Story by Ian Frament

When I was in 6th grade I was a larger kid. I was 4 foot even and 140 pounds. Being that size and being picked on I was depressed and had suicidal thoughts, I was only 11. I have been wrestling since I was 5 but wasn't very aggressive about it. The next school year came around and I started modified I worked hard all summer and got down to about 125 pounds. Once wrestling season came around I worked even harder and wrestled that year at 110 pounds. I was happier, healthier, and no one picked on me anymore. All that work showed on the mat, that year I went 11-0. I'm now about to turn 15 and I'm planning on wrestling 126-132 depending where my team needs me. Wrestling made me who I am, it's all I know and all I want to know. Wrestling gave me an unusually great work ethic, everything I do, I do full out. Wrestling also taught me nutrition, pride, and confidence.

That's my story. If wrestling is removed from the Olympics I will be crushed knowing I've worked so hard since I was 11, and I can't show it at the Olympics and get my shot at gold

Story by Lance Campbell

I am high school teacher, who works with at risk youth.  It is fair to say that I am being groomed to move into administration with eye towards becoming the school principal.  This would not be the case if it were not for the sport of wrestling.  I cannot even imagine what my life would be like today without the sport of wrestling. 

When I was a child, I used to wrestle with some neighbors in our front yards.  I was crushed when I entered high school, and learned that the school had dropped wrestling a couple of years before I entered.   Finally, my junior year, the school reinstated its program, and I was able to compete.  The downside was that I was lacking experience, and so were my teammates.  After two years of competing in high school, I competed at the junior college level. 

When I transferred to a four year college, my college had dropped its program, and it still has not been reinstated more than twenty years later.  I still competed during my later college years because I competed in the Olympic styles of freestyle and Greco Roman.  When I graduated, I went into the work force, but I did not feel fulfilled, and I missed the sport.

Soon, my high school wrestling coach asked me to take over the program at my Alma matter.  I did take the program over, which led to me pursuing a career in education.  I have been teaching for sixteen years now.  Today, I have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many young people, many of whom have come from a difficult home life.  If it were not for wrestling, this would not be the case.

Most of the travel that I have done in my life time has been a direct result of wrestling.  Thanks to the sport of wrestling, I not only have friends all over the United States, but in many nations around the World.  I know of no other sport that develops such discipline in young people.  I know of no other sport that offers such a level playing field for competition.  People from all classes can compete.  You do not need to be wealthy, you do not need to be big, tall, or even strong to find success.  Wrestling is truly a sport for all people.  As legendary coach and wrestler Dan Gable said, “More enduringly than any other sport, wrestling teaches self-control and pride. Some have wrestled without great skill – none have wrestled without pride.”

Story by Ali Nazari

It all started my freshman year in high school. I loved basketball,  I wanted to make the high school team. I've played basketball my whole life up until my freshman year in high school. I tried out for the team and I didn't make it, I was heart broken. I needed something else to do, so I joined wrestling. First off season practice I fell in love with the sport, I was really good at it too. I had a good first season, but my season fell short due to my terrible grades, I was devastated. Wrestling drove me to do better in school,  and in life.  Wrestling made me into a better man today. If it wasn't for wrestling I would not have graduated high school in 4 years, wrestling drove me to succeed. I went from a 1.04 GPA freshman year to at 3.02 GPA my senior year. I'm currently in college working on my bachelors degree in criminal justice.  #KEEPOLYMPICWRESTLING

Story by Dana Jarvis

I wrestled from 5th grade through college and briefly coached at the high school level.  While my success on the mat was important, even more essential, was my character development.  For me, wrestling was the catalyst for developing into an ethics-focused leader.  As a result, I have "paid it forward", by helping to coach youth wrestlers.  To see these young guns have a winning attitude and do the best that they can, is awesome.  Routinely, I have the opportunity to teach wrestling to the next generation of kids.  My hope is that they will develop into people with values of honesty, integrity and commitment to excellence.

