Transformation

[Unkogami]

Since the pandemic basically stole two full seasons of wrestling from our program, we started this year from scratch for all intents and purposes. The school district where I work is very inner-city, and with a very large immigrant community. This means that a great many students have to work after school (sometimes more than just one full-time job), which makes extra-curricular activities untenable. A lot of students who are recent arrivals to the city or the country have no idea what wrestling is, and it is more difficult to translate than you might expect. What this means is that I have a team full of raw beginners, and I am trying to prepare them to wrestle against athletes who have been active in the sport for many years already. It is very rewarding to see how quickly many of the wrestlers are picking it up and getting a feel for the pace and energy of competition. Best of all is to see how the kids are gaining confidence and pride in their hard work and accomplishments, win or lose. When family, friends, and teachers show up to support them at competitions, it's just great.

 

[Steve]

Since the pandemic basically stole two full seasons of wrestling from our program, we started this year from scratch for all intents and purposes. The school district where I work is very inner-city, and with a very large immigrant community. This means that a great many students have to work after school (sometimes more than just one full-time job), which makes extra-curricular activities untenable. A lot of students who are recent arrivals to the city or the country have no idea what wrestling is, and it is more difficult to translate than you might expect. What this means is that I have a team full of raw beginners, and I am trying to prepare them to wrestle against athletes who have been active in the sport for many years already. It is very rewarding to see how quickly many of the wrestlers are picking it up and getting a feel for the pace and energy of competition. Best of all is to see how the kids are gaining confidence and pride in their hard work and accomplishments, win or lose. When family, friends, and teachers show up to support them at competitions, it's just great.

It's amazing how fast they learn and grow.