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It is virtually impossible to compete in
a sport during your life without having someone that you not only look up
to, but admire with great passion. A hero.
One is surrounded by media blitzes of the
game winning touchdown pass, the unbelievable slam dunk, and the double
overtime ride-out that seals a state championship. We have sport stars
that sell rap albums, act in movies, and live in super mansions off of their
multi-zillion dollar sport contracts.
They are a hero to many. Do you
want to be like them?
From the time I was very little, and to
the present day, I have always been consumed with looking up to heroes in my
life. I have had different heroes throughout the many different stages
in my life. And yes, when I was young, I also wanted to be that rich
sports star that had all the money in the world, all the television fame,
and the one surrounded by a multitude of beautiful women.
But my definition of a hero changed after
I graduated from high school. Much in part to one man, Mr. Paul Stenko.
Mr. Stenko was my high school gym teacher at Berwick High School. Mr.
Paul Stenko passed away several years ago, and for those who don't remember
him, I can state with absolute certainty that he was the "definition of
a man." A man's man. Stenko, with hands as big as a
Sasquatch, previously played professional football when protective pads were
just being developed and nobody knew that a face-mask would be a great
invention to stop getting your face beat in. When Paul Stenko played
professional football, his nickname was "The Bear." His
football salary? His professional salary, although better than the
average working Joe at the time, was hardly notable by any standard in the
world of professional sports today.
Mr. Stenko told me many things during my
years in high school. In many instances I was forced to listen because
there were times I wasn't the greatest kid in the world. But one
conversation stands out more than the rest. He said, "Do what you
do out of the love of what you do. Nothing else. And of all the
things that you choose to do, the only way you can be your best is if you
work harder at it than anybody else."
Although those words are pretty profound,
they didn't immediately sink into my brain at the time. It wasn't
until I left for college that I gave it much thought. It was then, in
college, that the words of Paul Stenko came to life and my outlook on
achievements changed, what I truly considered important, including my view
of the definition of a hero.
Today, my definition of a hero is one
whose efforts and accomplishments fly in the face of all the hardships that
one encounters. It is that person who simply says "Don't tell me
what I can't do." To those that do not need others to believe in
them, because the only belief that counts is one believing in their self.
My heroes are ones who show to all that that there is a simple rule to life,
to dedicate oneself to "working hard", harder than those all
around you, toward achieving that which are one's goals. My heroes are
not those who I admire simply for their accomplishments in a sport, but for
those who possess a "champion mindset" in all that they pursue in
life.
Wrestling, like any sport, is full of
heroes to look up to. Who do you look up to?
When you see a double-amputee competing
in a national wrestling tournament, you stare at the stubs that once had
legs attached to them. That's okay, the guy has no legs. He
knows that. Trust me, he knows people are going to stare. So go
ahead and take a look without shame or feeling bad that you looked.
While this wrestler knows that one may stare in disbelief that such a feat
can be accomplished in the first place, there is a much greater thing for
you to look at.
Look at how this double-amputee is
ripped, muscles upon muscles. Think about what it took, yes, the
all-important work ethic that he has dedicated himself to in building up his
body to compete in a national wrestling tournament. Look and think
again about how he moves like a cat on the mat. Realize once again,
the work ethic required to master his body in doing combat in the intense
sport of wrestling. Think again, yes, one more time, that this is a
man that possesses a "champion mindset" not only in a sport, but a
champion's mindset in all that he does.
The high school wrestling season is upon
us.
As a high school wrestler, you are
defined in two words. You are a "student-athlete."
The sport of wrestling, like all sports,
is ripe with naturally gifted athletes who may never see the top of a podium
because they lack the "champion mindset," the dedicated work ethic
required to get to the top step. Sports are ripe with athletes that
are unable to meet college entrance requirements because they failed to
apply the same dedication to academics as they do to the sport they love.
Sports are ripe with athletes that stumble in their personal lives with drug
use and associations with others that only let them stray from their goals.
This year, when you are setting your
goals to become a champion wrestler, adopt the "champion mindset"
in all that you do. Then look around - all around.
What is your definition of a hero?
Who is your hero?
Is it someone like the double-amputee
competing in a national wrestling tournament? Look past his amputated
legs, and look past the sight that you will rarely see in any gymnasium.
Instead, take another look at that
double-amputee. Think what it took for that double-amputee to be able
to be so strong, to move so quick, to possess such ferocious competitive
spirit.
If you look close enough, there is
something you can't help but see.
This man is no longer a double-amputee
out there on the wrestling mat.
This man is no longer viewed as a person
with a handicap.
Man, is he tough. Man, is he
strong. Man, is he quick.
Now, one can see only one thing with
perfect clarity.
This man is a wrestler.
This man is a champion wrestler.
Look at him. Go ahead and stare at
him for a few more seconds. It's okay.
Then look at yourself in the mirror.
If you really want to be a champion,
there is only one path you can take. You must develop that
"champion mindset" that results in a dedicated work ethic in all
that you do. The key phrase again is "in all that you do."
Then, and only then, are you a champion.
You may find out you have new heroes in
your life.
And one day you just may be a hero to
others.
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