This may be a little long but I will do my best to answer. To answer your question directly I think the average kid can be successful if they are willing to put in the work. Having said that they will need dedicated parents, decent partners and a very good coach.
I attribute Hunters success to this. We moved to an area that had a super good coach. “Joe Kemmerer”. Hunter held back in 8th grade and a kid from NC did the same and stayed at our house most of the year. Those two along with Joe did a 3 hr private everyday, took an hour break then did a 2 hr club practice. There were times they was beaten up but they pushed through it and made huge jumps in their wrestling ability.
Hunter starts HS and Randy Shelton and Atlas Fagundes gave him everything he needed and more. Got him into the best HS tournaments in the county and provided a tough room. They always gave him and others the option to leave practice early to go To club. After Joe left, ”us hammer parents” mostly Rick Jacobs recruited Nahshon Garrett to run club and Hunter made another level jump. So hard work isn’t the only answer in my opinion, you must have good coaching and dedication from the parents and kids.
Most of Hunters HS schedule was as follows. Leave the house at 5am to lift before school, do HS practice, run by the house grab a quick bite then drive an house to Kingsport to practice, return home around 9pm eat do homework and repeat. Most kids aren’t willing to put that kind of Quality work in.
a lot of people just quote hard work but it has to be quality hard work and Hunter was blessed to have quality coaches that cared about him.
Hunter wasn’t ever naturally gifted as a wrestler. Heck his first year he got pinned almost every match. It wasn’t until he completely dedicated himself that he started having success. If you ask him today he would still say he wasn’t good enough and he has to get better. It’s his mindset that has helped him have a little bit of success in wrestling.
we aren’t sure if he will start right away or not. He’s doing very good in the room and Robie told him to be ready to go straight in. I trust the coaches completely and know they will do what’s best for him and the team. I think Hunter would like to redshirt, but would also do whatever the coaches ask of him. Thanks a bunch for keeping up with my boy.
Sid