Monday March 5th, 2018

As sit here writing these articles, it occurs to me that there are many people in this province that have given a lot to the development of wrestling in the province of Quebec in the twenty five plus years that I’ve been involved.  I think of this because I’m writing this article on a Sunday night at 10:40 in the evening and it seems I have nothing better to do.  By all rational accounts, I should be asleep and getting ready for tomorrow’s work day.  But nevertheless, I’m tirelessly typing away on my laptop, writing a blog that probably only one hundred people will read (and that’s being optimistic).  So the question is, why am I doing it?

Coach Peter Montour has been a mainstay in the province for over two decades and is Vice-President of the Quebec Wrestling Federation (Photo property of Jason Chen)

I’ve often thought about this ad-nauseum.  What does writing and reporting about the state of wrestling in Quebec do for me in the long run?  I don’t know how much it’s actually helping wrestling in the province and I don’t do what I do to further my personal ambition that’s for sure.  Writing this blog will not advance my career, make me vast amounts of money or at the risk of making me sound incredibly shallow, make me more attractive to women.  So why do I do it?  What makes me do this without any tangible rewards in the near future?  To be honest, I don’t have a concrete answer to that question.  The only thing that I can think of that makes me continue onwards, is the feeling that many wrestlers who have competed and experienced what it is to wrestle have.  That feeling that all wrestlers who have competed for many years and have lived in the trenches, is that they feel a certain sense of identity when it comes to being a wrestler.  Wrestling has given us so much and we feel an almost fervent desire to show the world what wrestling is because there is so much misconception surounding what we do.  With that being said, wrestlers almost feel a fervent need to give back to the community that has given so much to us.  Wrestlers do what they do because if they don’t no one else will.  So I’m guessing I write this blog because that’s just what I do and I want people to be aware of both my sport and all the people that have contributed to wrestling in Quebec in my many years.

Coach Dave Zilberman coaches several different programs (Photo property of Jason Chen)

With that being said, this blog is dedicated to all the people who have dedicated their lives to making wrestling an important part of the sport scene in Quebec culture, whether by coaching or running a club in the face of adversity, starting up a program or coaching a program that is still going strong or by contiubuting to the development of young kids in the sport.  Thank you to all the coaches and administrators and if I forget to mention anybody, I apologize as the list is very long!

Thank you to Victor Zilberman, Rob Moore, Dave Canadian, Peter Montour, Dominique Choquette, Jay Bradbury, , David Zilberman, Martine Dugrenier, Mark Roache, Gia Sissaouri, Danny Stacey, Garrett Jacobs, Angel Robertson, Brandon Stalk, Otiohkwanoron Montour, Chris Kinsella, Anthony Merlo, Noel Tremblay, Tony Ronci, Nariman Irankhanian, Judy Paul, Chad Sadler.

Dominque Choquette has been a huge supporter for Quebec wrestling and serves as the Vice-President of Competiton development for the Quebec Federation

(Photo property of Jason Chen)

These are some of the many people that have been involved in Quebec wrestling for many years and are either coaching, reffing, officating or working behind the scenes with the Quebec Wrestling Federation or Sport Quebec.  Some of these people are new to the scene but have made an impact nonethless.  Without these people, the sport wouldn’t run and though our numbers are few in relation to other provinces, our quality remains high.  Some of the people mentioned are still involved in some capacity or another while others have moved on.  No matter how little or long you’ve stayed in the sport your impact has been felt whether you’ve touched the lives of few or many people, your contribution counts.  In short, you never know who you will affect and that’s why you should continue on.

The Concordia Coaches have worked tirelessly to produce high-level varsity athletes

(Photo property of Jason Chen)

People in the wrestling community stay involved because we know that if we don’t then there won’t a sport of wrestling.  We stay because of our love for the sport, not for monetary return and that is probably the most important part to keeping the sport going.

MONTREAL, APRIL 23, 2012: Wrestling coach Jay Bradbury keeps an eye on a student during a class at Riverdale High, Pierrefonds, Montreal, Monday, April 23, 2012. [THE GAZETTE/Graham Hughes]

Jay Bradubry was a long time official and coach of the Riverdale Wrestling Club

Did I miss anyone?  Who else out there is helping to continue the sport of wrestling?  If there is, be sure and thank them for all they do as good people are hard to find and even harder to keep.