Wrestling Coach Is Leading By Example

Marblehead/Swampscott high school wrestling coach Michael Stamison is nearing the climax of months of grueling training, as he prepares to compete in the Bay State Games tournament on Saturday at UMass-Boston.

Stamison, a graduate of Marblehead High School who recently finished his first season as head wrestling coach, has chosen to compete in the 162-pound weight class of the double-elimination wrestling tournament.

The Bay State Summer and Winter Games are run by the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation (MASF) and provides a sort of local Olympic-style competition. The games feature 8,000 athletes in 29 sports from more than 300 Massachusetts communities. 

"This past January, at my annual physical, I weighed in at 195 pounds," said Stamison. "I can't stress enough the importance of diet and exercise. I am using the past few months as an example to my wrestlers, who will all be attending the tournament."

Stamison's commitment to his training, which consists of daily workouts before and after his job at Adcom Worldwide in East Boston, has already made an impression on locals wrestlers.

Kristian Kotov, a wrestler who graduated from Swampscott High School this spring, said, "The amount of time [Stamison] made to practice wrestling, go work out at the gym and cut a significant amount of weight really proves that he is taking this seriously."

"He redefines leading by example," said Kotov. "It doesn't matter how well he does this weekend, because his hard work, determination and dedication have already given the whole team something to look up to."

Jonathan Taylor, a 2010 graduate of Marblehead High School, calls Stamison "a great coach and a great man who would do anything for his wrestlers."

Stamison's training has consisted of intensive cardio-vascular workouts, which include push-ups, sit-ups and interval workouts (which are alternating sprint and jog exercises).

Stamison also runs eight miles a day, either on his treadmill or around the city of Salem. On top of all this, he practices his techniques during live wrestling at Strike One in Danvers, where he trains with Georgetown/Ipswich head coach Mike Curley and former Hamilton/Wenham head coach Todd Darling.

During this extensive training process, Stamison has been asked by many of his peers as to why he is doing all of this. His answer is one of conviction.

"I am not doing this to 'retire' or live out some fantasy," he says. "I am going there to win. I know that I am working harder toward this than anyone. These are long days I put in, but I know it will pay off come the day of the tournament."

Check Marblehead Patch next week for a complete update of Stamison's experience at the Bay State Games, or go see him for yourself on Saturday at UMass-Boston.