Where to even begin. The practices. The practices after the practices. The practices in the mornings before school. The endless hours away from your family's to try and make us better. To try and instill the idea that hard work, dedication, and sacrifice can pay off. How about the constant strive to educate? Not just on the mat, but in school and in life. Or the study sessions for the kids that needed the extra help. You two coaches with the support of your families have changed so many lives in a positive way. I know from personal experience. I walked into the wrestling room for the first time weighing a whopping 83 lbs. I was weak, I was awkward and I was shy. I don't remember what anyone looked like because I walked with my eyes to the floor.

After a lot of persuading and negotiating in the high school halls....
I shuffled into that wrestling room half way threw my freshman year with my head down, inhaler in hand, and wool socks on my feet. And so it begun. I wanted to quit every single day. My body hurt, my mentality was broken, and my spirit was crushed every single day. But every single day you two would lift my spirit, encourage me, and tell me that IT WILL SUCK again, but that I will make it through, and that it would be worth it. so every day i made that dreadful trot back into the wrestling room and got killed by my now great friend Justin Whitman. Then one day, just like Jesse and Ben knew would happen, I got better. I got a lot better, and ya it still hurt, and I still got mentally broken, and my spirit would be in the dirt. But I'd come back stronger, better, and so grateful that I didn't quit. The coaches taught all of there wrestlers the same drive along with many other life values.

After high school I decided that I wanted to pursue a career as a firefighter/paramedic. I knew that it would be a long, grueling, and expensive ride. There were times were I was at an all time low, and then it got even lower. I watched my mother cry when she saw me after being malnourished for so long. I thought I was a little down before that, but I was truly defeated after seeing her so upset. (Yes college IS expensive!) But just like the coaches taught me, I embraced the suck, I showed poise, I put that ear to ear smile on my face, I challenged myself each and every day to not only better myself, but to be the best that I could. Just like those two tiny in size but huge in heart individuals expressed would happen....I excelled in school, proved myself, and got my dream job. all because those 2 coaches didn't let me walk out of that wrestling room. Because they didn't let me quit. All because they taught me to go that extra mile, to come in early and leave late. To work hard while your there, and even harder when your away. That the guy shaking your hand across the mat, or the guy that your interviewing against for your dream job......they didn't quit. Your both there because you worked hard, So what can you do extra to put you over the top? Did you do those extra sprints? Did you choose to stay late? Did you take those extra credits that semester? Did you work extra hours to buy a suit for that interview?

You two have such an important role for young adults learning how to be a productive part of society, and I can truly say I wouldn't have wanted any other coach, teacher, or role model. So thank you for supporting me. Thank you for teaching me. Thank you for sharing blood, sweat, tears, and sandwiches with me. Thank you for the friendship, and for the family. I'll always love you guys and support your dreams and goals, just like you have for me. I know that you will continue to change lives for the better. And I know that as long as you two are the coaches of that wrestling program, it will only continue to get better. So glad to be apart of it! 
Jesse and Ben are more then great wrestling coaches, and I think this picture is a good representation of that. Unfortunately we didn't have another pair of footie's for Jesse to wear. I think this was 2010.

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Sal Baccaro