so recently everyone has been asking me if i'm gonna wrestle and to be honest i have no clue? i love wrestling as much the next guy but last season i pretty much destroyed my body to get up to my coaches "standards" for the practice room it took my body 2 months to recover after the season and i've been asking myself ever since then is it gonna be worth it next year to come out and do the same thing? i have a football scholship to mizzou and what if i get hurt sometime in the season? these are the things on me mind about the up coming season. i know i have a long standing relationship with most of you on here so could i please get your honest responce on here on whats best for me


Thanks, Lucas Vincent

PM to you...

lucas, u dont know me. i dont know u. all i can tell u is this. there comes a day when they will tell u, "u cant wrestle any more." u might b 20 u might b 30. when that day comes will u be able to say ok? football is there for u. wrestling will be gone soon. as a fan, i wish 2 see u win another title and wrestle in the metro. i say, do all u can do for as long as u can. i'd be shocked if mizzou didnt feel the same. lucas, ur an amazing athlete, and wrestling will do nothing but make u a better football player. good luck.

Lucas,

I've been coaching for several years now both football and wrestling and I think the two sports go hand in hand. Most coaches know that their best tacklers are usually wrestlers and who better would you want on a line than someone who understands leverage and how to move bodies around like wrestling teachs.

I was trying to convince a young wrestler to stay with wrestling instead of focusing on just football and I got a little help from Jack Spates of Oklahoma. I'll attach his email here and let you decide what to do.


Terry-

I hope all is well with you. Located below is Bob Stoops' thoughts on wrestling and football. Hope this helps.

Jack Spates
Head Wrestling Coach
University of Oklahoma


University of Oklahoma Head Football Coach Bob Stoops' thoughts on wrestling and football

Having played football at the University of Iowa and gotten to know legendary Iowa Coach Dan Gable, I have become a big fan of the sport of wrestling.

In addition to enjoying the sport, I am convinced that wrestling as a sport is extremely beneficial to football and believe that high school coaches would benefit greatly by allowing their players to wrestle and by recruiting wrestlers.

Wrestling helps develop discipline to stay in one's stance. Wrestlers also generally have good balance, understand leverage and know how to use their hands. This benefits them in blocking, defending blocks and tackling. Perhaps the greatest benefit of wrestling is developing mental and physical toughness.

Many of the top football programs like Nebraska have a number of former wrestlers on their team. We have several and I not only allow, but have encouraged these to wrestle in the off-season.

I am a football man, but have the greatest respect for wrestling and all those who compete in wrestling.

Sincerely,
Bob Stoops


Good Luck

Terry Alley
Head Coach
Andover Central High


Last thoughts, injuries can occur anytime from many different circumstances. I have had more kids injured from horsing around than from actually wrestling.

Good luck in whatever decision you make.

Follow your heart young man.
No one can give you the help you are looking for but yourself.

"If it's to be...It's up to me."

http://www.usawks.com/invites/091015FootballWrestle.pdf

I think all of these guys would tell you to put the shoes and singlet on!