Schools

Young Wrestler Has Solid Season on and off the Mat

Connor Clement continues with sport, makes new friends.

Youth wrestling has provided many benefits to 8-year-old Connor Clement and his family.

The third grader just finished his second season wrestling and had a solid record, met new friends, had some fun, ate healthy and got plenty of exercise.

On the mat he’s been a solid contender. Last year he wrestled in Canton; but with that program not offered in 2012, he became the only Canton youth to continue and join the Region 7-based Steel Hill Wrestling Club.

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Over the past two years, Connor is 14-9, with 9 pins, said Ed deSimas, a long-time Canton coach who is now part of the Steel Hill coaching team.

Connor was the 2011 Bantam runner up at the 77-pound weight class, deSimas said and this year “moved up to intermediate division at the 87-pound weight class.”

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This season Connor won his bracket at the qualifiers in Danbury, but had some disappointing losses at the state meet at Hillhouse in New Haven.

However, Connor came back at a subsequent Second Chance Tournament in Thomaston he took second place with two pins and a loss.

Prior to those matches, Connor participated in several tournaments this year in Berlin, South Windsor, Wethersfield and other locales.

In several of the tournaments he took second place, often losing one match, but then pinning two opponents.

“Connor in the past two years has shown that he is on track to commit to himself and to the sport and looks to be working hard towards his goals for the future,” deSimas said, adding that he’s had great guidance from his “family, parents and coaches of the Steel Hill Club.”

His parents feel wrestling has been good for Connor, and not just on the mat.

For example, they feel it’s helped him perform better at school and be more independent.

 “I do believe it helped his self esteem and confidence,” Connor’s mother Megyn said.

And the season brought many other benefits. Along the way, the family began eating healthier. For one match, the youngster lost roughly five pounds. The unintended result, however, was that he got into a lower weight class and had no opponents.

“We worked so hard and we got there and there’s nobody to wrestle,” Connor’s dad Doug said.

But a good, nutritious diet helped the whole family, Doug added.

Connor also made some friends along the way.

“He actually become friends with his opponents,” Megyn Clement said. “It’s kind of cool when they see each other.”

Connor said enjoys wrestling, making friends and winning some medals. The games in practice, such as the human wheelbarrows, were some of the most fun moments, he said.

Connor got into the sport after hanging out at the former Canton Youth Wrestling space at Canton High School.

His parents also admit a little bit of World Wrestling Federation action helped spur his love for the sport.

Of course any youth sport involves some driving time to matches and there is one downside to Sunday tournaments.

“We’ve sacrificed a lot of church time,” Doug Clement said.

But Doug Clement said he has enjoyed the wrestling journey. He’s an avid athlete and coach, but it’s not a sport in which he was well versed.

“We’re learning as we go,” he said.


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