I try to avoid knee-jerk reactions the best I can. Most of my life has revolved around wrestling in some way, so when something as significant as the state tournament gets canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, I want to give myself some time to assess the situation before expressing my thoughts. The final result: It just sucks, plain and simple.
When you spend so much time around this sport as a reporter, a coach and fan it hits you hard because of the relationships you’ve built. I cried for 20 minutes when it was first announced. I know how hard each of these kid have worked and what they have sacrificed. Doing what others couldn’t or wouldn’t. Some of these guys wrestle year- round and live for one weekend a year, the weekend of state.
In the end, it is just a sport and I understand why some people don’t think it’s that big of a deal. But what I think some people miss or what some overlook, is that for some of these kids this was their life. They don’t have families of their own yet, they don’t have kids. All they have is now.
For seniors, they’ll never get that chance to find out how they would have done or that feeling of stepping onto the floor of the Schottenstein Center. They were robbed of moments, memories, and it’s no one’s fault.
A hard pill to swallow now for state wrestlers is the lesson they learn from all of this. I’ve read, heard and seen a tidal wave of emotion overcome our local wrestlers these past three weeks. Heartbreak, sadness, anger, frustration, and none of it is misplaced. They’re obviously allowed to feel anyway they want to about it.
This is a historically altering situation for our sport. It really is quite unique because state wrestling tournaments were conducted during World War II, according to my Ohio wrestling history books. So this current group of wrestlers is literally the only one in the history of our sport to know what this feels like.
At the very least, this is a textbook example of how sometimes life simply isn’t fair. What each of these wrestlers take away from this is up to them. To my knowledge, most, if not all, have handled it well. And that is a testament to their character as young men.
Right after the OHSAA announced the initial postponement of the state tournament, I read a tweet from former Indian Lake state-placer Heath Lange to current Laker Hayden Pummel. “Wrestling careers are full of adversity and I promise when yours is over you’ll be more proud of how you responded to the different situations than what you placed at any tournaments. It sounds like crap now, but it’s real. Make this one of them,” he said.
That is tremendous advice from one Laker to another, but not surprising knowing the parties involved. Both are incredibly hard workers, both are extremely disciplined and both are coached by Ryan Dickson, who is as real as they come.
The state tournament being canceled wasn’t fair and I’m sure they wish it would have never happened to them, but it did. I’d like to think this will define their lives in some way, shape or form for the better. It is the ultimate lesson for already high-character kids about to enter a rapidly changing world.
Wrestling already teaches us so many valuable lessons in life, but this one may take the cake. My heart goes out to each of them and the experience that was stolen from them. I’ll direct them to the old adage of “it’s not what happens to you in life, but how you respond to it.” Knowing this group of six, they’ll be just fine.