‘A great all-around asset to the school’

Ian Turner of Coeur d’Alene is tackling life more than one challenge at a time.

Turner, a sophomore at Coeur d’Alene High School, competes on the school’s junior varsity wrestling team. But outside his sports schedule, he keeps busy playing French horn in the school band, serving as class president for student council and working a part-time job after school. He’s also a member of a youth group at United Methodist Church and hopes to finish his Eagle badge with the Boy Scouts this summer.

Jeff Moffat, his wrestling coach, said Turner makes every practice despite his busy schedule.

“He’s a great all-around asset to the school,” Moffat said, adding that Turner’s dedication shows at practice and at school through his grades and the way he treats his teammates. He is always trying to improve and puts in a full effort for six minutes on the mat.

“He’s still learning but he always gives you 100 percent,” Moffat said.

Turner, 16, is at the top of the junior varsity team. When he’s not working on self-improvement he’s often watching or helping members the team with their moves. Moffat said Turner’s greatest strength is his intelligence, and he makes up for talent with hustle and drive. As he climbs the ranks of the junior varsity team, Moffatt sees his ability as the tip of the iceberg.

Turner started wrestling in sixth grade and latched on to the challenge of hard work and responsibility.

He said the sport holds a high level of accountability and little room for blame.

“Each time you learn the most from losing, so a loss is an important part of building the type of wrestler you are,” he said.

Moffat said Turner will likely make a strong show if he makes the varsity team next year, or at State this year. If he keeps his points up, he could be one of two junior varsity wrestlers entered into the district tournament.

Turner said he wrestles as more of a personal challenge than a means to a college degree or a shot at professional wrestling. While he puts in the sweat at each practice, he hopes to learn a few life lessons along the way.

Each season, he’s learned how far he can push himself during conditioning days, where wrestlers run for six minutes, wrestle for six minutes, then lift weights for six minutes without a break in between.

“The lesson you learn from that is the only limits are the limits you put on yourself,” he said.

His biggest challenge is keeping his attitude and determination focused on avoiding making mistakes and getting pinned. He said his fear of losing makes his will to win that much stronger.

“You have to go out there with the right mental attitude or you will get beat,” he said.

In addition to wrestling, he plays catcher for the school’s baseball team and middle linebacker for the football team.

Turner said he’s thankful for his teachers, coaches and managers, who work with his busy schedule to make sure he stays involved. He admits that he’s thought of cutting wrestling from his busy schedule, especially when his wrestling wasn’t his best, but he’s never been able to call it quits.

All athletes have down times and then they always come back playing their best, he said. Now, he believes he’s wrestling at his personal best so far.

“There’s times when you feel like you don’t want to wrestle, but you’ve got to go out there and do the best you can and show that guy what you’re made of,” he said.