Win the crowd

"Listen to me. Learn from me. I was not the best because I killed quickly. I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crowd and you will win your freedom." - Proximo

It feels like yesterday that I laced my bright yellow Adidas shoes and marched through the Parade of Champions prior to the state finals my senior year. The whole weekend seemed surreal at the time. However, as I become less recognized and relevant as an athlete in Wisconsin, I'm starting to comprehend what took place in the Kohl Center in 1998.

I enjoyed my time as a high school athlete and nothing was more enjoyable than standing in the center of Mat 1 to the ovation of over 10,000 wrestling fans. I had a wide range of emotions from releaved to happy. What I cherish most from that moment, though, is how the fans made me feel. I felt like I was a part of something much larger than myself. If you've read any of my previous blogs, you'd know that I believe I was part of a story of God. Within that story was a farm kid that won the crowd over the course of four years. Obviously, I was there in the middle so I cannot seperate my bias, but I haven't seen, or felt, that same energy towards an athlete in the Kohl Center since (closest was Alyssa Lampe and Davion Willis).

There have been a handful of four-time state champions since my day in the spotlight and this year, another individual will join me as a Division 1 four-timer (for one more day, I'm the only one). So there have been a lot of great wrestlers, but I'm going to take a stab and say none have loved the crowd and been loved quit like I was in 1998. Please understand that I'm not trying to hang on to any overdue glory. I know my time has passed, but there is something left to be desired as a fan following the handful of super stars that have graced the Kohl Center floors most recently.

During my career, I didn't have to deal with the pressures of internet forums or Facebook. I wasn't a controversial character because of my lack of character. I had tremendous family support and I was grounded enough to know at the time that I wasn't alone in my athletic endeavors and I knew there was no way I could have done it alone, either. I was a gracious winner and respected my competitors. For a lack of a better way to describe what I'm thinking, I believe I was successful in "winning the crowd."

I didn't compete to seek the approval of the crowd, but we certainly worked together to accomplish great things.