All I Want for Christmas: Wrestling Related Gifts
Movies:
1. “Vision Quest”- If you were born in the 1980s, than you are already aware of the cult following that this cinematic masterpiece possesses. It is the perfect movie to show your kids (suggestion: fast-forward through the sex scene) who are only now being introduced to/developing an interest in the sport…Baseball has Dull Durham; Basketball has Hoosiers; Wrestling has Vision Quest. It is the one movie that is readily and commonly associated with our great sport…People who are not even wrestling fans know about it…Heck, given the fact that it features an amazing soundtrack (Madonna) and c0-stars the actor who played the heart throb in Sixteen Candles, it is likely that even your wife will sit down and watch it with you…It is the perfect representation of the classic coming of age story…It showcases the struggles that wrestlers endure and the dreams/goals that all of mankind share….I am such a huge advocate of this movie that I own it on both VHS (I still have a VCR hooked up in my bedroom) and DVD…The next time you go to a tournament, casually say out loud, “nobody wants to wrestle Shute.” I promise you, somebody will be able to finish the movie quote for you. That is the kind of reputation this film has within the wrestling community…..NOTE: If you are going to buy the movie, be sure to purchase the book as well…I have long been a fan of author Terry Davis…It is the opinion of many that as good as the film might be, the book blows it away…Treat yourself to both !
2. “Reversal”- The perfect film for any father and son to watch together…Based on the true story of producer/writer Jim Petulla, this movie talks about the struggles and sacrifice that a wrestler experiences, constantly feeling the pressure to cut weight and win….While on the surface, this film may be about the aforementioned struggles, underneath it all, it is equally a story of a father’s love for his only son…Like many sports fathers (mine included), it becomes very easy to become so absorbed in your child’s success that you cross a boundary and make decisions/exert pressure that harm that your child. As misdirected as they might be, these acts are always performed out of love and a desire to help your child become the best that they can be…If you are a parent of a young wrestler, I can promise you that you will have no trouble relating to the father in this movie…In addition, having cast several current and former Pennsylvania state placewinners, the quality of the actual wrestling in this film is second to none….The two rivals, Leo (played by former UPenn Wrestler Dan Mousetis) and Thurman (Justin Spates; former wrestler at Missouri; #1 ranked wrestler in the nation coming out of HS; son of current Oklahoma Head Coach, Jack Spates) hold nothing back and engage in minutes upon minutes of real wrestling action…There are no staged throws here. Everything is legit.
3. “Veritas”- The consummate story of bravery. For those of you who are not familiar with former Lehigh wrestler, Jon Trenge, allow me to fill you in. Having suffered a detached retina as a college freshman, the 3x NCAA All-American/National runner-up risked going blind every time he stepped onto the wrestling mat during the final three years of his career. As a safety precaution, he wore protective goggles that were attached to his headgear. Often times, his opponents would intentionally slapped the goggles, knowing that it would mentally affect Trenge….At times, Trenge allowed his anger to get the best of him….This movie depicts the inner battle that Trenge waged against himself, fighting off the temptation to retaliate against his opponents…Before I saw this documentary, I admit, I was not the biggest Jon Trenge fan. However, after watching it, I think I’d be hard pressed to find a person who respects Trenge more than I now do….As an added bonus, former HU wrestler, Chris Skretkowicz makes a cameo appearance as footage is shown from the historical day that Hofstra upset then #2 Lehigh.
For those of you who, like me, belief that giving beats getting every day of the week and twice on Sunday, perhaps in place of receiving one of the aforementioned, you’d prefer that someone give a charitable donation in your name to a deserving cause. If this is the cause, here are a few such organizations that come highly recommended by me:
Charities:
1. Pinning Down Autism- Created by a good friend of mine, Monsignor Farrell Assistant Coach/former US top-10 ranked Greco competitor, Jason Bross, this organization aims to assist parents of autistic children. As stated by Jason himself in the organization’s mission statement, wrestlers are individuals of extreme character and strength. It is people like them whose help and courage we need in the call to action to fight this devastating affliction….On a personal note, I can give you the same general sales pitch that I gave for the books and movies cited above. However, I won’t…..This organization is too important to me to just give you the fluff…Instead, allow me to tell you about my time last year in Buffalo. On about five minutes notice, Jason agreed to allow me to spend a night in his hotel room so that I could attend the Catholic State tournament…During that night, I met his son Dylan…The experience changed me for the better…Dylan is a great kid. He is funny, adventurous, and has an amazing spirit…I was so blessed to have met him that if I could have, I would have emptied my bank account and donated it all to this organization….I have donated to PDA for the past three years. I intend to donate every year until I no longer walk this Earth. If you pay attention to nothing else that I write in this column, pay attention to this paragraph !
2. The Adam Frey Foundation- As I write this, it is known fact that Adam is in the ICU because of complications…Therefore, if there was ever a time that he could use a show of solidarity and support, now is it….If you have read his daily blog for the past few years, you are aware that Adam and his family are devout Christians. Therefore, it goes without saying that Christmas for them represents a greater meaning and expression of faith than it does for the average individual. Let’s make this Christmas special for him….Cancer is a disease that has touched all of us on a certain level. Allow me to share how cancer has affected my life…..2009 will be the first Christmas of my life that I will not share with my grandfather…As many of you may already know, I was at his bedside when he passed away from cancer in August of this year. Therefore, it would be the biggest understatement of the year to say that I am fully invested in helping to raise money for cancer research….As a part of his will, my grandfather left all of his grandkids $200 so that each of us can have a piece of him on one final Christmas….I will be donating all $200 to the Adam Frey Foundation….I challenge all of you to join me….It does not matter if you give two hundred or two…When it comes to giving to a worthy cause, price tag is insignificant…Give what your heart tells you and your wallet will allow you…Don’t do it because Matt Diano told you to; Do it so that the next generation of Adam Frey’s receive the top notch treatment that they need and deserve.
Again, on behalf of everyone at LHW, I wish you all a very healthy and joyous holiday season !!! God Bless !
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