John Grillo's 400th win as a wrestling coach was low key, just like the coach himself. In fact, he probably wouldn't have even known he had accomplished such a milestone had a former wrestler not been keeping track. "I think the 400th win was the weekend of the Holley Tournament in early December," guessed Grillo. A wrestling coach since 1975, Grillo was a former high school wrestler who loved to lead and wanted to stay in the sport after his competitive days were over. He started coaching in Holley, was in the Pavilion School District from 1977 to 1989, then came back to Holley. To achieve this milestone, Grillo said he's needed a passion for the sport, a love for working with student athletes, a supportive family, and "to be a little nuts." … "I've also had dedicated student athletes, a good coaching staff, and a supportive district - both administrators and community," he explained. "They're all pieces of a puzzle and if it works well, good things can happen." Grillo still considers himself a student of wrestling - learning, researching and asking a lot of questions. He said he'd sacrifice this accomplishment, along with being nominated as National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year last summer, to have continued success as a team. Grillo is now working on getting his wrestling knowledge down on paper. He's writing a book, "From the Heart - A True Wrestling Story," which is a story about the bittersweet moments he's experienced as a father and small town coach. Every day, he writes an entry, which he plans to compile into a book when he retires. February 12, 2006 |
