I was a mediocre HS wrestler. My biggest issue is that my knee would often lock when I went into the down position. I can't count the times I had to stop the process and stand up to unlock it. I quit at 16 to get a job to pay for college because I knew mom and dad weren't paying that freight. So I blame PSU tuition for my lack of wrestling fame. I feel that I was on the verge of jumping multiple levels (like 10 levels). Very bitter that they cost me Olympic Gold.
My Wrestling Background Is…
- Thread starter mcpat
- Start date
Health conditions that stop you from playing sports as a kid suck...
I had a problem with my back, every time I got near a wrestling mat my back would get stuck to it...
I played basketball in high school (not well). But always loved watching wrestling. I would go and watch high school matches when possible especially holiday and year end tournaments. Started going to States probably in 1982 with a bunch of local Slate Belt guys . Originally we stayed out by truck stop with 4 guys in each room. One year we upgraded and went to Hershey Hotel. I believe we were told not to come back.
Also watched Lehigh every weekend when they were on channel 39. Daryl Burley was my favorite wrestler.
My nephew was District 11 runner-up and Qualifed for States for Bangor.He was good but would have been better at a different school .
Also watched Lehigh every weekend when they were on channel 39. Daryl Burley was my favorite wrestler.
My nephew was District 11 runner-up and Qualifed for States for Bangor.He was good but would have been better at a different school .
i was teammates with @vhsalum at Iowa. started at 118
Interesting topic. I like hearing some of the backstories. I’m a lurker here from Iowa but don’t typically post because I’m not one that needs to stir things up. Just enjoy the information and exchange of ideas.
It is interesting the number of people that didn’t wrestle in college even though they had the chance.
I was an Iowa HS state(s) champion back in the 80s. Wrestled backup for a D1 program in Iowa until the knee went. After that, I decided to call it quits rather than rehab back. I think I lost the level of passion that I had in HS. I had tough college coursework, new friends, girlfriend, job, etc…. something had to give and it was wrestling. Didn’t ever really regret it other than I admit it was tough to see people I beat in HS become D3 champions and all-americans.
It is interesting the number of people that didn’t wrestle in college even though they had the chance.
I was an Iowa HS state(s) champion back in the 80s. Wrestled backup for a D1 program in Iowa until the knee went. After that, I decided to call it quits rather than rehab back. I think I lost the level of passion that I had in HS. I had tough college coursework, new friends, girlfriend, job, etc…. something had to give and it was wrestling. Didn’t ever really regret it other than I admit it was tough to see people I beat in HS become D3 champions and all-americans.
I took 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd at states in high school. Wrestled D1 for 3 years before getting diagnosed with heart disease. Stepped away for 2 years and then came back to a D2 school where I was an AA taking 3rd in the country my 1 year there. Been involved in some way ever since. Greatest sport in the world
But his mom's optometrist did appreciate the extra business.
And just like that your wife now has another document she needs to have you committed.
It’s a nice place they give you plenty of meds and fresh sheets.
But asylum WiFi sucks.
A subpar wrestler whose performance was hindered by unhealthy weight cuts (practice room hero!). Still, I fell in love with the sport and have coached for the last 14 years, mostly at the club level, but now I coach a HS team. Much better coach than I ever was as a wrestler!
Same wrestled from 1st grade through 12th in PA. I did get ok enough to go down to the Disney Duals the summer before my senior year on our club's B team(shoutout Steel Mat Club that don't think exists anymore) where I proceeded to go like 1-10.
I was a bball player until I was the last cut from my freshman team. Was the second leading scorer in our hs im league and was good enough as an adult to play on my law school's NYC Lawyers League team (a good number of D1 bball players in that league), but as a freshman, I didn't think I'd improve enough to get meaningful playing time. A friend that summer suggested I try wrestling. I didn't even know we had a team or what wrestling was as a sport.
