OCR Text |
Show n A....OQ 1 07 0 Page 9 August 29, 1 979 Sporrstacular r to wrestling mat, Ricky Tanner excells served as a mission president in the past. Football is Favorite a youngster, football became a first love of Ricks. He was also a baseball pitcher and was developing into a fast swimmer, but something about football charmed the youth. But with a serious injury to his back one day and continuing problems with it, doctors decided it best to give the sport up. I started to lift weights and work out, but at first the doctors wouldnt allow me to play any sports. I continued to workout and one of the happiest days of my life came when the doctor said I could at least wrestle, said Ricky. Rick continued, I plan on working hard this fall. If it takes getting on the cross country team to get in shape, m do it. I have a goal to take region and someday, maybe as a senior, Id like to take state. The funnest part aboi$ wrestling is out there practicing your moves. Its not like youre really com-- j peting and nervous about it when you wrestle with your friend, its just fun. Its great to have your hand raised at the end of a match. Losing weight is something every wrestler has got to do. One day I had to lose 12 pounds in four days. When I got to the meet. I was still a pound over. Even though I thought the weights were wrong, I had to sweat off a pound before the meet." Coach Joe James, who will coach Ricky as a junior this whiter, commented, Ricks just a choice kid, they dont come any better. Believe me, its pure fun to and is a coach someone like him who is As and We dont have to tell him to exercise, to practice or study, he does it on his own initiative. We have learned from him as a family. Hes just as normal as any other teen-age- r. They have their quarrells here and there and they can be sorry for it just like anyone else. One night while Ricky was wrestling in one of the tpumaments, Jolynn and Kenny were at home. They asked what time Ricky would be wrestling. Later I e. found that Jolynn and Kenny had been on their knees praying he would do his best at the time he wrestled. Events like that have brought closeness into our family. Ricks future as a wrestler at Weber High looks nothing but bright. His humility and all the other attributes that surround him, will continue to carry him on to greatness. . - self-starte- r. Parents Are Proud Tanner said the first thing that comes to his mind when someone asks him about his sons success in athletics and singing, is his competitiveness, not with other people, but with himself. Tanner commented, Ricky walked at seven months and never stopped. When he was a bit older than that I can remember a few of us out by a water hose. We were playing with Ricky, squirting him with the hose and you couldnt help but notice the way he would continuously come back at you, he never gave in. J'Baseball and football were his loves when a boy. He was quite a pitcher at one time and made numerous teams. In football his real love was to carry the ball. Many a time wed be standing on the sidelines watching him get smothered by a bunch of players, but, a moment later hed be sguirting out of the pack. His Mr. ail-st- ar size has prohibited him from playing more football, along with a back injury, but Rick has accepted it well. The best job for Rick, and the thing that made him proud, was when he came dose to his own expectation and that same thing applies today in his singing and sports. He never worried about being competitive with other people, but only with himself. The singing evolved from the sports. His mother, knowing he had a good ear and good intonation started him on breathing exercises which she indicated would help him in sports. So Ricky practiced singing each day and developed his breathing. This did a good thing for Ricky later on. You know a boy soprano is not the most exalted peer spot to be in. There were aquaintances here and there that would make comments that werent the most flattering thing for a boy who had worked hard to develop attributes of a strong boy. So we know that there is more drive to Ricky than to excell even against himself. I think his singing, if he didnt have that drive, would have years. The . stepped when he got into the early teen-ag- e boys comments would have stopped him cold. But of course now he has gone through the boy soprano stage and his voice is lowering. In the future hell be able to compete just as competitively as far as peer appearances are concerned. Ricks past wrestling season was an inspiration to me. He prayed day and night that his workouts would strengthen his back and that the doctors would allow him to participate in wrestling. There were two nigged months preparing for a sport that he had never really been involved with. Then his season was an inspiration to us all Were extremely proud of Rick as a family. The thing we are the most proud about is the spirit the boy has. He is so complete in his desire to achieve. Mrs. Tanner Pread Mrs. Tanner says its Rickys spirit that impresses her so much. She tells of the love that Ricky has for his brother and sister, Jolyrm and Kenny, and likewne LAST WMTSR on tho Wobor High wrestling mots, Ricky finished second in they for their brother. bracket. Hes looking forward to this winter. the ,. Mrs. TWmer commented, Im grateful for Rickys tho Region One Wrestling Toumomenr in 98-pou- . , , 4 y l ,' |