As we come to an end for the winter season sports, it’s important to look forward toward the future of those sports as we look around at all the players, both recurring and new, and take note of what they have done and will be doing, as the pages of our school’s history read out their destiny. However, the end of one thing is always to the beginning of another, and this is clearly evident when you take notice of the excellence that boys’ wrestling has done at this year’s sectional tournament. The team did a wonderful job at placing 4th at the sectionals and are qualified to go to the state tournament. Today, we’ll be interviewing three of the three qualifiers: Nate Huffman, a senior who placed first; Damon Baker, a junior who placed third; and Nick Hutchins, a sophomore who also placed third, and see how they represent what it means to be a part of ACP High School’s community as an athlete.

Q: How long have you been doing wrestling and what was your reason behind starting your wrestling career?

Nate: I have been wrestling for eight years, and I started because my dad wrestled in college and wanted to introduce me to the sport.

Damon: I have been wrestling for three years, and I started because all of my older brothers did it, and I want to place as one of them did.

Nick: I have been wrestling since freshmen year and started because I had friends doing wrestling and I had never done it before.

Q: Do you plan on continuing wrestling after high school? What are some big takeaways that you have learned from the sport?

Nate: Unfortunately, I do not plan on wrestling in college. After considering how much of a commitment I would have to make toward the sport, I decided that I would not be continuing my wrestling career. One of the biggest takeaways that I’ve learned through wrestling is that you should never give up on anything, because if you stick with something for long enough, you will eventually start to see the results of your hard work.

Damon: I don’t plan on wrestling after high school, but I’ve taken away from the sport that hard work can get you anywhere, as long as your willing to work the hardest.

Nick: If I can, I would like to do wrestling in college and one day come back to the program. One thing I have learned is that hard work is often rewarded with favorable results and that there is always someone better than you.

Q: How has wrestling helped you develop as your own person? What advice would you give to yourself back when you started the sport?

Nate: Wrestling has taught me perseverance and self-control, two skills that have changed me as a wrestler and as an overall person. I would tell my 5th grade-self that although you may struggle with wrestling for the first few years, don’t resent the sport. Although you may not like having to go to club wrestling every day after school, you will definitely miss when you aren’t able to practice anymore.

Damon: Wrestling has put me through so much adversity, and I doubt anything else in life could match that. Back when I started, I’d tell myself to stay committed in the off season, as much as in season.

Nick: Wrestling has helped my confidence, socialize, and taught me discipline. If I could tell freshman me anything, it would be to hang in there. When you first start wrestling, you suck and that is a right of passage that wrestlers go through, and a lot of people quit because of that.

Q: Besides wrestling, what are some other extracurricular activities that you do outside of school? What about during your free time?

Nate: Wrestling is pretty much the only extracurricular activity that I do. I did join chess club this year, but once the wrestling season started, I wasn’t able to attend any meetings. During my free time, I enjoy playing video games, watching anime, and just talking with my friends.

Damon: Outside of school and wrestling, I also hangout with friends, play games online with them, or go out.

Nick: I also compete in shot-put and discus during track season and plan to return to swimming next year. During my free time, I like to hang out with friends or watch TV.

Q: Of course, we have to ask: would you rather have a rainy day or a stormy night and why?

Nate: I’d rather have a rainy day because rainy days are the best kinds of days. I like when the sky is gray with clouds, and the nice breeze that comes along with a rainy day.

Damon: I’d rather have a rainy day because the mood is better than a stormy night.

Nick: I prefer a rainy day so I can watch the rain fall and the wind blow the trees.

All three gentlemen embody what our motto is as they strive for excellence and are extraordinary. Balancing your academic life and extracurricular hobbies can be a struggle to start with at the beginning, especially when you’re in high school, but after a while, you learn to juggle with the different events going on in your life. Being in a sport helps one learn about the value of team work and community, especially when in the real world, the importance of making connections is definitely valued. You learn how to work with others, which helps you deal with different personalities and different backgrounds, as well as reflecting on your thoughts and actions. At the end of the day, when Nate, Damon, and Nick look back at the memories made and the friendships shared, hopefully, they’ll cherish all the experiences and obstacles that they faced because life is a roller coaster, and we are all in the same ride.