Coach: Frank LaVoie
School: Mountain Vista
Sport: wrestling
What made you decide you wanted to become a coach in your
present sport?
I had a disappointing senior season in my high school career. I
cut too much weight and wound up in the hospital instead of the
state championship. Moving into MMA instead of college wrestling
was fun, but I missed the sport. I got back in a room as soon as I
could. I want to ensure that my boys have the opportunities and
guidance that I didn’t. Also, I simply love wrestling.
Describe one of the best moments you can remember from your
coaching career?
The favorite moment of my coaching career didn’t come with my
all-state boys from Virginia or anything along those lines. Last
season, we packed the gym for a dual against Chatfield. It was
senior night, and we had several seniors on the team. These boys
were like family. The mother of one of our team captains had
recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. We dedicated the match
to her and to breast cancer awareness. The crowd wore pink. The
coaches wore pink ties, and the boys taped their laces with pink
medical tape. We did a short presentation for that mother, and the
crowd was in tears. The team won a dominant match that night. It
was an amazing way to spend my 30th birthday last year. That mother
won a quick battle with cancer and is happy and healthy today.
What was one of the most heartbreaking moments of your coaching
career?
One of our boys last season was ranked quite high in the state,
and I am sure would have been our school’s first all-state
wrestler. In the first tournament of the season, that young man
suffered a severe double-dislocation of the elbow, sidelining him
for nearly the entire season. He came back at the end, and even
qualified for the state championship, but he was never the same. He
has since fully recovered and now wrestles in college.
If a young athlete came to you and said he or she was interested
in a career as a coach, what advice would you give him/her?
They would have to know that the career is time-consuming and
pays little in relation to the hours one might dedicate to the
profession. Don’t do it for the money, but for the love of the
sport and helping student athletes to become better people and to
meet or exceed their potential.
What do you do for fun that isn’t related to the sport you
presently coach?
I write. I want to be a published fantasy author, and I’m
currently working on Book One of a trilogy I have in mind. I’m a
geek at heart.
What is the toughest decision a coach in your sport has to make
on a fairly consistent basis?
The toughest decision a wrestling coach has to make is the one
to renew their position for the next year. Each year, a coach has
to dedicate time and effort beyond belief for the love of a sport
that is underrated and undervalued in our modern, fairly-soft
society. But, we come back and do it again and again. Simply, we’re
crazy.
If you could coach for any professional sports team for one
year, which would it be and what changes would you make?
I guess I’d coach the Washington Redskins, as that was our local
team back home in Virginia. I’d hire more ex-high school and
college wrestlers to play. They’re a tougher breed. Then, I’d hire
wrestlers to condition the team. Then, I’d quit, because I know
next to nothing about football and hire a real coach. I rarely
watch professional sports outside of MMA.
Your present team just won the state championship. What do you
(and/or the team) do to celebrate the achievement?
We’d play laser tag. It’s sort of a team ritual.