Story by Dino

As I was a fat freshman boy at 5'7 178, I needed a way of loosing weight, I tried running, i lost motivation, I tried most diets, I didn't see results, I just gave up, then school came around and me being a religious muslim I simply fasted and lost 4 pounds in a month, I loved loosing weight but a problem was that I can't fast everyday, as soon as ramadan ended school started, I didnt have gym first semester and I didn't play any fall sports because simply I was done with running after years of trying I just didnt want to until I joined wrestling in november and lost a lot of weight, enough weight for people to notice it. I thought I hated wrestling but it taught me to love it and simply live it I work hard all day and night if I have to, curently I'm 156 and going down. I just want to thank the beautiful and most old sport for everything. It could change someone elses life, that's why olympic wrestling should be saved. Thank You

Story by Joe McFarland

Wrestling? I was one of those small kids in high school who had no other options. I loved the sport and it served as an outlet for me. My senior year I weighed 105 pounds.

I wrestled in college because they had no one else at my weight. I felt I was in college to learn to do a job, but still enjoyed the sport. I weighed 157 pounds when I graduated.

In medical school, it seemed like school would never end. I wrestled for the Multnomah Club. It saved my life. I was able to talk and pal around with normal people once in a while (wrestlers).

After finally escaping from school, I didn't need wrestling any more. Injuries also made it tough for me to continue.

Now, at age 72, I'm back at it. I wrestle once a week with a 66 year old attorney who is as nutty about wrestling as I am.

it allows him to get free medical advise from an Orthopedic Surgeon and I get a chance to choke an attorney.

Thanks for all you are doing. I'm in your corner and always will be.

Story by Paul Buico

I was about to leave for West Point as a young 18 year old knowing that I had some tough years ahead of me. My wrestling coach, Gary Mimms, sensed my apprehension and simply stated a fact. He said, "Paul, you are a wrestler and if you can wrestle you can do anything." I have kept that thought with me my whole life and it has stood the test of time from West Point to the Army to marriage and beyond to my two boys who I am proud to say are wrestlers. Always remember what my great coach said as it will be a motto for all wrestlers to live by whether they take wrestling from the Olympics or not!

Story by Carlos Flores

What does wrestling mean to me:

I have a history with wrestling. My Uncle Ernie wrestled for the youth program in Hart Michigan when we were young. I was one of my many cousins that became his practice dummies. I recall the many times he locked up a crossface cradle squeezed the hell out of me. Later, in the 8th grade Doug Twa, my science teacher at Steele Junior High told me that that wrestling is starting after school and he wanted me to come out for the team. I worked really hard and right before our 1st home meet he named me captain of the team. I was successful early in middle school and in the 9th grade some of my teammates from middle school went out for the high school team. I remember us freshman walking in to the wrestling room for the 1st time. New Coach Mike Wenk did an awesome job as a 1st year coach with a team full of novice. Coach Wenk invested a lot in me and I remember the many things he did off the mat that helped me become a better athlete, student, and person. In my 10th grade year Coach James took over the Big Red Wrestling Machine and things started to change. Coach pushed us and challenged us to push ourselves, he immediately demanded a new attitude and work ethic. The years on the mat under Coach James defined me and taught me many lessons. We became successful, we didn’t win a state tournament but we gave it a good run. There are many memories that I still recall and smile. Beating state ranked Grandville, Hesperia, and dominating the city tournament. I did pretty well on the mat but my best memories are from the team hardware we brought home. I remember a band of brothers that worked their assess off to achieve a goal. We pushed ourselves past our limits, to this day I wonder what my lifetime push up count is. Some thing happened along the way.

 I stopped getting in to trouble. My grades went up (enough that I was eligible at least), and I learned about sacrifice, hard work and toughness. Coach always said, “there is no substitute for hard work” and I still can hear him sayin it. I also remember him telling us to take the lessons from the mat & apply them to life. I remember the tough times later, working 12 hours, 7 days a week in a factory and still taking a full load of classes at GVSU, barely sleeping, a non existent social life but I did it, when times got tough I recalled the days of 5 am runs, loosing 4-7 pounds in a practice, running after I got out of work at Plumb’s Grocery Store at night, and of course eating approximately 3 days a week. I knew if I could make it through wrestling season I can make through anything. My wrestling career didn’t end the way I wanted, I didn‘t wrestle in college, or at all after high school. But that’s ok.

