My Passion
-----Original Message-----
From: Justin
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 4:30 PM
To: wiwrestling.com
Subject: My Passion
I've been involved in wrestling ever since I can remember. Through my
younger years with the (local) youth club and various middle school
teams and of course my years at (my) high school. At best I was a
average wrestler talent wise, but I was always one of the hardest
working wrestlers on the team. I never won an MVP award and my coaches
never felt I was captain material, but I won several most dedicated and
iron man awards for never missing a practice, even if I was injured.
Injuries, that word pretty much describes my wrestling career;
regardless I never gave up. Still to this day I get upset thinking about
my 1st match at regionals my senior year where I lost by 1 point, but
that season prepared me for the rest of my life. I dedicated myself 110%
to a successful season. What I did not realize at 17 years of age is
that it was not my record that I would remember, but my determination to
never give up and the blood, sweat and tears I shared with my teammates.
After high school I was unable to continue wrestling while attending UW
Oshkosh, because of financial issues. However, I was able to stay
involved in the sport. My younger brother who is now 10 and in the 5th
grade is my greatest joy. I began teaching him when he was just a little
baby barely able to walk. Through his kindergarten and first grade
seasons which were adorable to watch and his second grade year, when he
gathered more first places than I did in my entire wrestling career and
through the 3rd and 4th grade seasons as well. Deep inside I know my
brother has the talent to be a tremendous wrestler. I'm not sure that he
will ever love the sport as I did. I continue to be an assistant coach
on his youth team and am there to support him with it all. For anybody
that may read this and can understand what it is like to love a sport so
much that it becomes your passion, you can relate. Wrestling was my
outlet, my guide, my mentor. Growing up without a father and looking up
to my coach (who is now my little brothers coach) is one of the greatest
memories of my childhood. My favorite part of being involved with the
youth club is having the opportunity to work with kids who remind me of
me when I was that age. Over the last couple of years there have been
several kids that stick out in my mind. The kids that were completely
dedicated but not always the most talented. From my perspective and from
my experience, I have the unfortunate opportunity to see every coach I've
ever had, single out the best wrestlers on the team, even if they don't
know it and pretend to care about the others. For any other coaches that
may read this, I wonder if you feel the way I do. Any day of the week I
would rather have a team of dedicated wrestlers who love the sport than
a team of state champions. Wrestling is a wonderful sport, it helped me
grow into who I am today and has partially shaped my outlook on life.
Without hesitation I can, and will say it proud...I always tried my best
and many times came up short, but when it was over I never wondered what
if....because in the end my passion for the sport is immeasurable. It
was not about the record, it was about the effort. Sincerely
Justin |