Coach "Frank" Anthony Ciccone Wrestling Scholarship

If there was ever an underdog, it was me. I started wrestling under the encouragement of my eighth-grade gym teacher, who saw potential in me before I even knew it myself. He pushed me to join the eighth-grade intramural wrestling team, and from the moment I stepped on the mat, I was hooked. However, when I started wrestling competitively my freshman year of high school, I quickly realized how far behind I was. I had no prior experience outside of those intramural matches, and I was competing against athletes who had been wrestling for years. I lost 50% of my matches that first season, and many doubted whether I had what it took to succeed in such a demanding sport. Instead of letting my struggles define me, I embraced my role as the underdog. I dedicated my entire summer going into sophomore year to training—practicing every day, refining my technique, and building the mental toughness necessary to compete at the highest level. I set a goal for myself: to become a state champion. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I refused to let the odds dictate my future. By my senior year, my hard work had paid off. I went undefeated, finishing the season 47-0 and only allowing one takedown the entire year. I had gone from being the inexperienced freshman to standing on top of the podium as a Missouri state champion. My journey taught me that being an underdog is not a disadvantage—it’s an opportunity to prove yourself, to rise above expectations, and to show that success comes from resilience and relentless determination. Now, I wrestle for Lindenwood University, one of only four Division I women’s wrestling programs in the country. Alongside my athletic career, I am pursuing a degree in paramedicine with the goal of becoming a firefighter. As the middle child of three Division I athletes, I know my parents—both Army veterans and police officers—couldn’t be more proud. Their dedication to service has inspired me to follow in their footsteps as a first responder. I recently passed my EMT exams and am now enrolled in a paramedic program, a requirement where I live to become a firefighter. I am applying for scholarships to help ease the financial burden on my parents, who work tirelessly to support my sisters and me. Wrestling taught me that perseverance turns underdogs into champions, and I carry that mindset with me every day as I work toward my goals. I know you’re watching coach Frank, I will make you proud.

Coach Matthew Rydell, my wrestling coach at Roosevelt High School, once said, “Wrestling will be a spec out of the whole span of your life, but that spec will have a big impact on the rest of that period.” His words resonate deeply with me because my wrestling journey has been one of embracing the underdog role, using it as fuel to grow and achieve my goals. I began wrestling as a sophomore with no athletic experience and very little confidence. Practices were brutal, and the workouts pushed me to my limits. My anxiety spiked, and I quit midseason to focus on robotics. That decision left me feeling defeated. I didn’t want my story to end that way, so the following year, I rejoined the team determined to finish one full season. When I walked into my first practice as a junior, I was still the underdog. I wasn’t the strongest or fastest on the team, and my earlier struggles were fresh in my mind. But something had changed. I embraced the challenge head-on and threw myself into the sport. I studied Olympic matches, learned from wrestling legends like Jordan Burroughs, and became fully committed to practices, no matter how grueling. Early mornings and multiple practices a day no longer felt like obstacles but stepping stones. This shift in mindset allowed me to grow mentally and emotionally. Wrestling not only improved my strength but also rebuilt my self-esteem and gave me a stronger sense of purpose. It was no longer just about winning matches—it was about becoming someone who could face any adversity and not back down. Outside of the mat, I faced challenges that mirrored my experience as an underdog in wrestling. I grew up in an emotionally challenging household, with a difficult relationship with my father and struggles with social anxiety. These experiences weighed on me heavily, especially in my early teen years. Wrestling became my outlet, a way to channel that pain into something constructive. With each practice, I realized that adversity wasn’t a setback—it was an opportunity for growth. Wrestling taught me that being an underdog means more than just starting from behind. It’s about grit, perseverance, and the determination to improve every day. Wrestling instilled in me core values: discipline, relentless effort, respect for others, and the refusal to quit. These lessons have shaped my future goals. I aspire to become a military fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force or Navy and later serve as a flight surgeon. These are demanding careers, but I’m ready for the challenge. Wrestling taught me to embrace the grind and believe that even the toughest obstacles can be overcome with faith, discipline, and hard work. As long as I trust in God and keep pushing forward, I know I can achieve my dreams. Embracing the underdog role has transformed me. Once I learned to see adversity as a blessing, everything became possible. As the saying goes, “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life will be easy