Q&A with Kingsway head girls wrestling coach Farid Syed
WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP, N.J — A Q&A with Kingsway head girls wrestling coach Farid Syed.
How long have you been coaching?聽
Farid Syed: I have coached various sports from college football at Rowan University to high school football, wrestling, girls lacrosse, track and field, and volleyball for over 15 years now. I have personal experience as a high school wrestler but decided to participate in college football as my primary sport in college.
Name a person who inspired you to play/coach this sport.
Syed: My high school coach Christopher Holcombe was a mentor and inspirational coach.聽 He knew what to say to motivate and push young athletes and did it with a certain style that made his athletes want to give him their best effort they could possibly give day in and day out because they knew he genuinely cared for his wrestlers.
What are one or two things that the team does in training that are keys to their success?聽
Syed: As a coaching staff, we push the girls to give their best effort in practice every day.聽 Wrestling is like no other sport and requires mental and physical toughness to get through each day.聽 Each day the girls are pushed to their limit and when faced with a tough situation on the mat or in life, they are able to respond accordingly with a never give up type of attitude.聽 The conditioning and pace that practice is run prepares the girls to wrestle an entire match tirelessly.聽 I have challenged the girls harder in practice than I have when I coached the boys over the years and they have always stepped up to the challenge.
How do you encourage the team after a disappointing loss?聽
Syed: Many wrestlers go through and lose matches, especially when they are just beginning.聽 Its through those matches that they can learn from mistakes and continue to grow as young adults and wrestlers alike.聽 As Michael Jordan said, 鈥淚鈥檝e failed over and over and over in my life and that is why I succeed.鈥澛� My rules to all the kids are simple and I repeat them often.聽 Rule number 1 is to have fun and if you aren鈥檛 having fun, find something that you will have fun with.聽 Rule number 2 is to wrestle with toughness and give your best effort. Rule number 3 is that we don鈥檛 care if you win or you lose, as long as you fought with everything you have and gave every ounce of effort you could, we will be proud of you.
Describe your proudest coaching moment.
Syed: While there are so many success 海角社区 in our young program of students changing their lives for the positive, one that sticks out happened last season.聽 In just the third year of girls wrestling in New Jersey, Kingsway was able to crown its first state champion at 151 pound weight class.聽 After seeing how hard this young lady worked for 3 years to be the best wrestler that she could be and after she won, watching the raw emotion hit her was a feeling that I will forever remember.
What is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned from being a coach?聽
Syed: Athletes may tend to forget the wins and losses that they took throughout their careers, but they will never forget how their coaches made them feel.聽 Our goal is to support these athletes through any adversity that they may be facing in their life, make them believe in themselves, and have them set a firm belief that they may accomplish anything they set their minds to. The biggest legacy I can leave behind as a coach is helping change a young athlete’s life for the better even in the smallest way.聽 Through my own actions, I try to instill in them a deep-rooted work ethic that I hope they can take with them throughout their lives.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.