Robinson and Fairfax held an outside wrestling scrimmage to raise awareness for mental health issues.
The outdoor wrestling event was held in Fairfax City, and helped to raise funds for the Eric Monday Memorial Wrestling Foundation. (Video by Josh Apple for Synthesis/Koubaroulis LLC / The Washington Post)
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November 13, 2015, 12:00 p.m. — To kick off the upcoming wrestling season and to raise awareness for a good cause, Fairfax High School and Robinson Secondary School faced off in an outside scrimmage at the Fairfax City Town Square on Thursday night in front of a packed crowd.
The inaugural “See You on the Square” event was hosted to raise awareness for mental health issues, more specifically, for the Eric Monday Memorial Wrestling Foundation.
Eric Monday was just 21 years old when he passed away on July 26, 2009. He took his own life as he was dealing was depression and inner demons, but wrestling played a major role in his short life. He began wrestling in the fifth grade and went on to wrestle in high school at James Madison, and then in college at Washington and Jefferson. Despite his dominance on the mat, he was scared to talk about what was going on inside his head.
With that idea in mind, the Eric Monday Memorial Wrestling Foundation has devoted itself to fighting the stigma associated with depression, as two out of every 10 kids contemplates suicide at some point in his or her life.
The event was heavily promoted by each of the two head coaches. Robinson Head Coach Bryan Hazard is in his 20th season with the Rams and has built a great program, while Fairfax Head Coach Tanner Sewell is in his first campaign with the Rebels.
“The Eric Monday Foundation has done a great job raising awareness for mental illness through the sport of wrestling,” Hazard said.
The wrestlers and fans were gifted with a beautiful, 60-degree November evening on the square, making it the perfect opportunity to support the foundation and the sport of wrestling.
Throughout the event, volunteers sold T-shirts, wrist bands and food to raise money for the foundation, and provided documentation about how to properly help kids in need of guidance.
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The scrimmage began with a youth division, allowing the young kids to showcase their skills in front of an enthusiastic audience. Then it was time for the main event, as the high schoolers hit the mat, beginning with the JV wrestlers, followed by the varsity wrestlers.
Brian Brooks, a senior wrestler for Robinson, was excited about the opportunity to wrestle for a good cause and to get the chance to hit the mat for the first time this season.
“This is the first time we’re competing out here, a lot of our guys are hungry for competition, facing a local team, we’re just ready to go,” Brooks said.
Inwoo Yi, also a senior wrestler at Robinson, echoed Brooks’ excitement about the chance to wrestle in Fairfax City in front of a large crowd.
“It’s an honor to be able to wrestle for Robinson and to be able to wrestle outside and for this cause, I think it’s really cool, it’s a really cool event,” Yi said.
The wrestlers from the Fairfax side were also enthusiastic about the night’s events and the unusual wrestling spectacle. Rebel sophomore Nicholas Choi voiced his feelings about the opportunity to expand the sport.
“This is definitely a great opportunity to promote wrestling,” Choi said, “because you see all these people and we really don’t get very many people, so seeing everyone out here watching for a different cause, but also getting to see wrestling, maybe they’ll try it out.”
The wrestling season officially begins the first week of December, as both squads are eager to get going. The Rams will look to continue their success and the Rebels will try to find their footing under their new leader.
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