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Becoming A Champion – The Road to the Top Jake Fitzpatrick for Tech-Fall.com What does it take to be a champion at the California State Wrestling Championships? This has to be one of the most grueling tests of endurance, focus, and athletic ability in the nation. California has 850 high schools with over 25,000 student athletes competing for eight medals in the 14 weight classes. Only one competitor per weight class will emerge as state champion. This is not the culmination of three months of intense daily training sessions, dieting, miles and miles of road work and weekly competitions. It is the culmination of a decade or more of a young man’s sacrifice to become the best of the best and stand atop the podium in the California State Championships. For everyone else, there is a hallway just off the arena floor that is called the hall of tears. Most competitors will fall short of their dreams and in that hall way is where the emotion of the years of hard work and sacrifice for a dream to be the best is allowed to come to the surface. So what does it take to become the best? Some say 10,000 hours of training, having the right attitude and tons of sacrifice. That is probably not far from what most of this year’s medalists have invested. The Fresno/Clovis area of the central valley of California is arguably the best wrestling area in the largest state. Clovis HS has just won their fifth consecutive title, while setting a record for points scored. How do they do it? Early and often is part of the answer. It starts with a good feeder system. They provide opportunities for kids to start wrestling in the elementary schools and through age group club programs. Wrestling for 6, 8, or 10 years before reaching the high school programs gives the dedicate athlete a huge advantage to become successful as an underclassman. The most successful have competed in several state and national age group tournaments before they ever reach high school, adding evidence to the adage that spring and summer wrestling makes winter champions. Clovis HS athletes train about ten months a year. But training alone does not provide the full picture. You need to train smart and with quality coaching. Wrestling has a long history in the Central Valley with Fresno state and Fresno City College producing decades of alumni that have become parents, mentors and coaches for the area youth. Fresno State dropped wrestling in 2008 and now they are preparing to reinstate the program within the next 3 years. This is great news for the Fresno area youth and high school programs. Having coaches in your youth programs with college wrestling experience is a great advantage to the skill development of the young athlete. Having a college in the area where the student can continue to pursue their sport of choice demonstrates community support and is also a great motivator. No one achieves success alone. Every one of the medalists in tonight's competition has a support staff of parents, coaches, mentors, and training partners, without which they would not have been able to accomplish their dreams. Not only does the athlete put in 10,000 hours of training but the coaches and training partners are with them much of the time. The parents drive countless miles, sit in hundreds of gyms and spend a lifetime of hours and resources in support of their child. As the saying goes "the journey to the top is difficult but that is where you get the best view". The climb to the top has many challenges and many rewards that will last a lifetime to those that accept the quest. The end of the journey eventually comes to a close and in California only one can summit the mountain to be crowned champion. So while the victor rejoices in the lime light, in a darkened hallway just off the arena floor sits the heart break of the quest for supremacy. Yes, these young men have given it all. They’ve shed their blood, sweat and some tears to this sport and to their quest to become a champion. |
