Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion High School Character, Integrity and Wrestling

I witnessed something last night that has been on my mind all morning. Many times I feel like we hear nothing but negative things about our athletes, and even sports in general. Maybe it's because it seems like that's all we deal with. Maybe people thrive on sensationalism, and fail to note little, positive things that are much more common. Last night before the finals at the Garden City tournament, I had an opportunity to talk a bit to Nathan Furches. He was warming up on the mat, looking a little nervous, but I wanted to compliment him on his semi-final win. It was one of the most exciting matches that I have seen in quite a while. I had never spoken with him, and found him to be a very polite kid, full of "yes sir's and thank you's".

He lost a tough, one point match in the finals. After the loss, a little frustration set in, I am sure. Like so many kids do after a loss, he walked quickly over to the opposing coaches corner, slapped his hand instead of offering a real handshake, gave the assistant a quick half-hearted handshake, and took a step or two away. He quickly paused, turned around, and offered his hand to the first coach. That's a little thing that very few people in the gym probably noticed. But, to me, it said volumes about his character. I know that there are a lot of kids that probably THINK about going back and doing the right thing, but very few that actually do it. Since we are going to Salina, I won't get the opportunity to watch the kid in action, but I will follow him, hoping that he has a great state tournament. Nathan, I think more of you at this point after the loss than I would have after a tech fall in the finals, simply because of your actions. Congratulations on a good tournament, and good luck the rest of the year.

I think that's a big reflection on the way he was raised.

Coach, we got back into town and saw some negative comments about Nathan on the national forum so have stayed off after our return to Wichita this afternoon from Garden City. I just got Nathan out of bed to read your comment. From his mother and I, and Nathan, thank you. There is a lot more to a young man or woman than how they perform on a wrestling mat; sometimes what matters most is what they have learned and how they respond. To say the least he was upset after the match, I don't recall seeing him more upset. I noticed what he did though and commented to him last night that he did the right thing by going back to shake the coaches hand, the table workers and the officials. I am also pleased that he went up to Zeke a good friend of ours and congratulated Zeke again for his win before we left the tournament.

This weekend was tough on Nathan, having his hand raised in a great match against another friend and wrestler who we respect so much Trent Cox, when we both knew that he didn’t beat Trent. There are matches that sometimes are decided outside of the actions of the wrestlers, the match against Trent was such a match. We felt that the match against Zeke was similar, but this time it went against Nathan. That is just wrestling and I know that the final four of the Garden City Tournament was a national caliber tournament final. That being the case, there is no shame in loosing, whether he would have lost to Trent Cox and/or Zeke. I have seen these three young men wrestle against each other for a number of years now. I know it will always come down to the last few seconds. The last four times Nathan has wrestled Zeke it went to overtime, twice Nathan won, and now twice Zeke. Same type of situation with Trent Cox, you will never hear me say anything but positive about him, or his father, because he as well is a young man who handled a tough loss with class on Friday night and his father is one of the classiest men in Kansas wrestling. I want to also say, that the character that is continuing on a high school level speaks volumes for their coaches. Whether that be Andale or Ponderosa, or La Junta or Derby, each program has coaches that require more than just winning, they have coaches that require and teach winning in life.

Mike,

You should have shown Nathan in the morning before going to school when he is up! Don't wake the kid up mid slumber, that's bad protcol! LOL

Mr. Furches
You're welcome!

Show me a good loser and I'll still show you a loser.

Gutwrench,

I hope your response was meant to be a joke of some kind and that you are a friend of the Furches'. I have found this thread very good and even though I do not know the Furches' you can bet that I am going to use Nathan as an example to my team. When his wrestling days are over his character is what the rest of his life is based on. I congratulate the young man on what he did. He can look the "man in the mirror" and know that he took the harder right rather than the easier wrong.

Mr. Furches,

You and your wife have done a great job raising an upstanding young man. I hope and pray that I can do the same with my son!

I just thought this thread was beginning to read like a romance novel. If you don't stop you'll end up like the wrestling fan on this video clip.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6318381037414435530&q=wrestling+cryi

Shawn, thank you.

Gutwrench, the video is good, this one is better. http://www.youtube.com/w/Full-Crying-Wre...wrestling%20fan

and this video is awesome too, although it has nothing to do with wrestling

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-93156591824811127&q=truck+crash

A few of my kids noticed that, and we talked about it a little today. They thought that it was a classy thing to do, and, perhaps more importantly to Nathan, my managers thought that he was cute!

Coach. I'll make sure he don't see the part about being cute. I forget who it was, I think the coach from Valley Center talking about one of the members inducted into the National Wrestling Kansas Chapter of the Hall of Fame last year. He said his coach always said. "Boys, girls are like coke machines. All they do is take your money and don't give you much in return." We have learned that during wrestling season, girls and wrestling don't mix well, unless the girl is a wrestler. That being the case, Nate don't have time to be cute.

I have to remember that quote!.. I could say the same thing about ex-wives!.....my daughter was one of the managers, and I think she's starting to see my philosophy there is similar!