I looked back and see that I, as well as my son, grew.

I am confident that Garret now truly understands the mindset of self-respect and good sportsmanship. Yep, he's still learning. But now he has a great foundation to build on.

Wrestling became an environment where he (as a young man) could exercise and practice at "what he should do". Though he wasn't always successful, it is now obvious that "what he should do" has become the goal. He took ownership of his behavior and work ethic this year and managed it very well.

He's learned to accept the coaches, competitors, and fans for what they are...just one part of the sport...these things will never be under his control...but some things like his behavior should always be under his control.

Moreover, while playing coach/dad, I probably learned more from my son Garret than he learnd from me. More than anything, he's given me inspiration, when I needed it the most. And this year is it. We've quietly had a very tough year in our family, and it's likely to continue for several more months.

I watched him do the toughest of things, like: accept dad's dissappointment, take criticism, apologize for his poor behavior, congratulate the victor, graciously accept the loss, face his shortfalls and commit to improvement, chase excellence, and on and on.

I am so proud of him, and even more so, I'm grateful TO him. Thank you Garret!!