So, what do the FHSAA State Championships mean to people? Well, to some it’s an accomplishment or a goal they achieved. To some it means everything! In the beginning of the season over 800 wrestlers start with a goal of either qualifying for the FHSAA State tournament or to actually become a STATE CHAMPION. As a parent, we want nothing more than to see our child up on that podium in the Silver Spurs Arena on a Saturday night. Along the way there will be bumps and bruises, good times and bad.
As a parent or family member of a wrestler who’s competing, of course you always want to see them wrestle their best and win. At a big state tournament, especially the FHSAA State Championships where you have the best of the best in the state competing, things can be quite different than what you may be accustomed to seeing. You must understand, every single kid who steps on the mat has earned the right to be there. For some kids, they can experience a little stage fright because they have never been on a big stage like this before. Many have, but some have not and it can be a little intimidating for those who haven’t been there yet.
You will experience many different emotions from the highest of highs after a big win, to the lowest of lows after a tough loss. It’s all part of the process. The one thing I always tell people is always try to remain positive for your athlete. Trust me when I tell you they see everything. Even if you’re good about it as many parents are, these kids can sense the disappointment just by a simple facial expression. Be careful and try and always remember it’s just a wrestling tournament, it’s not life or death. Is it very important to some? Absolutely! I’m not saying it’s not important or minimizing it in any way. I’m simply stating whether they win or lose life will go on. The sun will rise again the following day.
This tournament specifically will have college coaches and recruiters in attendance watching for that next diamond in the rough. Make sure you have this talk with your athlete because it’s not all about how much they win. Many of these coaches are looking at much more than winning wrestling matches. They look for “the intangibles” such as how a kid carries themselves or how they act after a loss but also how they act after a win. Make sure your athlete knows this, as they will have many eyes on them in Kissimmee.
I had a chance to speak to my buddy, Arizona State University Coach Lee Pritts on the phone and we spoke about recruiting and what he personally looks for when recruiting a student/athlete for his program. Coach Pritts told me the number one thing he looks for in a kid is the desire to compete. He stated it’s something he can easily detect when watching a kid. I asked him if there was ever a time he recruited a kid who may not have been as good as another guy who was on his radar. Coach Pritts told me that’s happened before and usually it worked out very well for both the team and the wrestler. He said there are times where you watch a kid and you just say to yourself “Wow, I really like that kid”.
Coach Pritts told me at ASU they try and get kids with great character, with the hopes of it rubbing off on a kid who may be struggling a bit in that area. He told me there are times where a kid gets to college and sometimes gets a little wild at times, but with a solid core of teammates who exhibit great character, it usually works itself out. They tend to rub off on that kid and that’s when change happens.
So, when you are at the Silver Spurs Arena at the FHSAA State Championships remember why you’re there and make sure your athlete knows what to expect. Bring your best, grind for greatness and never stop wrestling. You never know, Coach Lee Pritts may come calling!!!!