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01/27/2016 11:00 PMFormer HK wrestler Nick Adler has come full-circle in his career with the Cougars and recently began his first season as the new pilot for their prestigious program.
Nick grew up in Middletown before moving to Higganum in middle school and then competed for the HK wrestling team from 2007 to 2011. Nick was a captain in his junior and senior years before suffering a season-ending back injury during his final campaign. Nick then attended Central Connecticut State University and spent four years on HK’s coaching staff. Now this winter, Nick has taken the reins as the new head coach for the Cougars and he’s already guided them to several top-four tournament finishes, including a runner-up showing at the Griswold Tournament on Jan. 16.
“I wrestled and coached underneath [former head coach] Geoff Korper and then Doug Stevenson, but then he resigned, and so I took over,” says Nick, who is assisted by Ken Markwat. “Wrestling is unique in that it’s one of the few sports that is an individual and team sport. You need to be self- reliant, but also contribute to the team. We hope to give them the tools they need to win and have confidence. Ken and I try to also carry a lot of lessons both on and off the mat. We monitor their grades and offer help with anything because we care about the kids. I’m big on teaching that it’s never over until the bell rings.”
Nick knows all about how wrestling is an emotional grind that can pull at your heartstrings. He feels that one upside to the roller coaster of guiding grapplers is how you have the unique ability to mold them into champions both on the mat and in terms of their character.
“Coaching has both great and tough moments. You become emotionally invested in the kids. It’s all on them, but you do whatever you can to help them,” Nick says. “We had [sophomore] Elena Hughes compete in a JV Tournament [on Jan. 18] and she finished second, while picking up her first career win, so that was great. But it’s also heartbreaking when you see them lose, though it’s great to know that I can pass some of my skills and knowledge to these kids.”
HK Athletic Director Lynne Flint is well-aware of Nick’s long lineage with the Cougars and anticipates that he will bring nothing but the best out of his athletes.
“Nick has been with the HK wrestling program for a very long time. He has been an athlete, captain, and assistant coach for us and worked very closely with our former head coach Doug Stevenson. Nick’s dedication to the program is very impressive,” says Flint. “Our expectation is for him and assistant coach Ken Markwat to continue the high-quality level program that was established before them and continue to build a competitive, fun, and safe atmosphere for our student-athletes.”
Like many other clubs around the state, the Cougars have had to work at filling some voids in their lineup this winter. By the same token, they also feature some impact athletes who are bridging the gaps.
“We’ve been a very good tournament team. We are light on numbers with not many heavyweights, but we are strong down low. It’s been almost a tradition in HK wrestling to have three, four strong guys in a row around the same weight class [145-160], which we call the ‘Meat Grinder,’” says Nick, who coaches his younger brother Grayson, the reigning 145-pound Class S state champion. “It’s almost selfish to be good at something and to not pass it on, so I really try to bring out their potential. I just hope to always see them build off of my teaching.”
HK’s postseason representation seems to be growing with each passing season and so Nick wants to see that continue in 2016, while he builds the program from the ground up.
“Every year since I’ve been here as a coach, we keep increasing the number of kids we send to states. When I wrestled, we never had anyone go to states. Yet last year we sent six guys, which I attribute to the feeder program and my assistant coach. This year, though, I want to send seven guys and, hopefully, two to New Englands that also medal,” Nick says. “I’d like to expand the numbers in the long term. We want to get bigger and better. Ideally, we want to get enough numbers for a full varsity and JV lineup, while building champions.”