I stated coaching very young. I was 20 when I got the coaching job at Steele Middle School. I remember sitting in the athletic office with Mr. Heckaman and him telling me the main reason he is giving me a shot at the coaching job was because the dedication I showed as a volunteer assistant at the high school and how hard I worked as an athlete in high school. He would let us in the pool room to run during gym class because we had to make weight. The years coaching Steele were some of my favorite times. We had great teams and kids still stick out. Antwon Jones, Floyd Banks, Mario Bradford, Joe German, Chad Forward, Ed Knox to name a few but there are many others. Later I became the varsity coach and I was so excited to take over. I remember all the time I spent with the kids and I remember loving every minute of it. I stepped down from coaching so I could get my degree. I finished school and got a job teaching at my alma mater. Later I was named head coach again and I was back at it. Teaching and coaching is a 90+ hour job but it’s the best job on earth. There was a new batch of kids, My captain, Fluarry Jackson, Desmond Colvin, the hardest workin kid in my wrestling room, Kiara Lane my fireball 103 pounder, Carlin Landingham my heavyweight and many more awesome kids that came though the program. It is immeasurable what a wrestling coach does. It’s long hours for the love of the sport and our student-athletes. To this day, many of the boys that wrestled for me over the years are friends now, many have accomplished great things, the most important they know honor, character, dedication, discipline and hard work.

So in regards to the queston: I would not have achieved the things I have in life without wrestling. You can look at the data of the future of a young Hispanic youth from a broken home, living in poverty with parents that didn’t graduate from high school, what is the statistical future of a youth with my background? The data suggest that I wouldn’t graduate from college or be 6 credits from earning my Master‘s Degree. To be blunt, I wouldn’t have achieved the things I have without the lessons from the mat

I love that we are different, we can go hard, the fight we have, I am honored to be in the fraternity. I’m honored that I helped the boys in any way I could because it is the only way I can repay those that invested in me. I will be 40 this year, and I can honestly say I am still worried that my coaches are proud of me, I see some of them once in a while I hope they are happy with the path I have chosen. I hope one of my wrestlers will feel the same. My kids deal with a diverse set of challenges in the area we are in, but they can grind through it. I want to build a toughness in them on the mat and I want them to rely on that when things get hard in life. I am thankful for wrestling, wrestling is my 1st love, my heart starts pumpin when 2 guys are about to do battle, I want success for the Big Red Program and I want young wrestlers to dream big and work towards the highest stage, the middle mat where glory is won.

I have stepped down as head coach because I have a daughter and being a good father is my first priority, Coach Crowley welcomes me back in the room and lets to run some drills. I am hopeful that someday I will have my own program again.

Losing wrestling in the Olympics will cause a ripple effect that will decline collegiate and scholastic participation and program cancellation. In almost every city here and communities around the world wrestling is teaching the principals needed to be successful. The greatest loss will be the life lessons that help us when the life presents challenges. “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy” Coach Gable

Carlos Flores

Story by Harley Williamson

• Well I used to go to my big brothers wrestling practice with him all the time and I loved it but i had to stop for a little while but a year ago he got me in a club (tri-citys wolf pack) and my parents noticed that I loved it and put me in a tournament after three weeks of practice. I was so happy that my brother could come and watch me wrestling in my second match. This was during freestyle I got a college move pulled on me and I landed strait on my head. My coach went out there and picked me up of the mat and went to shake the other coaches hand. I did not know my name after that for a while and I went to the next practice and my coaches were surprised I came back. I've worked hard every day after that. Now I’m the rookie state champ of the 85-pound division and the captain of my wrestling team and I will love wrestling every day of my life!

  
  

  
  

Story by Cedrick Miller

Here is my family, most of them graduated in 2011 however we are a huge family. We fight, laugh and compete with eachother. All of us have our differences, either we are gay, straight, color blind, deaf etc... we don't care about that. Wrestling teaches us how to use our differences to win a match. For instance; I thought I was too skinny, but nope my coach took that out of my head quickly, he turned me into a skinny machine, he taught me the advantages of being tall and skinny.

I started wrestling in Germany at age 12, I had no repect for the sport but I only did it because my older brother was my mentor and I wanted to be just like him. During my wrestling journey I grew to love it dearly! As a kid I always got picked on because of my girly habits, being called a fruitcake hurt me but I never did anything about it. Wrestling helped me release that anger, putting my sweat, blood, and tears actually made me feel better. Stripping this sport away from the Olympics takes dreams away from kids, it takes that courage away from the one who gets bullied, it rips away hope for that one with the low self esteem. Most of us are only good at one thing in life and that's wrestling. After college what do wrestlers look foward to in the future if Olympic wrestling was taken away? Exactly nothing at all but that fake WWE crap! Keep wrestling in the Olympics because it teachhes kids discipline, kids like me how to stick up for themselves, and also a endless friendship with fellow wrestlers, because wrestlers understand wrestlers, we do what we love, and just like a real match expect us to keep striking until we get that win, be warned we won't stop until its put back past the year 2020. Wrestling was the wrong sport to mess with! Thankyou.

