Greg Hatcher, the insurance agent featured in the Exec Q&A this week, was instrumental in setting up the Arkansas Wrestling Association and getting competitive wrestling started in the state.
So while we were asking him about insurance and wellness, we asked him about the progress of wrestling since 2008. And even your jaded Whispers crew was inspired by his response:
"Of the many community services causes I have worked on, nothing has been as satisfying as getting high school wrestling started in Arkansas. Wrestling lets kids who don’t play basketball compete and stay in shape in the winter. Wrestling burns more calories than any other sport, and it does not discriminate based on size as the weight classes range from 106 pounds to 285 pounds. I have watched wrestling turn pudgy, out-of-shape kids into young people with sculpted physiques, confidence and courage.
"Wrestling requires all the good things of a person. You have to eat right to get to the weight at which you can compete best. Wrestling teaches character, as you have to respect anybody who beats you one-on-one. There’s no one else to blame for a loss, and hard work and personal investment bring results that show immediately. Wrestlers without question look as fit as any athlete in any sport, and that alone is a great reward.
"Today Arkansas has more than 3,500 wrestlers. We have bought mats for 55 new high schools and three colleges in Arkansas, and just recently I got wrestling added back at my alma mater, Alma College in Michigan, after more than 25 years."
Sign up for Daily E-news