Our team was only established literally two years before I joined. We had a new coach who had actually wrestled in D1 at East Stroudsburg (previous coach hadn't even wrestled in his life). His first year was my first (soph) season and a lot of people tried the sport for the first time. There were, I kid you not, six guys at my weight class (165) and only the senior returning starter had wrestled before. I did well enough in wrestle-offs to get the chance to wrestle for the starter's spot. I lost, but at least got to wrestle JV. First match we wrestled Hershey (Red Campbell, I think, was the coach at the time), which was the best team in our immediate area. Only 2 of our 24 wrestlers won a match - one on the varsity and me. I pinned my opponent. Interestingly, our best wrestler on the varsity lost. We were kinda shocked. Turned out the kid he wrestled was pretty good - it was future state champ (in the last year of single class in PA - 1973) and Lehigh wrestler Don McCorkel. We wrestled in the Central Penn League with Cedar Cliff, Chambersburg, Central Dauphin, CD East, John Harris and William Penn (later joined as Harrisburg), Carlisle and Steelton-Highspire. My first year I wrestled above my walking around weight. I somehow placed 4th in a Christmas tourney at Lebanon Valley College my junior year in a pretty decent weight class, including the second seed in the Harrisburg Area Sectionals and a future Div. 3 champ.
By the time I was a senior, I was pretty good. Hurt my knee pretty badly in a match that January and was never really the same. Wound up an average D3 wrestler, but I guess that's not so bad. Couldn't wrestle my freshman year due to the knee, wrestled soph and junior years and had to stop my senior year in college because I was told I was developing arthritis under my kneecap and wouldn't be able to walk by the time I was 30 if I continued.
My knee got reasonably better with time off the mats. A year after college, I got married and moved to NYC. I mostly played bball at the neighborhood YMCA, which didn't bother my knee in the same way (less direct pounding on the knee, I guess) and did weights. One day, I couple of guys were walking down the hall and you knew they were wrestlers. Started talking to them and found out there was a wrestling room where people rolled around pretty much every day. I figured I'd give it a shot. Turned out to be mostly former college wrestlers, including D1 guys. Also turned out there was a team that would scrimmage against the area colleges, including Columbia. So that extended my wrestling for a few years. That was a lot of fun. No drilling, a lot of play wrestling trying out new things. Moved out of NYC when I was thirty and wound up coaching junior high level for a few years in NJ.
PS - I looked at old yearbooks and reflected. That bumper crop of new wrestlers at my HS really thinned out. By my junior year, there were two guys at my weight class (same one as sophomore year).
Our team was only established literally two years before I joined. We had a new coach who had actually wrestled in D1 at East Stroudsburg (previous coach hadn't even wrestled in his life). His first year was my first (soph) season and a lot of people tried the sport for the first time. There were, I kid you not, six guys at my weight class (165) and only the senior returning starter had wrestled before. I did well enough in wrestle-offs to get the chance to wrestle for the starter's spot. I lost, but at least got to wrestle JV. First match we wrestled Hershey (Red Campbell, I think, was the coach at the time), which was the best team in our immediate area. Only 2 of our 24 wrestlers won a match - one on the varsity and me. I pinned my opponent. Interestingly, our best wrestler on the varsity lost. We were kinda shocked. Turned out the kid he wrestled was pretty good - it was future state champ (in the last year of single class in PA - 1973) and Lehigh wrestler Don McCorkel. We wrestled in the Central Penn League with Cedar Cliff, Chambersburg, Central Dauphin, CD East, John Harris and William Penn (later joined as Harrisburg), Carlisle and Steelton-Highspire. My first year I wrestled above my walking around weight. I somehow placed 4th in a Christmas tourney at Lebanon Valley College my junior year in a pretty decent weight class, including the second seed in the Harrisburg Area Sectionals and a future Div. 3 champ.
By the time I was a senior, I was pretty good. Hurt my knee pretty badly in a match that January and was never really the same. Wound up an average D3 wrestler, but I guess that's not so bad. Couldn't wrestle my freshman year due to the knee, wrestled soph and junior years and had to stop my senior year in college because I was told I was developing arthritis under my kneecap and wouldn't be able to walk by the time I was 30 if I continued.
My knee got reasonably better with time off the mats. A year after college, I got married and moved to NYC. I mostly played bball at the neighborhood YMCA, which didn't bother my knee in the same way (less direct pounding on the knee, I guess) and did weights. One day, I couple of guys were walking down the hall and you knew they were wrestlers. Started talking to them and found out there was a wrestling room where people rolled around pretty much every day. I figured I'd give it a shot. Turned out to be mostly former college wrestlers, including D1 guys. Also turned out there was a team that would scrimmage against the area colleges, including Columbia. So that extended my wrestling for a few years. That was a lot of fun. No drilling, a lot of play wrestling trying out new things. Moved out of NYC when I was thirty and wound up coaching junior high level for a few years in NJ.
PS - I looked at old yearbooks and reflected. That bumper crop of new wrestlers at my HS really thinned out. By my junior year, there were two guys at my weight class (same one as sophomore year).
