I couldn’t help but notice the atmosphere in the gym at Kings Mt. high school on Tuesday night. It was very intense. It brought back memories of a rivalry that has been dead for a little over a decade. From 1992 to 1998 the Wildcat wrestling team won the conference championship and every year it was decided when North Gaston faced  off with the Mountaineers, and usually in just as dramatic a fashion as some witnessed in our 42 – 40 loss to them on Tuesday night. On the bus ride home that night a lot of things were going through my mind. Things like what mistakes we made, how can we fix them, things we did well, and how the each side of the gym would erupt every time we traded a pin with them. As my brain was trying to process all these things I kept returning to the same thought. The rivalry is re-born. Next season Kings Mt. will take the place of East Gaston in our conference and we will trade one ten year old rivalry to renew an old one.

A match like the Kings Mt. match immediately became a fork in the road for our wrestling program, and I think all the wrestlers would agree that the intensity level was kicked up a notch or two Wednesday afternoon at 3:30pm. Many people including myself have said that we have a young team, and we are not very experienced. However true this may be, we can’t allow ourselves to fall back on it when things don’t go the way we would like them to. Age and experience had nothing to do with the loss to Kings Mt. and it has had very little to do with some the individual losses some wrestlers have taken at the two tournaments we have been to.You cannot expect to just show up and be successful. I have set forth a challenge to the team: BECOME MENTALLY TOUGHER THAN YOUR OPPONENTS, PUT IN YOUR WORK WHEN IT IS TIME TO, AND THE END RESULT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF!

I wish I could take credit for the following speech because it embodies so much of the kind of attitude that it takes to become a successful wrestler. I love wrestling, and this is why.  Nobody can hide on the wrestling mat: all your strengths, fears, and weakness are on the mat for everyone to see.  The toughness in your mind and the grit in your heart will determine how well you perform; how much you’re willing to sacrifice for victory.  It’s not only the sport that I love, but the elevating calm before the storm.  Getting your mind in a place that will know no surrender-no defeat.  Creating a mental zone to give it everything you have and leave it all on the mat. This speech is called “I am a Champion” it was given by Coach Flowers at Leland High School. I hope you enjoy it.

 

WHO AM I? …. I AM A CHAMPION!!!

 

I will conquer what has never been conquered. Defeat will not be in my creed. I will believe where all those before me have doubted. I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor and respect of my team. I have trained my mind and now my body will follow!

 

WHO AM I? …. I AM A CHAMPION!!!

 

I will acknowledge the fact that I am an elite warrior who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by any means at my disposal. I accept the fact that my team expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than our opponents. Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be. One hundred percent.

 

WHO AM I? …. I AM A CHAMPION!!!

 

Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well trained warrior. My heart and my soul will be the fuel to carry my body when my limbs are to weary. I will never falter, I will never lose focus as long as there is hope in my mind and my heart still beats. I will never give in to the evil that is weakness and I will fight that evil with my dying breath.

 

WHO AM I? …. I AM A CHAMPION!!!

 

Energetically will I meet my enemies, no one will challenge me, none will stop me from my goal. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Champion’s word  and under no circumstances will I ever surrender.

 

WHO AM I? …. I AM A CHAMPION!!!

 

Readily will I display the discipline and strength required to fight on to my objective and I will complete my mission. I will rise when I fallen. I will rip the heart from my opponent and leave it beating on the ground. My opponent need not fear me but he will respect me and if he does not. I will make him respect me with all that I have to give.

 

WHO AM I? …. I AM A CHAMPION!!!

 

History will remember my name and he will not have to be kind. For I will have denied his criticisms and put in my own praise, No one will define me, no one will tell me what I can achieve, none will say I have not given all I have to give and none will take my glory.

 

WHO AM I? …. I AM A CHAMPION!!!

 

Who will you be?

 

 

 
 

 I'd like to recognize some members of our wrestling club that really made some strides toward becoming better wrestlers. On a cold and rainy Saturday, April 5th Coach Parker and Coach Comer and 5 club members headed to Greensboro for the UNCG/YMCA open tournament. This was the first of four tournaments that is on our Spring schedule. Ty Peeler and Clay Macabee came home with gold medals. Collin Johnson won a silver medal and Nick McClure finished fouth in his weight class. Congratulations men and keep it up. On Sunday April 6th Coach Willis and Cody Wooten traveled to Union Pines High School where Cody wrestled off for a spot on Team NC. Cody was placed on the Copperheads Team Maroon and will travel to Maryland in May to compete in the National Duals. This is truly a great accomplishment for one of our own. Congrats and good luck to Cody. For all of you wrestlers that are attending club practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays, keep it up. The work you are putting in now will pay off. For those of you who are sitting at home not doing anything, someone you will wrestle next season is out working you. What will happen when you step on the mat with them?

 
 

Well, we're trying to catch up with the rest of the wrestling world and we got ourselves a web page. This site is for you. The wrestler. I'll do my best to make it the best it can be. Now that the high school season is over and we have had a few weeks off it's time to start getting back in the gym. We had a great season in 2007-08 by winning the conference championship, making the dual team playoffs, and finishing 5th at the regional tournament but if this kind of success is to continue we must make the commitment now and work our butts off between now and next November. We will be meeting in the next week or so to discuss days and times for club practice this spring and summer, some tournaments that I would like for you guys to try to attend, and what we will be doing about camp this summer. Please feel free to leave comments on what you think or if you have any suggestions. Let's have a great off season!