Story by Maria Maggiulli

At the age of three he was diagnosed with a hearing loss, so to help he was given hearing aids. He learned how to speak, read lips and adapt .Hearing aids only assist so much, sometimes making sounds worse.  Every day he strained to hear teachers, coaches, peers, television, music the school bell. The option was adjust to a hearing world to feel “normal” and included. That didn’t always work especially as a young boy.  Determined to turn his “disability” into an “ability” and prove himself acceptable he turned to sports.  In 1^st grade he gave his parents a recreation sign-up sheet while stating I want to do this, I want to wrestle. He had never seen a wrestling match before nor did anyone in his family wrestle.  They had concerns of course especially since he can’t wear hearing aids under headgear. He didn’t care for some reason he wanted to wrestle. So at his first practice he took off the hearing aids and put on the headgear proceeding just like all the rest. Drilling, sweating, running everything the other wrestlers did but listen. He couldn’t hear what coach was saying and rarely was in the right position to read lips. He adapted. He learned by doing and seeing but never by listening like everyone else. He never knew what moves were called and couldn’t hear his coaches instructions just did what he felt would work. He would tell his opponent to tap him when it was time to stop but they wouldn’t always remember so they’d get annoyed if he continued. Perceived as being annoying both off and on the mat didn’t help with friendships so he worked even harder at wrestling.  This little 8 year old boy would go out on the mat alone, no sounds to instruct or cheer him on just watching for the official’s arm to signal start and feeling his tap to stop. He would win and win a lot. He finally gained notoriety from his peers for something good and started feeling a level of acceptance. Wrestling gave him what he was missing so he continued and never let up. When you can’t hear everything people have no idea what problems it causes, what a social outcast you become. Wrestling became an outlet that gave him confidence and drive but mostly positive recognition. He developed into an honor student known as a good wrestler. It was later discovered that because of another problem with his ears, he would no longer be allowed to play football his other passion and prayed that wrestling would still be an option. It was, so he threw all his energy, all his desire into that sport of one on one competition that test of courage and skill.  As high school began he knew it was time to step it up a notch. He had great success as a freshman starting varsity weighing 174 lbs wrestling the 189 slot sometimes when needed, the 215. He finished solid, made it past districts and into regionals placing 5/6. His Dad takes him to Atlantic City for the New Jersey State championship to see what it’s like and came back in aw but a bit intimidated. Next season it’s time to decide how much do I want to commit? He does a little off season wrestling a little extra workout finishes with an even better record but still 5/6 in the regionals not a ticket to AC.  That next summer before junior year after many discussions with his coaches and parents he decides he wants more. He wants to be better. He hits some tournaments not doing as well as hoped now unsure of what kind of internal commitment he is willing to give. That July he finds out that Jordan Burroughs will be giving a clinic at a nearby gym. Having been so impressed with Jordan’s Olympic accomplishment and him being from New Jersey, he’s excited to meet him. Arriving on that hot summer day he goes to the mats set up outback in the baking sun talking with the other wrestlers many having been his opponents. Jordan gives opening speeches and has them set up to drill, but it’s so hot the wrestlers are dripping with sweat he has to take off his hearing aids or they’ll short out. He watched, picked a partner he knew following as best he could reading his lips when possible soaking up all the instruction Jordan was offering. Unfortunalty, he couldn’t hear all of the inspirational statements Jordan gave as he walked between the wrestlers watching them. His parents tried to remember Jordan’s lines and statements so they could later share his passion and words of wisdom.  At the end of the clinic Jordan directed them to the shade and spoke. He dried out his ears, popped in his hearing aids listening to Jordan’s story of his Olympic journey and commitment to win gold. He became so impressed by his drive, confidence and willingness to share so much of himself. He listened with intent watching that gold medal which he had never seen before, while Jordan spoke and answered questions about his life and its focus. At the end Jordan was nice enough to stay and meet each wrestler taking pictures and signing items. Enamored by the presence of this gold medal Olymiad, he shook his hand posed for some pictures and asked Jordan to sign the Olympic picture he gave out, the back of his phone, and his current high school singlet near the American flag. He left changed went home laid out the three signed items, snapped a shot posting on Facebook “so pumped, met Burroughs and got his picture”.  Since that day, his off season continued but with an intensity. More clinics, camps, tournaments, instruction, running and workouts but with a purpose. He slid into his junior year wrestling season remaining focused telling his coach this year he wants to go to states. While only weighing 195 they decide to bump him up to 220 feeling it was his best shot so he knew he would have to work harder and be smarter.  Once again he made it through districts into regionals but this time gets a chance to fight for 3^rd against a senior who placed in states last year and beat him his last match. He wins his ticket to Atlantic City. As the dust settles he updates his goal stating I want to place, not just be there.  Going in as a low seeded wrestler, fighting through wrestle backs he gets on the podium placing 7^th.

