Where I came from
Where I am
Where I'm going
My name is Ian Ross and my passion for wrestling started in the third grade in Newark, New York. Without access to high-level coaching or training partners in my area, I bounced from wrestling room to wrestling room trying to teach myself along the way. I competed as much as I could always looking for the toughest tournaments. I might not have been able to train with high-level wrestlers but I could surely learn from them in competition. I ended my high school career as a state runner-up with a career record of 137-18. This left me hungry to keep improving so I moved to Ohio where I went to school and competed for Lake Erie College. Being surrounded by like-minded training partners and experienced coaches allowed me to make rapid improvements in my wrestling abilities. I finished my college career as a 4-year starter and national qualifier. I still hold the 10th spot for career wins in program history, 6th in career tech falls, tied for 3rd in career major decisions, and tied for 2nd twice in single season major decisions.
After completing my college career, I found myself feeling unfulfilled and knew that wrestling was not finished with me yet. I stayed in Ohio and started coaching for selfish reasons, I didn't want to get a gym membership and wrestling keeps me in the best shape of my life. I coached for a handful of high school teams and wrestling clubs where I was fortunate enough to work under and alongside some amazing and accomplished coaches. I continued to learn from these coaches not only about the sport of wrestling but also about how to bring out the best in young athletes. I was lucky enough to have worked with some hard working and talented athletes and I quickly fell in love with helping them accomplish their goals. Although I had always been passionate about wrestling, coaching allowed me to fully appreciate the sport beyond the competition aspect. Since then, I have returned to the Rochester, New York area, where I began my wrestling journey, and now have the opportunity to give back to the wrestling community that gave me so much
My goal as a coach is and always has been to work with and help as many athletes who are passionate about improving as possible. I always strive to be the coach that I always wanted as an athlete. While winning championships is undoubtedly a great accomplishment, I believe that true success lies in reaching one's fullest potential, both in the sport and in life. To me, coaching involves much more than just teaching wrestlers new techniques and moves. It also means instilling in them a love and passion for the sport, building their belief in themselves, and fostering a sense of self-confidence and the realization that with hard work and a focused game plan, they can accomplish anything. Those skills will take them far past the sport of wrestling and into anything they decide to do.