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My name is Atticus Salinas, and I’m a 14-year-old living in Las Vegas. I’m honored to be chosen as NVSportsLocal Athlete of the Month. I started wrestling when I was 8 years old in Odessa, Missouri, wrestling two seasons on my town’s youth wrestling team. When I was 10, my mom and I moved to Las Vegas, and I joined Gold Rush Wrestling Academy. I’ve now wrestled under Coach Pami for four years, and I’m thankful every day for his belief in me and his commitment to my growth on and off the mat. |
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| When I first started, I struggled. I wasn’t very good. But everything changed when I learned to trust the process, enjoy the journey, and let my training guide me during matches. That mindset helped me find confidence and success. I would also like to recognize Coach Antonio Saldate, as he had a huge impact on my growthh. |
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| I have worked incredibly hard to close the gap between me and my competitors. Wrestling is a year-round sport for me. I even train in the summer when I spend time with my grandparents at Open Mats in Blue Springs, MO. I’m extremely grateful to my grandparents because they take me to practices twice a day and travel with me across the country for camps and competitions. |
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| I have also had the privilege to travel three times internationally to The Netherlands and Estonia to wrestle. I am thankful for Coach Jake Rollans and Coach Bill Sullivan for the opportunity to learn and experience the international wrestling community. I have made friends with wrestlers and coaches from all over the world. My current international record is 19-10. During my travels, I also started my hobby of selling and trading singlets. It’s a great way to connect and make friends with wrestlers from other countries. I plan on wrestling in Estonia again this spring. |
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| love summer wrestling, and I prefer Olympic styles over folkstyle; Greco is my favorite. Some highlights from this past summer include being the 14u Freestyle Nevada state champion and runner-up for Greco. I placed 4th at Western Regionals in freestyle, battling back from a first-round loss. I was also able to attend training camp in New Jersey with Jordan Burroughs and his team. We had a great camp and even got to go surfing, which was amazing. I went to Kids Nationals and earned All-American in Greco. I was also selected to be on a travel dual team at the Inferno Duals in Oklahoma, where I went 5-0 and caught a kid I’ve been chasing for a few years. I also got the privilege to become a brand ambassador for Vantage Wrestling. |
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| I am about to begin my last season as a Nevada youth wrestler before moving on to high school. Some advice I would like to give to young wrestlers reading this is to never let a loss define you. There will always be tough moments, but if you push through and work hard, the rewards will be worth it. It might not be gold medals, but the person you become is what matters. Enjoy your journey and don’t compare your journey to others. I would also like to encourage parents to remind their kids to have fun, score points, and just wrestle. |
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| In my spare time, I like to fish, trade and buy singlets, and hang out with my friends and family. I am also a straight-A student, an altar server, a member of the National Junior Honor Society, and I am on the Gold Rush Highest Honors All Academic team. |
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| I would like to thank all my coaches, my grandparents, my Gold Rush teammates and their parents, my mindset coach, my training partners at Gold Rush, my sponsors: Dan Kouretas, Mike and Natalia Keating, Auntie Lauren and Uncle Nick, and most importantly, my mom. She always believes in me and loves me no matter if I win or lose. Also, I would like to say thank you to Miss Kathi for choosing me and for all her time she gives back to Nevada wrestling. |
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| I would like to end with this verse that has helped me and given me strength during some difficult times: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 |
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