2023-01-05 Jan 23 Student Athlete Gus Kyser 2

Student Athlete: Gus Kyser

Sport(s) Played: Wrestling

Q1: Why did you choose the sport(s) that you play?
I chose wrestling because it is a very hard sport. It is demanding on the entire body and mind. It also relies on the individual. There is no one that can be blamed or excuses to be made other than your own effort.

Q2: What is your favorite Madeira sports memory?
My favorite memory in High School sports was finally winning against a guy I had lost to twice previously in the year, but eventually, hard work paid off.

Q3: How do you get motivated to practice each and every day?
What keeps me motivated for practice is thinking about the end goal, which is the State tournament. If you aren’t practicing hard now and every day, then later, you can’t expect a good outcome.

Q4: What is your favorite pre-game meal and why do you eat that?
Since wrestling requires weight cuts, I usually don’t have any pre-game meals but everyone on the team eats a lot once we’re off the scale.

Q5: Which athlete do you admire most and why?
I don’t watch a lot of sports so I don’t really have a favorite athlete. If I had to choose it would be our current wrestling coaches. They have put so much time and effort into making the program better.

Q6: What makes a great teammate?
A good teammate is someone who shows up every day even when they don’t want to. They work hard not just for themselves but for the team to get better as a whole. They also care for and respect all wrestlers and coaches.

Q7: What is on your pre-game playlist?
I don’t have a pre-match playlist. Between matches, I am either resting, hanging out with the team, or talking about technique with coaches before a match.

Q8: What is the funniest thing that you have seen or happened to you in a practice or game?
One of the funniest things in wrestling was when you could see through a kid’s singlet and he had Pringles Underwear.

Q9: What is next after you graduate?
I plan on attending college, with the probability of participating in ROTC or a wrestling club.

Q10: What advice would you give an 8th grade athlete as they move on to high school sports?
High school flies by, don’t waste your time. If you’re in love with a sport, invest yourself now instead of waiting to see years later that more you could have done earlier on would have let you go so much further.