Coach Chris Gorden |
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| Pictures and Content Courtesy of Chris Gorden |
| My name is Coach Chris Gorden, and I have been a Strength and Conditioning and Assistant Wrestling Coach for our Reed High School Boys and Girls Wrestling Programs since 2014. I have had the privilege of learning from my Head Coach Mike Klapp–who gave me this opportunity, along with Coach Spiker, Coach Dixon, Coach Herc, Coach Ben, Coach Abas, Coach Baraza and so many others (but I’m gonna run out of room listing all of them). |
| I moved to Northern Nevada my Junior year of high school, after my Freshman year wrestling in Oregon and my Sophomore year wrestling in California. To return to coach in the community I grew up in and love, with former teammates and competitors who are also now coaches/former coaches and officials, has been absolutely surreal. It has been an amazing almost ten years now. Reed has been a second home to me, and these kids mean the world to me. I couldn’t be more proud to see the drastic positive change this sport can make in someone’s life. |
| Wrestling provides a unique level of comradery whether its athlete to athlete, coach to athlete, coach to coach, parent to coach, etc. It is the true definition of “It takes a village,” from fundraising to offseason weights to off season camps, food, travel and everything else. It requires so many people stepping up to make things happen. Many of them do it simply out of the kindness of their hearts. All the opportunities these kids get to have, the best competition and exposure to National Level tournaments, is heavily attributed to the sacrifices that everyone makes. |
| It is such a unique sport because anyone can wrestle–so no one ever has to feel like they are not accepted, regardless of their size, athletic ability, or background. There are no tryouts for wrestling for the most part. A wrestler just has to survive the season. A lot of the time what gets the wrestler through the grind are the relationships that develop along the way. Wrestlers push each other not just to be better wrestlers, but they push each other to be better students and better people. Your team becomes family. They sacrifice for each other. They hurt when you hurt. They are sad when you are sad, or when you are elated and successful. As a coach of these kids it can keep you up all night worrying about their futures, and they can be the reason you get out of bed some early mornings when you just don”t think you have it that day. |
| In the weight room our words are Citius Altius Fortius (faster, higher, stronger). Our philosophy is not to be faster, higher, stronger than the person we are competing against just faster, higher, stronger in everything. It is a constant state of improvement–enjoy the moment but get right back to work to keep improving. Be the best version of yourself everyday on and off the mat. This philosophy definitely translates directly to the mat. My hope is that I have helped teach these wrestlers how to look at their performances objectively, while still enjoying those moments when they are successful. For a lot of us, that bond begins right there and carries into the season. It also carries into the next offseason–always looking to improve. |
| Wrestling to me is a sacred place where people from all walks of life can come together to achieve a common goal, even if we don’t always agree on tactics or philosophy. It’s a place where we share literally blood, sweat and tears over and over and over again. We spend countless hours on the road together, run ungodly amounts of miles together, we win or lose together and we grow together. It forms, in many cases, lifelong bonds. It is transformative physically and mentally. Wrestling is one of the few places the world makes sense to so many of us. Wrestling is a place where hard work rewards. Like the great Cary Kolat said,” In wrestling you get what you earn.” Wrestling saved me not once but twice–once as a youth and again as a coach. I am so thankful to have been able to give back to a sport that has given me so much, and I am thankful for the lifelong bonds developed with so many of you. I love you all.
Chris Gorden |
