Wednesday, July 24, 2013

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.”

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