I posted this on the High School forum tonight and thought it might give some perspective to parents, coaches and young wrestlers today. My son started at the age of six and has continued to compete all the way through this year, his Senior year. He has had a lot of success and he has also endured a lot of bumps along the way, but he has always been as competitive in the classroom as he has been on the mat.
"Wrestlers have to endure tougher physical and mental conditions than many of their athletic counterparts. I believe that the character wrestlers build during their careers enhances their success in the classroom. None of them want to lose and most will throw everything they can out on the mat to succeed. Again, I am a firm believer that this desire to excel can translate to excelling in the classroom.
That being said, I had a heart to heart with my son at the end of State last year when he had a heart breaking early exit from the tournament. I said that I wanted his top goal to be first team All-State Academic Team for his senior year, followed by a couple of other goals that he can also achieve. He responded by finishing with a 4.0 this fall and is on pace to finish in the top 10% of a class around 450 students. Could he have done this well in the classroom without wrestling? Maybe. I would like to think that wrestling taught him that you have to work harder than those around you to finish near the top. I think it did."
