After a year-long wait, Colin Jocek took his first steps back on the mat. As he fastens his ear guards, Jocek turns towards the stands to embrace the energy generated by the crowd and supporting teammates. As Jocek shook his opponent’s hand, his love for his sport was renewed for one final season.
Last year, Colin Jocek was faced with an obstacle that no athlete wants to experience, a season ending injury. In preparation for a deep postseason run, Jocek practiced each day to master his skill. During a practice match with a teammate, Jocek felt an unnatural feeling in his knee. At this point, he feared that his season might end short.
As a junior, Jocek had hopes of a postseason push, although his knee was unable to support his weight during wrestling. Originally, he planned on persisting through his pain, but eventually with the guidance of coaches and teammates, he decided to avoid the risk of losing his senior season.
“The more I practiced and felt my knee, it just was not ready,” Jocek said.
Jocek experienced a bucket handle meniscus tear, which involves the outer ring of the meniscus tearing, causing extreme swelling and inability to support body weight. Remembering his emotions after experiencing the tear, Jocek is entering his senior season with extra caution as he does not have any more chances.
“I’m just kind of taking it safe. I got a new knee pad. I got a new brace that goes under [my knee]. If I get into any position, I’ll say it hurts,” Jocek said.
As a witness to Jocek’s injury, math teacher and wrestling coach Dan Mosher feels that losing Jocek at the end of last season affected the team as a whole.
“You’re losing somebody in the practice room that is just a hard worker, positive and encouraging,” Mosher said.
Entering his senior season, Jocek, a two year team captain, has not only become a leader within the wrestling program but also a mentor on the mats.
“[Coach] Mosher says we are an extension of the coaching staff, that means doing everything that I should be doing, not slacking off. Just being overall the best example of a Revere wrestler,” Jocek said.
Co-captain and longtime friend Sal Bonacuse has known Jocek since kindergarten. Over the years as teammates, Bonacuse has seen Jocek fully embrace his role as a leader to younger players.
“After our workouts, he’ll always offer to take the underclassmen, who don’t have cars, to the middle school to get on the mat …. In practice, he’s always getting on people if they’re not trying hard,” Bonacuse said.
Looking out on his senior season, Jocek’s focus is not winning as many matches as possible; his goal is to improve on his takedowns.
“Hopefully, the dream is always to go states. Wrestling hard and knowing at the end of the year I put everything out on that mat and I don’t really have any regrets from what I did,” Jocek said.
Mosher uses Jocek in multiple positions for the team due to his flexibility and positive attitude no matter the situation.
“He was wrestling up a weight class, just kind of how the lineup shook out. We needed him to go up this week, and he’s going to do it tomorrow as well at our next tournament. So, a lot of the kids he was wrestling are a little bit stronger than him,” Mosher said.
Mosher believes that Jocek has become a great locker room presence for the team now entering his second year as a team captain.
“As a leader, he’s always been really good about just being positive, being lighthearted. Wrestling’s a tough sport. Practices aren’t always very fun, so he can keep the vibe a little lighter than most,” Mosher said.
Going back to youth wrestling, Mosher has had the chance to coach Jocek for the past eight years. Watching Jocek grow as a player and leader, Mosher finds that he has become valuable to the team as he sets up the wrestling program for a successful future once Jocek has graduated.
“He’s good at recruiting younger kids, talking with the freshmen and middle school kids more than the others,” Mosher said.
With a long season ahead, Jocek, with the support of teammates and coaches, thinks it is important for him to be mindful of his limits. Entering his final season on the mats, Jocek recognizes the lack of time left for improvement on story and his growth as a competitor will become transparent come playoffs.
