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Family of wrestlers passes on lessons learned at home, Catholic school |
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Written by MARYLISA BOOSE, Special to the Chronicle
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Monday, 11 February 2008 |
SANDUSKY—For Ed Naufel, a lesson for wrestling matches is one of the lessons he taught his sons about their faith — “Win or lose, you have to look at yourself in the mirror. Do your best and try to get better.”
Mr. Naufel, whose five sons all now coach wrestling, says growing up attending Mass regularly, attending Catholic schools and taking part in sports all contributed to his sons’ desire to pass on the lessons they’ve learned.
“They love to work with kids and I think that comes from their Catholic education,” Mr. Naufel says. “They’ve given back quite a bit.”
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| The Naufel family, front, from left, Mitch and Marty and back, from left, Mark, Mike and Matt have used the lessons from their Catholic schooling and sports in adulthood. Three of the Naufels coach wrestling at Catholic schools in the diocese. Inset, the Naufels as children, front, from left, Mark and Marty and back, from left, Mike, Matt and Mitch. (Photo courtesy of Ed Naufel) |
Mr. Naufel wasn’t a wrestler himself as a student at Sandusky St. Mary Central Catholic. He loved football and coached it there at the junior high level after he graduated. A retired electrician, Mr. Naufel retired from Cedar Point after 28 years.
When his sons — Mitch, Mike, Matt, Mark and Marty — attended his alma mater, they took up wrestling.
“They didn’t have wrestling at St. Mary’s when I went there,” Mr. Naufel says. “When my boys were involved, I switched over. They all wrestled.”
He says oldest son, Mitch, was the first to try wrestling after his basketball coach said he was a little too aggressive for basketball. Wrestling turned out to be the perfect sport.
Mr. Naufel and his wife, Lucy, didn’t just send their boys off to practice and matches.
“We were very involved in everything they did,” says Mr. Naufel. “As a family, we encouraged the things they do.” Mr. Naufel adds Lucy enjoyed watching the boys in sports as much as he did.
That meant turning over part of their home to five sports-crazy boys.
“We didn’t have a dining room. We had a weight room,” Mr. Naufel says. They finally bought dining room furniture after all the boys moved out.
All the boys except Matt coach wrestling around the state of Ohio — Mitch and Marty at Toledo Central Catholic, Mike at Fremont St. Joseph High School and Mark at Perkins Junior High. Matt coaches at the high school and junior high level in Naples, Fla.
Three of the brothers recently had a face-off when Central Catholic faced St. Joseph.
“The oldest brother won,” Mr. Naufel says with a chuckle, as Central Catholic led the competition. “They are feisty. They were always competitive at home.”
But the faith-based part of their background won out in the end, he says.
“They had their arms around one another at the end,” Mr. Naufel says. “There’s a good relationship between the five boys.” Part of that relationship is based on the competition they enjoyed growing up, he adds.
He firmly believes learning competition in Catholic schools made it possible for his sons to keep winning in perspective. He points to the lessons of the annual Catholic Invitational Tournament. When the final buzzer sounds on Saturday night, he says, competition is left on the mat and the athletes celebrate Mass together.
Mr. Naufel says the discipline required for success in sports has been an important part of his sons’ lives.
“I think it taught them respect,” he says. “Discipline is very important.”
That discipline carried over to the education they received at a Catholic school.
“The boys were always taught to respect their elders and do their best in school. That has helped,” he says.
“I’ve always said our wealth is in our family and I think this comes from their education at home,” Mr. Naufel says. “That’s what makes a good Catholic family. We never stop supporting our boys.”
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