Over the years I have thought a lot about Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and my thinking has morphed from initially accepting it, to questioning it, to now being firmly opposed. If my two decades of coaching youth wrestling and three decades of caring for thousands of patients with brain injuries have taught me anything, it’s that I cannot sit on the fence when people’s lives and well-being are at stake. So, I will not remain silent any longer. My open letter to wrestling coaches was controversial but I'm comfortable with my position.
Our role as coaches is to safeguard our wrestlers and guide them toward building a foundation that leads to a thriving life. We use wrestling to teach self-reliance, responsibility, resilience, discipline, and a host of other life skills that will serve them well as they continue on their path. Along the way, if we are fortunate, we develop athletes, state champions, national contenders, and perhaps even some elite athletes who become world or Olympic caliber wrestlers. We then watch them succeed as spouses, fathers and mothers, businesspeople, coaches, teachers, doctors and nurses, engineers, and in other professions and trades. And the crowning moment is when they return to our wrestling room and tell us how our sport helped them to achieve their dreams.
My concern is that a foray into a career in MMA, or even dabbling in it, is not aligned with the foundation we promote as coaches, and will not lead to a flourishing life. Sure, a few may experience some financial success, but it will be for a short period of time and will likely come at a great cost to their health, their future, and the future of their loved ones.
My open letter to wrestling coaches and the wrestling community.
 |