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I started wrestling at State College high under Homer Barr when I was in the seventh grade. (yes, State College was seven through 12 when I was there.)
My senior year in high school in Illinois I was undefeated and won my conference championship. I completely screwed up in the second round of regionals, ended up taking third place and did not advance any further.
I got letters of interest from some D1 schools, but ended up going to a school at the D3 level. I won the only matches I was in my freshman year and severely injured my ankle in my sophomore year and did not compete.
I dropped out of school for a year, went back to school that was in the NAIA I won all but one match that year and ended up second in the conference meet after dislocating my shoulder. I suffered a severe case of HEW after that year and did not wrestle my senior year!
Later I was an assistant coach at a junior high school in Indianapolis for one year.
Needless to say, I have been a lifelong fan and greatly enjoy following the Penn State wrestlers. To my dying day, I will always say that wrestling is the greatest sport ever.
My senior year in high school in Illinois I was undefeated and won my conference championship. I completely screwed up in the second round of regionals, ended up taking third place and did not advance any further.
I got letters of interest from some D1 schools, but ended up going to a school at the D3 level. I won the only matches I was in my freshman year and severely injured my ankle in my sophomore year and did not compete.
I dropped out of school for a year, went back to school that was in the NAIA I won all but one match that year and ended up second in the conference meet after dislocating my shoulder. I suffered a severe case of HEW after that year and did not wrestle my senior year!
Later I was an assistant coach at a junior high school in Indianapolis for one year.
Needless to say, I have been a lifelong fan and greatly enjoy following the Penn State wrestlers. To my dying day, I will always say that wrestling is the greatest sport ever.
Prep school wrestler from Baltimore. It was my hobby sport between soccer and lacrosse seasons. I was decent, two time National Prep qualifier through the pigtail both times and then proceeded to get my ass kicked. Career .500 wrestler. Played other sports in college but going to a D3 school I knew wrestlers and messed around with them in their offseason in the room. Humbling. Both my sons wrestled and I have followed wrestling for 45 years now. Love the sport and realize the value it has brought to my life and business career. My wife’s family is from State College and many worked at PSU so I have followed them for 35 years. Best wishes to Bo, I see his vision and hope it works out for him. I admire the courage and way he has handled himself through all of this, it’s impressive and quite mature for an 18 year old, especially in comparison to who I was at his age. IMO, this was a great outcome for the overall college wrestling landscape.
If it hadn't been for that time you ran into the lake in just your socks and shirt .....
What prep school did you go to? I went to Mercersburg Academy, same school as Aurelius Dunbar. (and Jimmy Stewart & Benecio del Toro!)
My parents started me in wrestling in 4th grade. We'd moved to a new area and I made enemies with a kid who kicked the crap out of me every day after school. He turned out to be my partner so got to do it twice a day for a few years. I was below average until JH and something clicked. Placed at states in 9th grade but never again, but my favorite accomplishment in HS was knocking the 3rd ranked kid out at regionals (I was unranked at the time), solely because he is now a prolific Iowa poster all over the web.
I thought I was a pretty good DI backup in college until a PSU redshirt tech'd me in the 2nd. Other than winning a couple matches at opens, my best college accomplishment was winning IMs at two different schools 7 years apart. I was a little like John Belushi back then.
I complete forgot about the sport for a decade, then coached youth and HS. Gave up the whistle when my first entered HS. He's on his way out so I'll be coaching again next year.
I thought I was a pretty good DI backup in college until a PSU redshirt tech'd me in the 2nd. Other than winning a couple matches at opens, my best college accomplishment was winning IMs at two different schools 7 years apart. I was a little like John Belushi back then.
I complete forgot about the sport for a decade, then coached youth and HS. Gave up the whistle when my first entered HS. He's on his way out so I'll be coaching again next year.
What high school did you go to? I had a lot of friends in the Harrisburg area at all of the different schools. Most of them I got to know through wrestling.
Lebanon. At that time, we were the best in the county (which wasn't saying much, lol).
Matter: Thanks for a fine story. Adds color to one of this forums best contributors.
Set behind a States level wrestler in HS until my senior year. Started that one season, to limited success. But many years later, my wrestling claim to fame occurred. Yes, I beat Nico in the room.
