Teddy Roosevelt said,

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
"Citizenship in a Republic,"Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

And I do this year in and year out because I too have failed, many times, but the lessons learned and the pride in knowing that i TRIED was well worth it. Maybe not at that particular moment, but I realized later that I was given a gift in defeat. A gift of persistence and determination to never have that happen to me again, not to never try again. I have had hundreds of kids cry on my shoulder, and I sometimes on theirs, when the season came to an end. But I know that in my heart, they are the lucky ones, not the victors. For the victors are quickly rushed away by the screaming crowd, while they are left alone with their thoughts, and in those thoughts are the plans of once again rising to the top to try yet again. I am extremely proud and honored to have coached many young men ion my life. I am extremely proud and honored to be a Husky. I will rise again and set my sites on the prize,but do so with new found knowledge, and determination. One day we will stand at the Rabobank arena, our team, and hold that trophy high, and all those who have gone before us will be there too in spirit because family never forgets. Mitch, Kyle, Greg, Ty, Mike I t has been an extreme pleasure to watch you grow up many from when you were small boys, in to fine young men. Not all our goals may have been reached , but that didn't and won't stop us from reaching again. I love you , and wish you all the best in whatever you choose, and whatever you choose I know you will represent SHHS , and the wrestling program very well.
As for you under class men get to the club on Wednesday, start failing, so when the time comes e to will taste victory.


Taylor

Springsteen

said it best when he said, "Still at the end of every hard earned day, people find some reason to believe." That's just what 3 Huskies did on Saturday night. Danie Flores, Mike Ramos and Ty Olson are the next representatives to state for the South Hills Huskies. Master's is a tough meet where anything can happen and usually does. Every year very deserving kids just can't fight their way out of the "meat grinder" and end up not going to state. This year the team took it in stride several underclassmen feel short of their goal, and a few seniors wrestled the very last time as a husky. It's so hard, elation on minute and sheer exhaustion and sadness the next. I have hugged and cried with too many kids to count, but the feeling that as a coach I let them down in their quest always haunts me. But, it is the times when Mike Ramos runs into my arms after beating a kid he had lost twice to, to qualify for state, when I see him as that little 10 year old kid in my wrestling room at Workman that make it all worthwhile. Or perhaps it is the ton of weight I saw lifted off of Ty's shoulders now tat the dream is a reality that keeps me going. However, it is also watching Mitch Chatfield get so close, but so far. In that moment when you know just how good he has become, but cant help but fell the pangs of loss that make you question why you do this year after year. The answer is simple my reasons to believe are the 9 returners form this years team and the 20 or so others who are ready to take the mantle and continue on with the rich tradition of South Hills Wrestling. I am inspired by my kids, they make me want to be a better coach, not for myself but in order to take them to the promised land, so they too can taste success. Many thanks to those of you who have read this this year, I know I have not always been up to date, but I have been honest, there are times when I wanted to retire, times when I didn't want it to end, I realize it's not always the mountain, but the climb that is the reward, and I still look at a room full of fresh faces and find some reason to believe.