Football is popular here, but outside of the south, wrestling tops the list. Etowah senior, Alex Pham, who moved from Michigan as a child, will return to the Midwest, leaving behind the grid iron and focusing his dreams on the wrestling mat.  

“In the north, wrestling is just as popular as football, so it was just the first sport I picked up,” Pham said. 

The hard work at a training session in Iowa for freestyle he attended over February break helps prepare him for his future in wrestling by previewing his potential. He also participated in Georgia camps at Level Up Wrestling Academy and Morris Fitness Wrestling. 

“It gave me a look at what college wrestling would be like,” Pham said.  

Pham is very disciplined in his practice and is always striving to push himself. He practices two to four times a week, and does many intense drills, such as shots and fast feet drills. 

“I do a lot of conditioning drills because that’s the biggest part of a wrestling match. I practice my shots and fast feet drills. Also, Folkstyle season ended, so I have control of how many day[s] I want to practice a week,” Pham said. 

Folkstyle, where the goal is to pin one’s opponent to the floor and gain control over the opponent, and Freestyle wrestling, where the goal is to get points, have helped strengthen him in wrestling. The coaches and team have motivated him through each wrestling match, and his teammates have inspired him to work to success, including the many times when he qualified for state. 

“My teammates play a big role in my development in wrestling; you’re only as good as your teammate because you have to drill with everybody to become successful. My coaches have been the best coaches I could have asked for, and they have defined me as the person I am today,” Pham said. 

Pham plans on wrestling in college at William Penn University in Iowa. He believes that the ambition he has gained in wrestling will help him succeed in the future. 

“In life, I will have a competitive drive to excel because I learned that after wrestling, everything else in life is not as hard,” Pham said. 

Charlie Higdon, wrestling coach, has watched him improve throughout the years in his strength, leadership, and maturity. He has seen his work pay off and anticipates him using his talents in college. 

“He was once a skinny little guy coming in the room, but he has transformed himself into an impressive looking kid, who is both strong and athletic. He has also matured dramatically. He was a leader in the room this year,” Higdon said. 

Wrestling has not only helped Pham become a good athlete, but it has taught him how to be a leader, how to excel in the future, and how to push himself.