This issue’s athlete of the month, senior Alvin Chen, dominates the wrestler’s mat at a season record of 24-9. He is ranked 4^th in CCS, is the champion of the Bianchini Tournament, and holds 2^nd place at the Webber Lawson Tournament. Not only is Chen an amazing athlete, but also takes AP Physics, Calculus, and French. He spends the off-season training 16 hours a week. Chen has done more than 1300 hours of community service through boy scouts and coaching wrestling at summer camps. “I had the pleasure to initially meet Alvin when I was coaching at another school. It was apparent early on during our introduction that Alvin was a selfless student athlete and well-liked by many,” says one of the many wrestling coaches, Armando Lopez. “I met him while he was a volunteer coach for young children 5-12 years old, and to see his dedication to mentoring said a lot about his character,” he adds. Due to four senior wrestlers getting injured and being out for the season, two of which were ranked high in CCS and were supposed to go to state, Chen is the only one left of his senior class. “My goals aren’t just for me, I’m doing it for them too,” he says. “And the thing I love most about wrestling is that you don’t have to be a certain type of person to be good. In football you have to be big, and in basketball you have to be tall. In wrestling we have weight classes, so it doesn’t matter if you’re short or tall or skinny or buff.”

Chen began wrestling his freshman year when one of his friends convinced him to sign up. Even though his friend quit, Chen continued wrestling for four years, and now holds the title of team captain. “Alvin is not just a great and gifted wrestler, he is a leader. Not only is he a high ranked section wrestler, he demonstrates his leadership daily by helping his teammates get better as well as providing support and encouragement.” says Lopez. “I have expectations for Alvin to lead by example, especially for the younger kids on the team.” says Coach Pettigrew.

“Alvin spends a lot of time working out during the off-season,” says Pettigrew. “You get what you put into the sport.” Coach Lopez later added that Chen, in order to progress as a wrestler in the off-season, did a lot of training with many other elite athletes. Even when Chen feels as if he can’t stand up after practice, he perseveres and puts in the effort and runs 3-4 miles or work out at the gym afterwards. Chen’s workout partners are Gabe Fuentes and Ryan Donovan, who both push him to improve and meet his potential as an athlete. “Wrestling has changed my life in so many ways,” Chen states. “It was pretty much the center of high school for me. My entire high school career revolved around the sport. Before wrestling I was a chubby unathletic kid. I also met some of my closest friends through wrestling.”

“My biggest strength is that I pick up technique well. My biggest weakness is that I’m too flashy. I always try dumb moves that look cool but actually make me lose all the time when I mess up,” says Chen. His goals for his last season of high school wrestling are to win leagues, place in the top three for CCS, and go to state. “My coaches and teammates work the absolute crap out of me to help me reach those goals,” he adds. “All his hard work will pay off if he qualifies for state in his weight class,” says Pettigrew. “Alvin thrives at being successful, but equally takes pleasure in seeing his teammates succeed. He is successful as a wrestler and leader because he puts in the extra work as a student athlete,” says Lopez. “It has been an honor working with Alvin. I know he will continue to be successful in anything he does.”