After watching video of states with family someone approached me and said “Yeah Robbie told me that after meeting that Olympic guy he became so inspired.” I asked Robbie about that statement so he told me “He just gave me the drive and made me realize that with hard work and training it is possible. He did it and he made me feel like I could too.” Robbie took the singlet that Jordan signed with him to states. He said if he made it to the finals he would wear it. When he came home he hung that singlet back up in his room reminding him to keep working towards the chance to wear it next season.

His name is Robbie Maggiulli who wrestles for Emerson/Park Ridge in New Jersey. He is now known as a great kid that’s smart and a great wrestler with colleges inquiring about his future as a wrestler/student. Most people have no idea he can’t hear and it’s irrelevant. That’s what this sport has done for him!

Story by Kelli Bilbrey

   I grew up in a town that loved wrestling, my husband however had never been around the sport. Our son, Alex, is 6 now. He started wrestling when he was 4. We put him in wrestling at this young of age in order for him to gain confidence and to learn self defense. Alex had played baseball and was great at it. He is an amazing athlete for his young age. When he was in preschool he got picked on and bullied a lot because he was a quiet and small boy compared to the others. He started getting bullied on a daily basis and would never stand up for himself. He was afraid of getting in trouble. As a parent it is heart breaking. The day that flipped our switches was when Alex was asleep at nap time and a kid kicked him in the face. That infuriated us. 

   I am a high school teacher, so I went to the wrestling coach and asked how young kids could be to join the youth club. We joined the club, but didn't quite know what to expect. Alex was such a quiet and sweet little boy. We were hoping it did not scare him. The first practice he asked us if we were going to put him in a cage...lol...he has seen MMA with his dad. He completely surprised us during the first practice. He did a great job and had fun!

  His first year, he was a 2 time Texas State Champ and won 2 of the Iron Man Series Tournaments. From the wrestling exposure his confidence built! He became the leader of his class, he was not a bully but stood up for kids that were getting bullied, he was more confident in his class work. Our little boy came out of his shell!

  This year, his second year, he won 2 more Texas State Championships and won 2 more Iron Man Series Tournaments. He is now in kindergarten and is a very "famous" wrestler to his classmates! If he gets picked on now, he warns the kid that he will take him down in a double leg, or tie him in a knot. The kids tend to leave him alone most of the time. He knows to never be a bully, but standing up for yourself is okay.

  Alex won the Most Outstanding Wrestler award and the King Pin award for our club this year. He is the smallest and youngest kid on the team. The older kids are wonderful with him. Alex is an only child in our family, but he has gained many, many brothers with our wrestling family!

  He is in baseball season right now, but asks every day when he can go back to wrestling. Wrestling is his passion and he loves it so much. His dream is to become an Olympic Wrestler. In kindergarten they ask the kids what they want to be when they grow up. Alex's answer is to be an Olympic Wrestler. The decision to take wrestling out of the Olympics breaks our hearts. We haven't broke the news to Alex yet. We are hoping they come to their senses!

  Last year we took Alex to Disney World for our first family vacation. That is where he dreamed of going and we promised when he was 5 he could go. This year we asked him where he wanted to go for vacation. He said he wanted to see Olympic Wrestlers! So, we are going to Colorado Springs this summer to see Olympic Wrestlers. Last year his heroes were Disney characters, this year his heroes are Wrestlers!

  I am a huge advocate for the sport of wrestling. It is so different from any other sport. Wrestling has built the confidence in my son they he couldn't find anywhere else. I truly believe that wrestling is the greatest sport in the world!

Sincerely,

Kelli Bilbrey