Hudson SMith

I began wrestling my freshman year for Coach Carta and the other coaches at Warren County. I was not the most athletic kid growing up. I played football and baseball and even dabbled in basketball, but if I wanted to be above average, I had to work for it. Nothing came easy for me, and sports always required extra effort.

I was very hesitant to try wrestling because I did not know anything about it. My dad convinced me to go to an open mat, and I am so thankful he did. That decision changed my life.

Over my four years of wrestling, I trusted my coaches and fully bought into the process, not just by becoming a better wrestler, but by building character. Wrestling changed me for the better, not only as an athlete but as a person. My freshman year, I learned so much. I did not win many matches, but I learned a lot about wrestling and about myself.

Each season, I improved. I was honored to be named Most Improved my sophomore year and later served as Team Captain my senior year. As I continued putting in the work, the wins began to accumulate. My senior year, I finished with over 30 wins and became a Region 2 placer, qualifying for the State Tournament.

 
After graduating, I continued my wrestling career at Ohio Northern University. I am proud to be the first wrestler from Warren County to compete at the collegiate level. I would not have achieved that without my coaches and the lessons I learned about hard work and dedication. The Great News is, I will not be the last!

For the past four years, I have also been coaching in the SOKY youth program. I genuinely love helping younger wrestlers grow and showing them how great this sport is. Wrestling has given me so much—discipline, confidence, resilience, and lifelong friendships.

My advice is simple: just try wrestling. You never know how much it might change your life.