I went my entire wrestling career without losing one match. Ok, so my career consisted of a single gym class wrestling tournament in Jr High. However, I did beat a wrestler in the semis and then beat our school's wrestling "stud" in the finals so it was a good time to retire. I played basketball in HS so never even thought about giving wrestling a chance. I graduated from Penn State in '98 and got to watch some great wrestlers in the mid to late 90s and fell in love.
Loved the sport but was never good at it. Wrestled through HS spot started but mostly JV. Two sons and wrestled in HS and a daughter in junior college. Started following penn state because of the Sanderson connection. Watched Coach Cael in HS at larger tournaments. Followed him from then on. Followed Bo Nickel when he was a youngster in Cody WY. Followed David Taylor when he lived in Evanston, WY.
I wrestled all but my senior year in college. I wrestled two years of junior college and one year at an NAIA school. By my senior year I developed a serious case of HEW and I had lost my enjoyment for the sport. Wrestling is far too tough a sport to engage in if your heart isn't into it. I was an average wrestler, but did wrestle varsity for three years in HS in Oregon. We took State my freshman year. I made it to the NJCAA national tournament my sophomore year (1984) where I went 1-1. If I had to do it over again, I would have chosen not to cut so much weight throughout my career. I would also have not been so hard on myself, realizing that wrestling should be fun, and that you can't enjoy the sport if fear of losing is your primary focus. I think I would have really enjoyed wrestling for coaches like Cael and company.
I had the privilege of being able to see Dave and Mark Schultz several times when they would drop by practice at Southern Oregon University. I also had the honor of wrestling Dave at an Open tournament after he had won his Olympic gold. The result would not surprise you : )
P.S., I can't believe there isn't one NCAA All-American among all us respondents! From the tone of some of us posters you would think we had ascended to the highest heights in the sport
I guess we will have to settle for living vicariously through all the incredible Penn State wrestlers we have had the privilege of watching over the years. Long live wrestling!
I had the privilege of being able to see Dave and Mark Schultz several times when they would drop by practice at Southern Oregon University. I also had the honor of wrestling Dave at an Open tournament after he had won his Olympic gold. The result would not surprise you : )
P.S., I can't believe there isn't one NCAA All-American among all us respondents! From the tone of some of us posters you would think we had ascended to the highest heights in the sport
I guess we will have to settle for living vicariously through all the incredible Penn State wrestlers we have had the privilege of watching over the years. Long live wrestling!
There’s at least one multiple time AA that sometimes posts here. I guess he might not vote in polls though.
Hammer was pretty darn good.
Oh, when I listed my wrestling background, I did forget to mention that I was the 5th grade class champion at Bellefonte Elementary before I actually took up wrestling in Jr. High. As I recall, they gave us 3 or 4 gym classes with wrestling and then had a class tournament where everyone competed. I would hit a head and arm headlock on every single kid that I wrestled and even though I was tiny then (way smaller than most of the kids), I was tough, decked everyone and actually was named "the champ". Hee hee hee, too funny.
I suppose I should also mention that I was the 7th grade class arm-wrestling champion. Again, I was tiny and there were surely guys that were much stronger than me, but I asked everyone that I met in the bracket if they'd arm wrestle me left-handed. Most of them knew that I was small and presumed that they'd beat me with either hand, so they all took me up on it and for whatever reason, I was freakishly strong in my left hand/arm. I actually made it to the finals where I beat a girl (also arm-wrestling left-handed against her too). I think she was a farm girl and damn, she was pretty strong. It must have been embarrassing for all of the tough kids in our class to acknowledge that a girl and the smallest boy in the class (or close to it) made it to the finals. Ah, good times, good times. I'm a bit peeved that there are no trophies or statues built there in my honor as tribute to my huge championship victories.
I suppose I should also mention that I was the 7th grade class arm-wrestling champion. Again, I was tiny and there were surely guys that were much stronger than me, but I asked everyone that I met in the bracket if they'd arm wrestle me left-handed. Most of them knew that I was small and presumed that they'd beat me with either hand, so they all took me up on it and for whatever reason, I was freakishly strong in my left hand/arm. I actually made it to the finals where I beat a girl (also arm-wrestling left-handed against her too). I think she was a farm girl and damn, she was pretty strong.
It must have been embarrassing for all of the tough kids in our class to acknowledge that a girl and the smallest boy in the class (or close to it) made it to the finals. Ah, good times, good times. I'm a bit peeved that there are no trophies or statues built there in my honor as tribute to my huge championship victories.
