The only fun thing about wrestling is getting your hand raised, according to UB head wrestling coach John Stutzman. However, after Stutzman’s first match in the seventh grade, his opponent had his hand raised.
After losing the match, Stutzman went home crying.
His mom responded with a pointed message: “Toughen up. If you don’t like it, go be a swimmer.”
He knew he had to toughen up.
“Then I got my hand raised and I was like ‘Oh man this is the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life,’” Stutzman said.
Stutzman became UB’s head coach in 2013 and has brought a winning culture and toughness to the program.