State Champs Giving Back

State Champs Giving Back

By Ray Shoaf

The Youth State Tournament wrapped up this past weekend and everywhere you looked you seen high school wrestlers coaching and refereeing todays wrestling youth and in some cases, if you’ve been around awhile, you will see head coaches that had once been in the youth programs.  All these high school wrestlers were once in the same tournament possibly wrestling each other.

All around the state you will see older wrestlers mentoring the younger wrestler whether coaching or officiating.  The girls even have a “Sisters on the Mat” organization that is geared towards the mentoring of the youth women wrestlers.

For Texas to grow into the wrestling hotbed that the northeast is or even our neighbors to the North in Oklahoma.  It will take the effort of the whole wrestling community and although on the mat during their personal competition the wrestlers are all about themselves. Off the mat they come together especially within each individuals clubs from around the state.  Now with the National competition looming ahead the bonding and friendship is further developed which in turn makes the circle which starts the new generation or new season of mentors for next year.

Best of luck to all the wrestlers and coaches as they start their spring/summer wrestling journeys and may the mentoring never stop.