Wrestling Beyond The Mat: Coach Mahoney Brings A World Champion’s Lessons To Canterbury

It goes without saying that the pandemic took its toll on all aspects of life, and athletes like those on the Canterbury Wrestling team had a unique set of challenges to navigate. There was no way to practice, much less compete, the close-contact winter sport while complying with social distancing protocols. Fortunately, the Saints know how to rise to a challenge: the program persisted as a dedicated community thanks to the tenacity of student-athletes, the last of whom graduated in June. Inspired by their determination, Coach Alden Mahoney resolved to redouble his own efforts in nurturing the team’s growth and maintaining forward momentum.

To that end, he recently made a nearly three-hour trip up to Belmont High School in Massachusetts to attend a wrestling clinic hosted by Olympic Gold Medalist and six-time World Champion freestyle wrestler Jordan Burroughs. While the Canterbury team was unable to join due to fall sport obligations, Coach Mahoney wanted to bring the Olympian’s lessons back to the hilltop. While Burroughs’ technical instruction was excellent, it was what happened off the mat that most impressed Coach.

“He’d sit with 100 kids, locked in on them, and very clearly break down the good days and the bad days, the motivation and the discipline that he found, and how they can replicate that,” he says. “It wasn’t just the moves, it was the mentality. He said ‘It is your duty to be kind and to be tough. I just loved the two messages there,” recalls Coach Mahoney. “To hear an Olympic gold medalist say to a group of kids ‘Your first duty is to be kind.’”

Burroughs’ emphasis on becoming an athlete, not just a wrestler, meant encouraging the middle and high schoolers at the clinic to carry the lessons they learn on the mat into all aspects of their lives. It’s a message Coach Mahoney recognized in Canterbury’s approach to athletics. Tumbling warmups, for example, aren’t just about doing somersaults for the fun of it—or even for developing physical strength—it’s about learning how to maintain body control.

“We talked about what it means to be in control, and what to do when you feel out of control,” Coach explains. “Not only that, but we discussed what control and lack of control look like in the context of school work? In the dorm? In community spaces, or when you see others out of control? How do you help them? How do you use your experiences to help them?”

Coach Mahoney has discussed what he learned at the clinic with his team as they prepare for the upcoming season. He’s been impressed with their commitment to the team, not just in their physical conditioning, which has been commendable, but in the growth mindset he’s seen them all take to heart.

“A lot of them have said ‘I want to support the next me. I want to be to those kids what the seniors were to me.’ Every kid had some version of ‘I want to give back.’”

That spirit of community is what has kept him involved in wrestling over the years, and what he hopes Canterbury wrestlers hold onto, no matter how long they’re active in the sport.

“I tell students, if you have a desire to compete, a desire to be part of a community, you can turn wrestling into something successful,” he says. “Not only is it a great opportunity for kids who are looking for a place to belong, I think it’s also a great opportunity to learn that that kind of grit, dedication, and hard work serves you well after you leave here.”