Lake Gibson's Success Starts With Brutal Training

THE LEDGER

LAKELAND | About an hour into one of Lake Gibson's high-intensity practices, Chase Krutzky, a senior wrestler who competes at 145 pounds, made his way to the silver radio system in the corner and blasted a song he liked.

 

By no means is "Headlines" – by artist Drake – touted as Lake Gibson's theme song, but heading into the FHSAA state finals today, some of the lyrics are poignant.

 

A burgeoning powerhouse, the Braves have become one of the state's top programs since coach Daniel Walker took over in 2000.

 

"'Cause I live for this, it isn't just a hobby like that," says Drake. And it's true at Lake Gibson, where there is a tried-and-true method to getting to the state finals.

 

It's called hard work, and it starts in a small room hidden behind the gym on the school's campus.

 

Workout sessions during the season typically last about two-and-a-half hours and start with plenty of conditioning. The pace is fast, barely any breaks, and the athletes start to feel fatigued about halfway through, their muscles heavy after double takedowns, spin drills, sprints and a bevy of other wrestling-related exercises.

 

And Walker, an off-campus coach, is in their faces most of the time.

 

"Don't break!"

 

"Stay strong!"

 

"Come on, push through!"

 

After a ton of drills, it's time for live matches because "when you're tired you revert back to old habits," Walker said. "So we make sure to push them to that point and attempt to perfect their technique."

 

Because if they get them right then, they should be spot on for the real thing.

 

Walker's methods work.

 

Last year, Lake Gibson had five wrestlers in the state finals in Class 2A, including Brandon Jorge, who is gunning for a third straight title. And since Walker took over, 16 wrestlers have finished first or second in the state. This year, eight wrestlers from Lake Gibson will compete at the finals.

 

"He's just trying to break you every day," said Jorge, who competes at 138 pounds. "The training here is hard. It's that simple."

 

And it keeps some away. Typically, about 50 kids come out for tryouts on the first day. That number dwindles to about 20 by the end of the season.

 

"Some kids complain to us that they have to run a mile in practice," said Skyler Moody, a regional champion at 113 pounds this year. "I kind of laugh at that because I do that for fun, run miles on my own time."

 

And that notion – that kids are willing to put in extra work outside of the gym – has helped Walker build such a solid program allowing kids to be successful on the next level, too.

 

"He's got good kids and he stays on them and works with them year round," said Jestin Bailey, the head wrestling coach at George Jenkins.

 

"He puts a lot of time into that program."

 

Added Brent Jorge, a state-runner up at 119 pounds in 2007 who now wrestles at Campbell University in North Carolina: "Walker made sure we were mentally tough by pushing us to the limit in practice and never letting us quit. He's one of the most dedicated coaches in the state, if not nation."