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starter from 1966-1968 was ranked 5th my senior yr back then they only advanced first place things didn't work out well in the tourney!But it was fun since I never got serious just did it for fun!
Oooh and I’ve wrestled a few women way out of my weight range if that counts for anything.
I grew up in a heart of wrestling country, a local high school in fact that 100 meet or so dual winning streak. It seemed every school in the area, Northeast Pennsylvania to more central eastern, had some kind of fantastic wrestler on their team.
Well one day I waa working out with the wrestlers, we were lifting some weights on a free period and they were showing me a few simple moves. They asked me if I might be interested in coming out, and since I’ve never done a sport in junior high high school so I figure I’d try. I was always a little too small for the regular sports like basketball and football, but with weightlifting and weight classes wrestling might be a good fir.
Back then I was lifting weights for a few years and while I was small physically I was rather strong at the time, in fact I could keep up with the heavier guys on the weights. These were guys that out weighed me by 20+ pounds by the way.
I was 15 at the time and a sophomore in high school. Later that night the coach called me and he started to give me the sales pitch. He was a nice guy and I really liked him and I was ready to buy right in, then he told me in fact you could start this weekend.
Now remember we were in one of the toughest wrestling areas for high school in the country. And this guy told me on Wednesday night I could start on Saturday night. In a combat sport. Common sense kicked in right away and I started telling him about my bad grades. He responded with I thought you were in the top 10 or something? I talked to your teachers and they said you were the best students in class.
He thought he had me trapped but I knew I could get out of this one, I just looked over at my mom and I said well my mom‘s kind of upset because I’ve had one or two relatively bad quizzes and she thinks I need to focus on my academics. He was kind of bummed but he let it go and he said I’d be welcome to try out in the future.
Of course mom asked me why I lied to the coach and I just responded to her he said I could start Saturday mom. That’s two days from now and I know nothing. And then told Mom we’re the best wrestling area in the country and I’ll get myself killed. If some of you guys remember guys like Joe Cesari or some other great coaches in eastern , Pa. all of these teams were on our schedule. I didn’t want to get killed so I just worked out at home. 😂😂😂
So yeah, I never wrestled. However when my son went out in high school to give it a try it happen to be it was the same year that Cael Sanderson took over at Penn State. Lets just say I have great stamina, strength, and couch pretzel eating abilities to this day. 😎
Well one day I waa working out with the wrestlers, we were lifting some weights on a free period and they were showing me a few simple moves. They asked me if I might be interested in coming out, and since I’ve never done a sport in junior high high school so I figure I’d try. I was always a little too small for the regular sports like basketball and football, but with weightlifting and weight classes wrestling might be a good fir.
Back then I was lifting weights for a few years and while I was small physically I was rather strong at the time, in fact I could keep up with the heavier guys on the weights. These were guys that out weighed me by 20+ pounds by the way.
I was 15 at the time and a sophomore in high school. Later that night the coach called me and he started to give me the sales pitch. He was a nice guy and I really liked him and I was ready to buy right in, then he told me in fact you could start this weekend.
Now remember we were in one of the toughest wrestling areas for high school in the country. And this guy told me on Wednesday night I could start on Saturday night. In a combat sport. Common sense kicked in right away and I started telling him about my bad grades. He responded with I thought you were in the top 10 or something? I talked to your teachers and they said you were the best students in class.
He thought he had me trapped but I knew I could get out of this one, I just looked over at my mom and I said well my mom‘s kind of upset because I’ve had one or two relatively bad quizzes and she thinks I need to focus on my academics. He was kind of bummed but he let it go and he said I’d be welcome to try out in the future.
Of course mom asked me why I lied to the coach and I just responded to her he said I could start Saturday mom. That’s two days from now and I know nothing. And then told Mom we’re the best wrestling area in the country and I’ll get myself killed. If some of you guys remember guys like Joe Cesari or some other great coaches in eastern , Pa. all of these teams were on our schedule. I didn’t want to get killed so I just worked out at home. 😂😂😂
So yeah, I never wrestled. However when my son went out in high school to give it a try it happen to be it was the same year that Cael Sanderson took over at Penn State. Lets just say I have great stamina, strength, and couch pretzel eating abilities to this day. 😎
I wrestled from second grade through high school. Then just wrestled intramurals at PSU. Spent most of my time patching up @KCLion's head while cornering him as he was the Chuck Wepner of IM werstling. I was an average wrestler.
I have an addiction ... it's called wrestling - I've never been to an AA meeting, but this feels like one!
