COUNTRY DAY COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTES TO STORYBOOK ENDING

At the MVC league tournament this year, Justin Faulhaber ’28 was encouraged by varsity wrestlers Luc Bonomo ’23 and Tristen Davis ’23, and (as you will see), it made all the difference. “This is what the Country Day experience is all about – Upper School students supporting younger students…teachers as coaches [Dan Wood is the Middle School wrestling coach and a Middle School science teacher]…parents as teachers [Greg is an Upper School math teacher]… and we’re all in the stands cheering each other on,” says Greg Faulhaber. “This community wraps itself around one another in a way that is unlike anything else I have ever seen or experienced, and it makes all the difference in the lives of these children.”

This was the first time Justin pinned an opponent –a special moment he will surely remember forever.

“When we wrestlers go out on the mat it’s all about us versus us, even more than us versus our opponent,” says Bonomo. “It’s a mental obstacle course from the moment we step on the mat and even days before we ever step foot in the gym. I felt compelled, regardless of the outcome, to go down to the mat to watch in those vulnerable moments and cheer him on. It was a very special moment to see Justin succeed, knowing how much work it takes for wrestlers to compete. I was thrilled to see a member of our program have a breakthrough in his game.”

Coach Dan Wood said wrestling is all about setting small progressive goals through a checklist so the student-athletes can build momentum and confidence. “Justin’s season came to a storybook close because he worked his way through the checklist. As we analyzed and discussed his previous performances, coaches identified that a particular technique, a power half, could be effective for Justin. With that technique, he turns and pins his opponent for his first win of the season and look at that smile on his face! Wrestling is one-on-one so it can be scary to go out onto the mat. Having a checklist for aggressiveness and success helped Justin tap into his courage and build his skills.”