Dedication of the 2011-12 St. Benedict’s Prep Wrestling Season
ROMAN RUDERMAN

Who was Roman Ruderman?  Those of us who did know him, knew him by the way he lived, how he walked around during gym time, and by the impact he had upon us as wrestlers under his watchful eyes. You knew him by the short, Mr. Miyagi-like sentences he spoke. You knew him by the subtle, miniscule changes he made in your stance, your shot, in how you held that Russian two-on-one.  You knew him by how he would tell you to grab his wrists during practice, and then, all of a sudden, you were on your back looking at the lights, or grabbing your hands in pain because of some childish trick he played on you. You knew him because when you walked into the wrestling room and saw him standing around, you respected him, you feared him, and because you thought his accent was cool.

Roman Ruderman was a teacher, coach, father, and friend to many people. He had several great years here, at St. Benedict’s as a teacher and coach.  I first met him in 1993, my freshman year.  He was a statue to me, chiseled, strong—he looked like a World Champion.  He had the well-known cauliflower ears, so you sensed right away that he was once probably very good.  And, of course he had that thick, Russian accent. When he first arrived, I could hardly understand what he was saying to me. But, in a  meaningful way, I absolutely connected with him, and wanted to know much more of whatever it was that he was saying. His presence was felt when you were in the room.  Some wanted to be perfect for him.  He demanded perfection.  Some wanted to always stay around him during workouts to make sure they were doing things right, and to be corrected by him.  He was an advantage to have in the corner during any tournament or match in which we were competing. 

Roman was a master of wrestling like Bruce Lee was to the martial arts. He knew every little trick there was to know about wrestling.  His explanations made so much sense that you had to wonder why you hadn’t thought of whatever he was describing, in that same manner, from the outset. I remember him by his expressions such as, “jerrrrkieee” and “do dat.”  When you think about Roman, you think about perfection—technique first, keeping it simple, and becoming a master at what you were already good at doing. Roman never felt that you needed to know a broad range of techniques, but instead, he believed that you needed to be able to execute what you knew, perfectly.  There was a counter to everything and there was an explanation to every situation. He always had the right answer for you, and it was invariably a simple one. 

Roman Ruderman was born in the Soviet Union on May 16, 1950 and was one of the greatest wrestlers the world never got to see compete on the international stage. Roman was of Jewish ethnicity, and throughout his competitive career, was not allowed to leave the Soviet Union or travel internationally. Here, at St. Benedict’s though, Roman was loved, respected, and an integral member of our community for over a decade.  He was a 10-time Belarus National Champion, a Russian National Champion, and he won the famed Tbilisi Tournament twice. Roman beat American greats such as Olympic Champion Ben Peterson and Olympic Silver Medalist, Russ Hellickson.  During the  11 year span of his wrestling career, Roman never lost a match.  He was finally able to leave the Soviet Union where he went initially to Poland and  established himself as an outstanding Freestyle Coach, prior to emigrating to the United States and joining us here, at St. Benedict’s. 

When Coach Ruderman passed on September 9, 2011, we lost a great man, father, friend, and coach, a statement that is true not only at St. Benedict’s, but throughout entire wrestling community as well.  Coach Ruderman will always be remembered by several faculty, friends, former wrestlers at St. Benedict’s.  He truly was a wrestling angel, sent down to shape the lives of young men through the sport that he loved. We were fortunate that Coach Ruderman began to establish his legacy in the United States here at St. Benedict’s, in our house, garnet and gray. 

We dedicate our 2011-2012 wrestling season to Roman Ruderman for the many years that he contributed to St. Benedict’s wrestling. Roman Ruderman will be missed long after his passing, and will never be forgotten in the Gray Bee wrestling room.  

This one is for you Coach Roman.