This being the fifth year of the Louisiana Wrestling News Website, it is about time that a "Thank you" comes from someone other than the viewers.  Often, I am told "Thanks for everything you do for wrestling."  Occasionally a slightly different wording comes into play, but variations of that sentiment are scarce.  Have no doubts, though, in whatever form, it never gets old!  (Honestly, it is just a different way to try to help the sport grow - I know a lot of coaches who put in more time and money than I do.)

It is time I thank you - the Louisiana "wrestling family," for allowing me back into the fold.

I thank the coaches who have let me set-up anywhere I like and to wander between the mats during tournaments.  And I thank them for trusting me with "inside information" which they know I will not repeat, and which I consider a compliment and a fun perk of the job.  I thank the officials who have also allowed me to meander through the mats and who, I am sure more than once, have prevented my being crushed by larger wrestlers going out-of-bounds behind me.  I have really enjoyed reacquainting with coaches who coached when I used to wrestle, the ones I watched wrestle after that, and the new ones who have come to Louisiana from elsewhere.

The parents have been great!  They send me photographs and updates.  They have always been willing to help in this endeavor.  Now, I consider several of them to be good friends.  And I thank the ones who offer to buy photographs of their kids.  Sure, they can buy them, but right-clicking and "Save image as..." is highly recommended.

None of this would be possible without the wrestlers, of course, and I love meeting and talking with them.  I particularly like that, as of the last two years at least, none showed astonishment when I answered "Yes" to their "You used to wrestle?"

In 2011 it was recommended that I terminate a 30-plus year lifestyle choice with extreme prejudice.  That was easy enough to do (I was lucky - many others are not) but I found myself needing something to do aside from being Netflix technical support.  I thought about coaching again, but, although many of the kids I coached tend to disagree, I think I am a lousy coach.  I would be asked how I did some particular move, and my response was generally "I don't know.  Let me do it again and tell me what I do."

Eventually, however, I got fed-up enough with wrestling "coverage" on Webpages built specifically for wrestling, and I remembered that I was already very adept at making archaic Websites.  I imagined a wrestling Website written by someone who wrestled, and with more than the usual phone-taken photograph.  And I was lucky that I was in good graces with some of the older more experienced coaches and officials, as well as with some of the newer ones I met while at De la Salle and over the last few years.  Their input has been invaluable.

Luckily for me, I was not the only one who thought such a Website would be useful, and hence a readership grew pretty fast (OK - I know most people look for the photographs first).  Also in my favor was that I had the time to do it.  I had the time to go to matches and take photographs, to write about matches and speculate about future tournaments.  And I find it fun (just one of many reasons for being a confirmed bachelor, I suppose).

Certainly, it takes time to make the Webpages and try to write something coherent but non-repetitive about them.  This season I am learning exactly how much time it takes, as renovating three apartments since August 1st of last year has taken a toll on time and energy normally used for wrestling.  (Honestly, I could go another 54 years without knowing what a flange is.)  Hopefully that will be a one-time occurrence, and will not affect future years.  So, again, thank you for being so patient re my publishing articles, especially two years ago, when my regular six-week turnaround time for a state championships article required two extra weeks due to...due to...wait...oh yeah - brain poisoning.

So please, let me thank all of you who have supported this endeavor via invitations to events or hospitality rooms, access on the mats or just kind words.  Thank you for pointing out mistakes when I get a name or school wrong.  Thanks for understanding I cannot divulge tendencies I notice which could be used against a wrestler by an opponent.  Thanks to those from areas I only rarely visit for sending me information and photographs so I can update readers about wrestlers throughout Louisiana. 

Additionally, thanks for putting up with my writing eccentricities.  May 2017 find you and yours at the snow ball stand rather than the Escher staircase.

Sincerely,

Martin Muller - Editor  

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