Janet and Bill Foster |
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Pictures and Content Courtesy of The Foster Family |
| As his Dad and I drop him off at the Airport, and watch him walk through the doors, there are three things we know for sure. One, eleven days home at Christmas is not long enough. Two, Miami is way too far. And three, he is smiling underneath that mask. Our son Nick Foster is the 125# wrestler for St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida; he signed with the program early last summer. Nick is pursuing a degree in Sport’s Administration. He has always loved wrestling, and being part of a team. Now he is making his dreams come true, and being at an NAIA University, he actually has had a lot of wrestling this season. |
| I remember when it all began, he was six-years old, daydreaming as his dad and coaches yells, “Nick you are up!” He would go out there, get pinned quickly, smile, and run off the mat to soak up the advice from the coaches. Soon, those pins were not as quick, and eventually some of the losses turned into wins. He never gave up. They say attitude is everything. With every win and loss, he became a better wrestler. Sometimes, with close matches, if I were not able to see the scoreboard, I couldn’t tell if he won or lost because it was always the same either way; a handshake, a big smile, and wide eyed–nodding his head as the coaches gave their advice. |
| Soon the traveling began, and that is when his love for wrestling became stronger. The bonds and new friendships made are truly what he will recall the most. It was not what he placed that will be remembered, it was the camping, amusement parks, cheering on his teammates, and making new friends with wrestlers from other states (even kids he just wrestled). It wasn’t the wins that transformed him into the wrestler he is today; it was the lessons learned. He learned that some of your best matches are ones you lost. He found out that a true champion is not only how you act when you win, but how you act when you lose. It was a lesson of not being a great wrestler because you brought home a big medal; it was being a great wrestler because of learning from the losses, taking that back to the gym Monday night, and being happy because you are improving every day. |
| Nick always talks about how he has learned something different from each Coach he has encountered. From his Dad, to the patient Youth Coaches, the amazing Volunteer Coaches at Team Nevada North, his great High School Coaches at Spanish Springs High, to the talented Coaches at Lassen Community College; and now, the Coaching staff at St. Thomas University. He found kindness and knowledge in every Coach he encountered. |
| Not much has changed from those youth days of traveling in a little truck with his buddies to a fancy chartered bus with his College Team. With that travel home–your head is filled with lessons learned, your heart is filled with friendships made and bonds strengthened with coaches and teammates, and your stomach with poor food choices at fast food restaurants. Of course, there are some differences–your opponents have beards and your parents, sadly, are not there to cheer you on. After Nick has gone back to Miami, I do as most Moms do, glance in his room, tidy a bit, and get it ready for his next visit. It is hard not to notice all his trophies, plaques, and All-American Certificates, and Outstanding Wrestler Awards from the past 14 years. We are proud of him, and his hard work, but the one that always stands out the most, is the award that we are most proud of and that we believe got him to where he is today–his 2018-2019 4A Outstanding Wrestler Sportsmanship Achievement Award. |
| It is that attitude that we believe truly defines these kiddos as a great wrestlers; to learn from the losses and gracefully keep going, and to be humble with the wins. They say there are many opportunities in losing, not only the desire to become even better, but the opportunity to display good character and Sportsmanship. The lessons that will define them, not only as great wrestlers, but great human beings. So with that, Happy wrestling and travels. Enjoy the ride. Bill and Janet Foster |
