As the wrestling teams from University High School and the Connections at University High School’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program gathered around the mat to practice, it was impossible to tell the difference between them — a point head coach Joshua Marks has emphasized from the very beginning.
The two teams train and compete together under Marks as an integrated unit. This collaboration mirrors the broader integration of the Connections DHH program, where students attend both mainstream courses at University High and classes specially designed to meet their individual needs.
Despite the small size and unique challenges of the Connections DHH Wrestling program, the team fears no one — whether facing hearing opponents or larger deaf schools. The key to their confidence? According to the wrestlers, they’re secure in who they are and know that as long as they execute their techniques, they’ll succeed. After all, deaf or hearing, their opponents are limited to the same moves on the mat.
“You can do everything a hearing person can do but hear,” Marks said of his message to the DHH team. “You should have the access to go anywhere in the world you want and do anything you want.”
This confidence was evident at the Willigan Wrestling Tournament in January, a national wrestling event exclusively for deaf students that traditionally invites teams from larger schools. Though the DHH team had never competed in the tournament before, they were eager for the challenge.
Competing against schools serving only DHH students meant they were up against larger talent pools. Despite this, the team ended the tournament with two third-place finishes and a fourth-place finish from the team’s captain, Emma, an impressive feat considering she had to compete in the boys’ bracket.
Their team’s achievements included not only medals, but also a potential partnership with Gallaudet University, one of the nation’s leading deaf universities. It’s a monumental moment for the DHH Wrestling program, and one that will enable it to provide athletes who are deaf to the university.
However, it’s not the team’s performance or even the new partnership that’s talked about most among those involved. It’s the culture, the sense of belonging that allows the DHH team to individually develop their own identities in a space full of support. Whether these athletes decide to continue pursuing wrestling or not, they will be set up for life with an established deaf identity and the ability to collaborate in a hearing environment.