The Bryant wrestling team, guided by Mr. Gillespie, PE teacher and head coach, is leading by example the power of determination, consistency and hard work. The team struggled at the beginning of the season when they were matched against very strong opponents such as the Aviation, Brooklyn Tech and Grand Street High School. Despite the slow start for the season, the team has persisted and picked up the pace, securing crucial victories that landed them a spot in the playoffs, going 3 losses and 3 wins in total.

 I sat down with Mr. Gillispie, and we discussed the season so far, what it takes to be a good wrestler, why wrestling is such a unique sport, some of the MVPs for this season and some hopes for this year. The key to success in wrestling, according to Mr. Gillespie, lies in hard work and consistency. Wrestling is a tough, demanding sport and not many are up to taking part in this sport. Wrestling takes a lot of dedication, strategy with physical strength, agility and endurance. It is a very long and challenging road to take and there are no shortcuts around it.  Wrestling is an intensive sport, both physically and mentally. 

The only way to succeed in the sport is by being consistent and working hard. According to Mr Gillespie “Champions are made, not born. To be successful in wrestling, you must be committed to putting in the necessary work.” And “you get out of it what you put in. And the more effort and hard work you put in, you start to see the results and the better you get at it.”  We also discussed some of seasons MVPs; Mr. Gillespie praised the achievements of Wilfredo Vegas, Anthony Isaac, and Raphael Luna Janez. These athletes have not only won prestigious tournaments but also demonstrated significant improvement. 

Finally we discussed how unique wrestling is as a sport and opens new college opportunities and scholarships: “ When you do a sport that’s this difficult, and it’s very rewarding to oneself because, like I said, you get out of it what you put in. And the more effort and hard work you put in, you start to see the results and the better you get at it. There’s no better feeling than a one on one competition where you go out against someone else and you’re able to get a victory”.

Here is a summary of the team’s season so far: