Icon:

Have you ever stumbled upon something quite by accident, than over a period of time realized you found something worthwhile, something life-changing.

I am a Bluffton High School parent who has found that something! My son came to us his Sophomore year expressing an interest in joining the Bluffton High School wrestling team.

Being a parent of a numerous amount of children and just wrapping up a busy soccer/football season, my husband and I groaned at the idea. We knew nothing about wrestling and we figured it would mean weekends traveling with nothing to gain... At the end of our sons Sophomore year of wrestling, after a few losses (including close to 20 pounds), but much more character, strength, and confidence gained, we apologized and said to our son that it was one of the best decisions he ever made. For once, we were glad he did not listen to us.

I believe we have a gold mine that is untapped in our High School. We have many youths who are bored and are spending their time not preparing for their future. I believe wrestling in a very natural way prepares, especially young men (majority are boys, but we do have one girl) for life and career.

The intense training the Bluffton High School wrestling coaches demand of their wrestlers is incredible. However, these young men know that they are cared about. They know that their coaches are truly sacrificing and investing their time and their energy to help them get better and to achieve the impossible.

Due to all this, these wrestlers push themselves to a point they never thought possible, and the reward for this hard work is character. I have seen nothing like it, and I am honored to observe and be apart of it! I believe that the students of Bluffton High School have so much untapped strength and talent.

I believe that the Bluffton High School wrestling staff have the experience, dedication, and insight to tap into it! They are gifted at training and encouraging. The coaches are gifted at caring Yet, they are men who push hard. They push themselves hard as well and example what they expect. They are professionals in their knowledge of the sport. They are respected and known throughout the "Ohio world of High School wrestling". They have achieved many state titles.

I believe if anyone can survive one year of Bluffton High School wrestling, they can survive most anything. Wrestling has micro waved maturity in my son. I am not trying to pin one sport against another. I do not believe wrestling is for everyone. But, I believe our team is too small for what it has to offer. My son grew fast and his coordination had a hard time keeping up with him, but the wrestling coaches took him under their wing "as is" and gave him flight!

At his last invitational, my son wrestled against a state placer. He did not quite win, but exhausted his rival and really gave it his all! It was an exciting match. Last year, it would have been a different story. I did not recognize him this year, he has transformed into a skilled competitor.

I knew my son needed this push for some years, and I knew I could not give it to him. As I watched him look down at his coach, with sweat dripping off his nose ....it was then that I realized this coach has helped my husband and I give him that extra push to achieve a very difficult task.

The task of growing up, the task of testing strength to an extreme limit. I believe once a young man discovers this, he truly has found a "gold mine". A gold mine of character and discipline. If it is not discovered, it could lay to waste.

The Bluffton High School wrestling program will help make sure this does not happen. It truly does have a winning tradition.

Jodi Conley