Victory School of Wrestling, Chapter 3

Last week we turned the page and started a new chapter in the life of Victory School of Wrestling.  We successfully made the transition from our Main Street location to the new wrestling room at River Falls Meyer Middle School.  The Victory Training Center was home to Victory for more than six years.  A lot of blood, sweat and tears were spilled over the wrestling mats in that spacious room and many lives were changed in that location.

We opened the doors at 125 1/2 N. Main St. on March 1st, 2007 with a lot of momentum and positive energy.  It took months of construction and detail to turn old racquetball courts into a world class training environment for wrestlers of all ages and ability levels.  We hosted over 2,000 practices for almost 1,000 athletes during this span (yes, I do remember nearly all of them by name).  We challenged individuals physically, mentally and spiritually.  We helped develop world team members, national champions, state champions, conference champions and champions of many significant events.  We also helped athletes make important life decisions, including "crossing the line of faith" (E-Team) and stepping up and taking on responsibilities while becoming the men and women they're created to be - champions off the mat.  I can say with confidence that everyone who walked up those stairs on the way to practice walked back down positively influenced in one way or another.

Aesop, the ancient Greek fabulist, wrote, "After all is said and done, more is said than done."  Given that I open and close every practice with a short message, a lot was said in over six years at the Victory Training Center on Main Street in River Falls.  However, looking at this period of time in hindsight, much more was actually done than said.

At Victory School of Wrestling, we say wrestling is not who we are; it's what we do.  I've been obsessed with the wrestling mat since I was a little kid.  I'm secure in the fact that my identity comes from who God says I am and not what others say or what I do.  With that said, God has used the sport of wrestling to shape my life and He used our space on Main St. to solidify much of what I stand for.  He's put wrestling in the lives of these young men and women to help mold them, too, and the Victory Training Center has been a significant part of that process for many.

Moving to a new location also signifies a move into a new chapter of Victory School of Wrestling, chapter 3, if you will.  We started in the basement of my house before moving to Main St. in River Falls.  Now, we're in another new space with new goals.  The scenery is different, but one thing still remains: lives that will positively be influenced will inevitably contribute to an eternity.