Graduating Class with Class

While many of us have friends and relative graduating and getting ready for the next phase of their lives, Coach Kevin Pedersen is just as excited about his graduating players, especially considering that he now has two consecutive wrestling team captains going to his alma mater: West Point, United States Military Academy, in West Point, New York.

Last year's captain, Dylan Charlton, upon graduating as Student of The Year at Westminster Christian School, entered West Point shortly thereafter.

This year's captain, Anthony Machado, district wrestling champion--who also placed third in the region and was awarded Athlete of The Year at Westminster--will enter in July.

As the head wrestling coach for Palmetto Bay's Westminster Christian Academy since 2013, Coach Pedersen and others are left wonderstruck at this feat.

"I spoke with one of the assistant wrestling coaches there," said Pedersen. "They never heard of back to back captains of a team attending West Point."

All West Point students are selected and sponsored by a senator or congressman, (both were selected by Republican State Senator Marco Rubio), so these high school wrestling champions successes are even more incredible.

Coach Pedersen, graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School. In addition to being a wrestling All American, he was an undefeated Florida State Champion, before entering West Point where he himself graduated in 1980. Upon graduating, he became a special agent for the US Drug Enforcement administration. When he retired in 2012, he was pretty beat down. "For twenty-seven years, I saw the worst in kids," Pedersen said. "I was around some kids who would just as soon shoot me, as fast as I could shoot back."

When he became the assistant coach at Westminster, before becoming the head coach in 2013, he realized a new calling.

"I found my niche in building young leaders," said Pedersen. "These kids are going to be your next leaders...your next representatives, your doctors. That's my niche with these kids, let's make you better men."

Working with parents, he strives to mold his wrestlers to be the best in all circles of life. In doing so he recognizes the efforts of Charlton and Machado, as well as the rest of his team.

"As a coach, I know how hard they work: academically, spiritually, athletically...they're working it all year long," Pedersen said. In doing so, their successes have restored his faith.

"What coaching has done for me, especially in the realm of wrestling is totally restored my faith in these young people," said Pedersen. "We've got some great young people out there, they just need someone to encourage them; they're going to accomplish great things. My view of the future is better."

For Westminster's wrestling captains, they are well on their way.

Charlton, an all-state percussion band member, is currently a member of the West Point Glee club. Machado is looking to become an infantry officer, and lead other men in the battlefield.

Coach Pedersen plans to visit them both on Labor Day weekend.

Like most students across the country this past weekend, my niece Natalie graduated from high school. A native of Freeport, New York, she'll be attending Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts; I, her parents, and the rest of our family couldn't be prouder of her amazing accomplishment (super-psyched uncle shoutout, unashamed)!

As another school year draws to a close, let's applaud these students triumphs. Enjoy your summer kids, you most certainly earned it!