meet Ryan Lang, the Director of Photos By Wrestlers and photo enthusiast. As a former wrestler, he has an eye for the perfect moment on the mat. Portraits weren’t always Ryan’s passion however over time, it became clear to him that he had a creative passion and wanted to find a way to utilize that for the sport of wrestling. Giving back to the wrestling community is nothing new for Ryan and it is something he truly enjoys.
Facebook: Ryan Lang
Instagram: @ryledgerlang
Website:
Meet Tadaaki Hatta, an established author and artist that utilizes various mediums to create breathtaking artwork. Over the course of his career, Tadaaki has taught high school and college while also coaching wrestling from the grade school to Olympic level. In fact, he coached in eight Olympic games from 1968 to 2008, serving on the Japanese, Mexican and American men’s teams and the American women’s team. In 2008, Tadaaki received USA Wrestling’s Coach of the Year award, having just served as head coach for the USA women’s wrestling team at the Beijing Olympics. In 2019, he received OSU’s prestigious Ed Gallagher Award. And in 1982, he published “The Wrestling Techniques Handbook.” Hatta restores statues at Cleveland churches pro bono and continues producing artwork. You can find four of his pieces at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater: a painting of Dan Gable vs. Bobby Douglas, a painting of Zeke Jones at the 1992 Olympics, a sculpture of Chris Taylor being thrown at the 1972 Olympics, and a poster of Gilgamesh.
Facebook: tadaaki Hatta
Instagram: @hattatadaaki
Website (HOF Link): https://nwhof.org/hall_of_fame/bio/8057