Nick had a letter in the latest PSWC publication. He does a great job expressing his thoughts on his first of what this poster believes will be many championships. Below is a copy of Nick's letter.
Thoughts on My First NCAA Championship
By: Nick Lee
The NCAA tournament is a special tournament. No match prediction is safe, as I can personally attest to. See my first match freshman year. This year was especially unpredictable with the huge challenges brought on by COVID-19. Despite this, we landed in St. Louis with smiles on our faces, ready to have some fun. In my mind, every single person on our team can win. Our coaches feel the same way. While it did not ultimately work out that way, there was no doubt in my mind the capabilities of our team. This confidence in people like Roman, Aaron, and Carter, gives me confidence as well. Knowing that we all have the same training, the same support system, and the same belief in our own abilities is my most powerful tool going into the national tournament.
Each win is not a win for me. I do not feel like it is just me winning. I feel like it is a team effort, a whole family that has just accomplished something great. I feel the love from my coaches and teammates as if they had just won as well. This feeling is better than winning alone could ever be.
Going into the future, I hope future wrestlers at Penn State know that while big tournaments may feel like one man against the world, it is in fact a battle with yourself. Luckily, you are not alone. To fight your own doubts, you have coaches, teammates, staff, and family that will love you in the end win-or lose…but remember, it’s more fun to win.
Thoughts on My First NCAA Championship
By: Nick Lee
The NCAA tournament is a special tournament. No match prediction is safe, as I can personally attest to. See my first match freshman year. This year was especially unpredictable with the huge challenges brought on by COVID-19. Despite this, we landed in St. Louis with smiles on our faces, ready to have some fun. In my mind, every single person on our team can win. Our coaches feel the same way. While it did not ultimately work out that way, there was no doubt in my mind the capabilities of our team. This confidence in people like Roman, Aaron, and Carter, gives me confidence as well. Knowing that we all have the same training, the same support system, and the same belief in our own abilities is my most powerful tool going into the national tournament.
Each win is not a win for me. I do not feel like it is just me winning. I feel like it is a team effort, a whole family that has just accomplished something great. I feel the love from my coaches and teammates as if they had just won as well. This feeling is better than winning alone could ever be.
Going into the future, I hope future wrestlers at Penn State know that while big tournaments may feel like one man against the world, it is in fact a battle with yourself. Luckily, you are not alone. To fight your own doubts, you have coaches, teammates, staff, and family that will love you in the end win-or lose…but remember, it’s more fun to win.
