It has been two years since I last stepped foot on a mat and four years since I last competed. My life has definitely taken a different path since being captain of my high school wrestling team. But the lessons that I learned from wrestling will forever stay with me.
I learned that with singular focus and determination I can master my mind and body to reach my dreams. I learned how to turn passion into action, how to chase dreams to places where I never thought I’d go. I learned to fight against the odds to reach the outcomes that I want. I’m no longer a wrestler; that chapter of my life has closed. But had it not been for my experience as a wrestler I would not be the student, activist, community member and person I am today.
I think the University and athletic department should have considered long and hard before simply dismissing the value of this program. I feel that once again this action has shown the University’s unwillingness to engage with students on an issue that has a drastic impact on their lives. I think that our administration underestimates what wrestling has to offer to students. It has more of an impact than many people realize and the level of support they’ve received for their cause speaks volumes as to why keeping the program and preserving the experiences others and myself have shared is paramount to the collegiate experience.
Matt Rose
ASUO Finance Coordinator