The Day After........

[mistydawn_67]

This is something I found on a message board after our state tourney last  year.  It never ceases to bring tears to my eyes. 

The
Day After…

I have never posted on a wrestling message board before but today I felt
compelled to do so.

I am writing this note for those wrestlers who may not have achieved their
dreams this weekend at the state tournament. I am also writing this to the
moms, dads, sisters, brothers, friends and family members of those who they
love and wanted so badly to see them win. As a former wrestler, father,
brother, friend, and coach who has lived through the peaks and the valleys of
this sport, I know how deeply it hurts to not achieve our goals in wrestling. I
wanted to share this note in hopes of putting perspective and providing
encouragement to those who went home Saturday night without achieving their
goals and woke up Sunday morning with an empty feeling in their stomach.

Although the exhilaration of victory in wrestling is so great because of the
incredible sacrifices made to achieve a state title, it is also the crushing
feeling of defeat that cuts deeply into the soul and creates an incredible
heart ache for the athlete and their loved ones.

As I watched kids like Jerry Huff, Vincente Gallegos, Jackson Julian, Curtis
Ramsey, Colby Kluesner, Derek Munsey, Clay Roth, Derek Good and so many more
that I don’t want to try to list them all for fear of exclusion… I want to
share a story that may help you.

My younger brother Marty lost in the finals of the Minnesota state tournament
his senior year and thus never was a state champion. Although this was a very
emotional setback for him and our family, he used this as a motivator to
achieve even more. He went on to become a Big Ten Champion and NCAA champion
for the University of Minnesota. Then in the 1996 Olympic trials he lost an
excruciating overtime loss in the final wrestle off that again dealt a
tremendous emotional blow to our spirits. Of course we went through our next
few days and weeks with a sick feeling in our stomachs and that feeling of
emptiness. However, Marty again used this set back to excel at his next
endeavor which was to devote himself full time to coaching at the U of M. His
drive and energy were instrumental in helping MN achieve numerous Big Ten
titles and 3 NCAA team championships.

So to all of you young men who are feeling the emptiness today please know that
you are loved by your parents, family, and friends and we pray that you take
something positive from this experience and grow from it. As bad as you may
feel, your mom and dad feel much worse so help each other get through this. To
overcome any discouragement you may feel, please get with your friends and go
out to eat and do the things you like to do (probably video games with your
buddies right?). Enjoy your time off for you have earned it. Pray for
discernment of what God has in store for you and follow His path. It takes
time, but together with your family and friends time passes and you can begin
to pursue your next passion with all the energy and discipline that you learned
from competing in this sport. Be proud of who you are and what you have
accomplished.

To mom and dad, brother and sister…do something nice today and celebrate the
great moments and friendships you have developed but most of all love one
another.

Lastly, while at a youth wrestling tournament a few years back a grandmother of
a young wrestler was at the tournament and this was a new experience for her.
She said to one of our coaches who shared this with me. She said “You know, I
have never been to one of these before but I wanted to let you know that I have
never seen so many fathers hugging their sons as I have seen today.”

In wrestling,

John

[mamawalrus]

OMG that is beautiful!!!!