Wrestling is the toughest sport on the planet, and there are many reasons why. one of them is how mental it can be to the wrestler. That’s why it’s so important that the wrestlers surrounds themselves with friends or family that want them to be better, whether it’s a coach, drill partner, or a father.
Merrick Stockwell is a senior this year for the Rocks. He is also a Captain for the Rock Island Wrestling Program. Merrick has been wrestling since he was in preschool. Merrick states the reason why he has continued to do wrestling throughout his life is because, “My father. He’s a coach, and he always gave me talks when I was young to always push myself and stay strong, because if you can make it out of wrestling, you can make it out of anything,” he states. Merrick’s father is not only his father, but the Head Varsity Coach for Rock Island Wrestling Program, Joel Stockwell. He has been coaching wrestling for 24 years, and wrestled in high school. Joel states that, “I actually ended up placing all 4 years 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st.”
Being a father, and a coach can be a very interesting challenge. Joel shares that, “It has been nice, but at the same time, very stressful. I enjoy being able to watch my kids sacrifice and work so hard, first hand every day. However, it is very hard to watch them put in so much time and effort, and not always wrestle to their potential,” he states. Merrick also shares, “There has been some ups and downs. I definitely need to be more motivated. There have been losses that I shouldn’t have. Otherwise, the season itself is going pretty well,” he states.
Through being a father and a coach, Joel has explained that he has not been too hard on Merrick, stating, “I have not tried to be overbearing, especially when we get home. There have been a few times that we had some long talks at home about effort, goals, and expectations. I question myself, ‘was that as a coach or a dad,’” he explains. Being a father and a coach can be hard, but it can also be amazing to see what kids can do with their lives and how they grow.
People wonder why wrestling is such a difficult sport. Joel and Merrick actually have pretty similar opinions on this subject. Joel states that, “I actually think that is our greatest strength in a program, as a program. Wrestling is such a difficult sport emotionally and physically. Due to the adversity and the demand that the sport puts on someone, they are forced to learn and perseverance and dedication, which in my opinion, are some of the most important skills needed to be successful in life. A famous quote from Dan Gable, ‘After Wrestling, everything in life is easy’.” Merrick adds by saying that, “The practices, how hard you have to be mentally, it could be 3 hour long practices, then you could go out, there is no one out there just you and your opponent, and if you lose you lose, and it always sucks, and then you have to push yourself harder in practice and in life,” he states. Wrestling is such a difficult sport because of how much weight it can put on your body, both mentally and physically, but whatever you can take from wrestling, you can take in life.
Even though being a wrestling coach and a father can be a lot for one person, Joel handles very well, and still sees his son for all that he does and is. Joel leaves off with, “I am very proud of Merrick. I am most proud of how hard he has worked, and how much he has sacrificed to ensure he is giving his all to each endeavor he participates in. He is on the NHS, he is a lifeguard for the City of Rock Island, he plays the saxophone in the school band, and he is a 4 year Varsity letter winner in wrestling and cross country. Despite not being very outspoken, he was still selected by his teammates to be a captain in both sports.”
