Lucas' Offseason Wrestling 25'

Hi,

My name is Lucas Valdez and I am in the Class of 2027 at Archbishop Riordan Highschool. I have been a varsity wrestler at Riordan for two years now and was the team captain for this 2024-2025 wrestling season. I started wrestling in 1st Grade, going to the Burlingame Bears Club and the SF Elite Club which used to be hosted at Riordan. Going to SF Elite was what sparked my love for Riordan and the wrestling program. Growing up, wrestling at Riordan was something I always wanted to do because of the culture and the rich history behind the program, and now that I'm living the moment I dreamt of, I always make sure to never take it for granted and enjoy every step of the way.

This year, I finished 3rd at the West Catholic Athletic League tournament (WCAL), 7th at Central Coast Section Regionals, and top 10 at the Central Coast Section Masters as just a sophomore. This comes after the fact that I had just went 1-2 at CCS regionals my freshman year, not even qualifying for Masters. This large improvement in such a short time did not happen out of thin air. Instead it comes from the months and months of offseason training at the South San Francisco Gator Club, where I train for Freestyle and Greco wrestling (the Olympic styles of wrestling), while competing as much as possible, going to camps, clinics, etc.

My ultimate goal is to add my name to the rich history of state placers at Riordan. There hasn't been a male wrestler to go to state since 2022, and we haven't had a state placer since 2019. I will change that. I want to bring back the Riordan culture that we used to have and make Riordan wrestling better than it has ever been. This makes staying dedicated and continuing to work hard something I love to do, because I know what i'm working for, my why. In the meantime, some shorter term goals I have set for myself is to qualify and represent my home state of California at Fargo, North Dakota for the National Tournament, place at CCS, and become a state qualifier.

The reason I'm sharing my journey with you all is unfortunately, the cost for these opportunities are not cheap. The price for flights, hotels, tournament expenses, gear, training camps, and more make it tough for me and my family to be able to continue going to these different events.

That's why I'm asking you to help fund my expenses so that I can continue my wrestling journey without worrying about something costing too much. Not only will this help my parents and I with finances, but you will also be contributing directly towards me continuing to grow as a student-athlete and a wrestler. I know asking for donations seems lazy, but I have saved up as much money as I can to be able to support my parents but there's just not enough time for me to do that while also improving my wrestling, spending time with my friends and family, and doing my schoolwork. Any and all donations would be greatly appreciated and go directly towards my wrestling. Money would be raised for the costs of transportation, lodging, and tournament/camp entry fees.

In the end, all these opportunities are just bonuses. If I am not able to go to these events, I will not use it as an excuse if I do not meet my goals. A verse that I stand by is "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) I will be grateful for whatever I have, whether it be going to Fargo, competing at a local tournament, or even if it's just the practice room at El Camino and Riordan. The only thing that matters to me is knowing that I'm giving my best effort, after that everything will fall in place in whatever God's plan is for me.

Thank you for taking time to read through my journey; even if you are not able to donate, sharing my story or leaving words of encouragement would mean the world to my family and I.

- Lucas Valdez

Thank you, I greatly appreciate you for giving me some of your time!