John is one of the most passionate coaches in the sport of wrestling.  His desire to be great was evident as a young person when he chose to walk-on  and wrestle for legendary coach University of Iowa coach Dan Gable.

Tom Ryan, Head Coach, Wresting,, Ohio State Buckeyes

There is no such thing as overnight success; there is even no such thing as final success. There is only passion, dedication, and the hard work that gets you to today. And then there’s more hard work tomorrow.

The championships and the trophies, the final second go-ahead takedowns and the tech falls and the pins—those belong to the kids, not to the coaches or the parents. The kids are the ones who have to travel down the long road to victory, a road that is rife with setbacks, disappointments, and enough dead ends to shake out all but the most committed athletes. It’s a road that sometimes doesn’t even end with a win, but where the journey itself is a victory nonetheless. To every wrestler in Section 1: I congratulate all of you for a year with a Hollywood ending.

Our job—the job of the parents and the coaches– is to help the kids stay on the road when it would be easier to quit. In wrestling, those moments occur with alarming frequency. Our job is to remind the kids that if they’re willing to put in the work, we’re going to be there for them. Even when they get stuck at the buzzer while leading 12-0 in the finals, even when the refs don’t appear to have the same understanding of stalling that we have. Our job is to point out that losing isn’t a detour on the road, it’s part of the road. Our job is to light the way, especially when the road gets dark.

John Degl has done as much as anyone to light the way for many of our kids. His knowledge of the sport, his eagerness to share that knowledge, and, most important, his ability to infect others with his passion, are unmatched.

I have watched over the years as John, often at great personal sacrifice, has tirelessly and patiently helped hundreds of kids raise their game. But he’s been much more than a wrestling coach; his indomitable spirit and his refusal to stop trying, no matter how close his shoulders are to the mat, teach a lesson that transcends the sport of wrestling–a lesson for parents as well as for their kids.

Thank you, John.

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Jeff Stambovsky

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Hi John,

Just wanted to reach out and thank you for sending Joe and Penn all the way up to Clifton Park for the Journeymen Tournament this weekend, especially since there were only 4 kids from ISW up there.  They were great!

It really meant a lot to the boys…they had a great tournament.   Alex took 2nd with 3-1…all 3 wins were pins.  David took 1st with 4-0…2 pins…but most important to him, he pinned a girl from CT who pinned him last year. It was the first time he’s ever beaten her (she was shocked).

They’re really learning a lot. Thanks again.

-Annmarie & Ray Conta

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