I posted this letter to my son on my blog. It received an amazing response - I thought I'd share

http://myownveritas.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/a-fathers-letter-to-his-son/

I've also included it in my book about HS wrestling

http://lastchancesbook.wordpress.com

Wow!! Thank you so much for sharing. This brought tears to my eyes. As a wrestling mom, I see that disappointment in a lot of fathers' eyes and even in a few mothers'. It really is about their journey and what they want out of it.

Thank you - I posted it on my blog about a year before my own son ever read the letter. I wasn't sure if he would completely understand it...still not sure if he totally gets it now.

viking158,

I had a lot of memories blow by me while reading this. It is true that being a wrestler can make you better in the classroom, better in your job, better in life. I think the journey that you speak of is the journey shared by the parents and their wrestlers. It is a two way journey, one where the parents want their children to succeed, and the other where their children want to succeed for their parents.

It is a tough journey for both, but a journey that does great things for both the parents and their children. As a parent, I want my wrestlers to succeed, not for me, but for themselves. I too have wrestled, and have coached wrestling, and have benefited from what this incredibly challenging sport can do for you as an adult. I want it to do the same for my children.

I would hope that everyone here takes the time to read this.

Want to say, Great Letter! Want to sy if more parents looked at wrestling in this manner we would have more great kids wrestling in High Schools and Collages. Thank You for letting us read your letter. I to found myself tearing up while reading them words. I want to think that this will help a lot of us out there think twice after a long hard day of wrestling with our Boys/girls. Win or lose there is a life leason in all of it. Thank you again for giving me what I needed to help my son and daughter with different thingg i didnt know I needed.

... a great letter!

Yes, excellent post. And Randy, if I may; since it's very similar in subject matter, I thought it would be a good time to dig up one from the past after one of our own achieved all-american status a few years ago...one of my all time favorites that very elequently sums it up and illistrates why we choose to be involved in this madness. It took some digging, but I found it.

******

I have been reminded … reminded of the tremendous impact the sport of wrestling can have on us all!

As I was leaving the arena after this morning session I happened across three men, sharing similar thoughts. They weren’t sharing in a typical fashion but they were sharing in their individual solitude … sharing the same emotions.

First there was the father walking a few feet from his son. He was biting his lower lip. I could see the pride in his face. He had watched his son grow into a young man. He had prepared his son for the journey.

Next there was the high school coach. He couldn’t speak … as he was choked up with emotions. He had spent hours in the mat room encouraging this young man. He had helped to develop both the physical as well as the mental tools it would take to survive.

Then there was the young man. A few minutes earlier, he was thanking those around him for everything they contributed in his life. Now, he sat in a corner chair, at the edge of a wrestling mat. The same mat where he had probably wrestled the final match of his career. The emotions of the moment had overcome all three men.

I am not positive what any of the three were thinking. But I imagine that their thoughts were of closing a chapter. I wish I would have had some magical words for the three. But I didn’t … and probably, I couldn’t share them if I did because of my own emotions.

Often in life, we don’t recognize when one chapter ends and another begins. However, this time it was clear. I trust the young man will embrace this next chapter. And his father and his coach will find some solace in knowing … they have prepared the young man for the path!
_________________________
Are you making a POSITIVE difference in the life of kids?

Randy Hinderliter
USAW Kansas
Coaches Ed/Dev

here is another good one
www.takedowns.com/quotes/thechampion.htm

I am sharing these same thoughts. Thanks for sharing. It made sit down with my oldest son and have a talk. This has been a very big year for him.

Thanks Reesor ... reading that again renews the emotion that it was written with!

Wrestling does magnify pride!!