For Stevens, a Long Way Come, a Long Road Ahead

He never thought he would overcome this—he just wanted to give it all up; wrestling, school, lacrosse.

But he didn’t. For Scott Stevens, his greatest fear and most terrifying obstacle has also served as his most effective source of motivation.

During his sophomore year of high school, Stevens faced the biggest challenge of his life. Juggling academics and varsity athletics while living away from home was proving to be too much for the young wrestler to handle. The burden was beginning to consume him.

“Everything seemed like it was crashing down,” Stevens said. “I was homesick and I wanted to leave.”

After a series of visits from his parents, Stevens managed to get back on his feet. But he never would have imagined the place he would find himself in, just three years after his 10^th grade crisis.

Today, Stevens recollects the troubling events that nearly got the best of him, and is proudly (and successfully) balancing his academics in conjunction with Division I wrestling.   

The difficult experiences he endured as an underclassman at the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey, have largely shaped who he is today.

Stevens possesses a unique ability to comfortably adjust to any situation, pushing forward and enabling a tunnel vision focused directly on his goal.

Now in college, Stevens is finding himself in a similar situation to what he experienced in 10^th grade, but has the skills and experience required to overcome this difficult transition.

Since his arrival at Franklin & Marshall, Stevens has made good use of this skill, and thanks his preparatory school experiences for giving him this practical tool.

His seasonal record thus far stands at a below-average 3-6, but Stevens is grateful for his opportunity to be competing at the Division I level, and is unfazed by the statistics.

“I know eventually I’ll get it, I just have to keep doing what I’m doing and will see the outcome,” he said. “I know that I can overcome the adversity, and I focus on what’s important instead of dwelling on the little things.”

As a high school junior, Stevens began to entertain the prospect of wrestling in college. Soon, he formulated his vision, and once he started, there was no turning back.

“During the junior season, everything from then on I worked towards was to wrestle in college,” Stevens said. “There were points in the season I thought to myself how can I wrestle in college if I’m losing to certain kids.”

Nevertheless, Stevens managed to find his way onto the team here at F&M, and has been enjoying and savoring every moment of it.

“I love the team,” Stevens said. “It’s a lot different from my teams in the past because everyone on the team wants to be there and wants to do well and keep pushing forward. It kind of makes it easier when they have the same mindset.”

For the F&M freshman, the sport he once wanted to bid farewell too has been his faithful companion and one of his greatest joys. Perhaps that’s why Stevens has held on to it so dearly, and discontinued his participation in other sports.  

“It’s definitely a lot different than any other sport, and that’s what I like about it” Stevens said. “You don’t have to be the fastest, you don’t have to be the strongest; it’s how hard you work, how self-reliant you are.”

With the motivation to work hard, and the coaches and teammates to guide him towards success, Stevens begins a new chapter of his wrestling career, this time with fervor and passion, and a dream of heading to the NCAA National Championship.