To see the enthusiasm for wrestling was so exciting for me. It made me wish I had the money to go from school to school and drink from the fountain of youth. I was so amazed how much I related to young men 13 - 17 years old. Wrestling was the hook. They know what professional wrestling is today, but they also related to my cauliflower ear.
Coaches have a hell of a time getting the wrestlers to wear their head gear.
When you realize these young men have no stars in their eyes about a professional contract to wrestle in their future and not nearly the attention from the student body that the football or basketball players would get, it lets you know how much the sport itself means to them. On the up side, I have always noticed the young women give the amateur wrestlers lots of attention. I don't think it is only because the bodies are well developed. Wrestling gives a young person self confidence and can do that to any weight class competitor. Some of the lightweight guys are the toughest.