“Hardwork and dedication” is a quote that anyone who steps on to a Rock Island Wrestling mat has heard. This is a common quote, often spoken by Antonio Parker, a senior wrestler. Being a senior a lot is put on your plate, especially when being a captain, which is true in Parker’s case. As a senior, there are many eyes watching, many of the underclassmen look up to seniors, aspiring to be like them one day. A sophomore Parker Stannke says, “They push me past my limits every day, especially Antonio, since he is my partner on the mat.”
Both of these wrestlers have been on the wrestling mat since they were young, specifically the age of 5. They also have the similarities of being in a family with a wrestling background. Sophomore Parker Stannke has an uncle and his father that were involved in wrestling throughout high school and college. For Antonio, it was his brother Victor Guzman, former Rock Island wrestler, that introduced him to the sport.
Antonio Parker has spent his last four years working to leave his mark in Rock Island Wrestling history. Currently, he is ranked number four in the State at his weight class, 144. But to him, what’s most important is how the underclassmen view him. He wants to be known as a very hard worker, and that he is dedicated to the program. He believes that once love is found for the sport, that’s truly when one can become better. Antonio Parker says, “You have to believe in yourself. For a very long time, I struggled to do this, but after last season, I truly fell in love with the sport of wrestling, and no matter what match you are wrestling, no matter who your opponent is, you have to trust in yourself and believe that the amount of effort you put into it will give you the reward.” This goes to show that even someone that a lot of people look up to has his struggles and has continuously worked to improve on his mindset. Similarly to Antonio, Parker has some advice that he himself uses to stay motivated on the daily, stating, “Don’t be too hard on yourself, especially after a loss, just wrestle, don’t overthink things. No one puts as much pressure on you as yourself.” Parker is just a sophomore, but already he has worked to be a role model to the freshman as much as possible.
Now that the wrestling season is coming up to an end, Antonio is settling in on the fact that this is his last year with the program. He talks about him being a senior saying that “being a senior at Rock Island High School is a sense of accomplishment and relief knowing that I’ll soon be able to further my education and athletic career in college.” Antonio also reaches back on different memories from his high school years. He describes the highlight of his experience while wrestling at Rocky, stating, “I’d say that the highlight of my wrestling career is honestly just working to get better and really improve in the sport. This sport comes with a lot of discipline like cutting weight, but that is what helps you become as great as you want to be.” Antonio could not think of a better experience but the day to day work that comes with growing into one’s best self. He continues by stating that the sport of wrestling not only teaches moves on the mat, but also teaches people life lessons and how to be strong and determined on a goal one might have. Adding to this Parker states, “Wrestling has made me tough mentally and physically.” This goes to show that the sport of wrestling truly builds one’s character.
Wrestling, in general, is a very difficult sport that not many people know much about, but Antonio expresses, “Some would say that wrestling it the hardest sport, but the way to push through the amount of hard work, at least for me, is having my brothers by my side, and being able to get through it with them, but also trusting in God to lead you down the right path and get you through the tough times.” In a similar way, Parker speaks about how he gets through the tough practices by saying, “My coaches and teammates get me through the practices with their words, but mainly keeping my mindset positive is what has allowed me to keep pushing.” Although wrestling is a very difficult sport, it is possible to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel with people by one’s side.
When it comes to dual days, every wrestler has their own “game day ritual” that they stick to, and it also comes with different superstitions that one may have. According to Antonio and Parker, before the dual has to start, the entire team gets in a warm up and stretches to get them all in the correct state of mind for that night. But once it’s time to get ready to wrestle, everyone has their individual warmup they partake in. Antonio says, “ I like to be to myself, with zero music just blurring out whatever background noise there could be. I will pace and think about the match I’m about to wrestle. I like to think about nothing really, just get prepared to go out and do the best of my abilities. One thing that I always have to do before not just a match but every morning, night, day before tournaments and before my meals is to just pray to God.” Very similar to that is the way that Parker prepares himself for a match, stating, “I always pray and take deep breaths before my matches. I have to have my music playing.” This goes to show that everyone has a way in their mind to prepare themselves and be able to reflect that on the mat.
As a senior, you leave behind a lot of aspects of life that feel like home. For Antonio, that includes leaving his siblings behind once he moves on to college. He expresses that this sport has not only helped him improve, but it also has built up the relationship that he has with his younger brothers. “Wrestling definitely made my brothers and I closer, with cutting weight together and experiencing everything together it brings us closer than we ever were.” Those are not the only experiences that Antonio will be leaving behind, but he does not view it as leaving them behind, stating, “I will always see the coaches that have been with me for a very long time, because I will come back into town whenever I can to help out in the room for the future of Rock Island Wrestling. I will miss the program itself, as well as the teammates I’ve had through the years.”
Many might not want to admit that leaving high school is a tough experience, but it truly is like closing a chapter of your story.
Many of the underclassmen can agree with this quote from Parker Stannke, “Antonio Parker and Merrick Stockwell have become an inspiration in the wrestling room to everyone there.” This goes to show the impact that many seniors have on the underclassmen, and how much it matters to them that the “older guys” are assisting them and caring enough to help them with anything they might need. This is why the mindset that you have through not only your sport but through life is very important to how you are as a person and how you express yourself.
