8 Year Old Wrecking Machine!
I’m sure many of you have already seen this video…
It’s a highlight clip of 8 year old Stevo Poulin… National Champion and absolute wrestling machine!
Do me a favor and check out the video, then post your response to the video. I’d like to hear your thoughts… about anything to do with the video…
*** If I see at least 50 responses to the video, I’ll post a FREE GIFT for you guys!! 
***
March 8th, 2011 at 4:11 am
Stevo is great. The right attitude, technique, and strength. If he keeps progressing, he should be seeing Olympic gold.
March 8th, 2011 at 4:11 am
The kid is awesome and seems to have great mat-sense already. I wonder how long he’s been wrestling, and how much he is forced to train. In my 35+ years involved in the sport, I’ve seen many kids burn out by the time they hit high school because they were forced to wrestle since they could walk.
With that being said, the kid is a beast!
March 8th, 2011 at 4:19 am
little tough guy… love the fancy footwork midway thru… he might have a future!
March 8th, 2011 at 4:35 am
Stevo, is quit amazing to me. I’ve been coaching for almost 18 years and have never seen anything like this. It’s hard to believe that he is only 8. He is very advanced executing moves that I manly see from kids on the high school level. I can’t even imagine what he’ll be like by the time he’s in high school. Are we looking at the next Olympic / world champion or will he be burnt out by then. Only time will tell, but from what I’ve seen he is amazing.
Now tell me this, what 8 year old can master these moves and has coached him crazy.
March 8th, 2011 at 4:37 am
Kids a beast! Let’s jus hope he hasn’t peaked too early. 8 is an early age and no 8 year old should be that willing to punish someone. Anyways, 757 all day!
March 8th, 2011 at 4:38 am
I got to say this 8 year old is better than some of the guys on my team. His technique is really fluid and crisp and i cant wait to see him wrestle in high school and college.
Future 4 time state champion and 4 time NCAA champion
March 8th, 2011 at 4:40 am
Hi Steve
I think this kid is amazing. The great thing about him is , he has full confidence in him self.
I would love to pay you a visit in the near futre.
Regards
Louw Goosen
March 8th, 2011 at 4:47 am
It’s obvios that he’s talented and has spent a lot of time training. I’m worried that he’ll burn out before he’s 12. He also may experience social issues in the future as my guess is that he spends ALL his time wrestling. If he truly loves the sport and enjoys every second of it, good for him and we may have a future Olympic medalist. If he’s being pushed into this, I worry for his future. In either case, I wish my high school kids had his technique and mat savvy.
March 8th, 2011 at 5:12 am
he has amazing talent. but i am sure put in a lot of work already.
March 8th, 2011 at 5:13 am
As 55 year old Coach
I have never seen this in my life
This is incredible would like to see some more of this kid he is the big talking point in my club and has also become the IDOL in my Club at Hartbeespoort in South Africa since they have seen the Video
Ruben van Loggerenberg
Head Coach
Harties Wrestling
South Africa
March 8th, 2011 at 5:30 am
Amazing!!!, this kid is good!
March 8th, 2011 at 5:38 am
The kid is tough. It will be interesting if he continues to improve as he gets older.
March 8th, 2011 at 5:38 am
Congrats on the kid… My kids are the joy of my life!
I have been coaching a long time as well and I have 3 sons who wrestle (8,8, and 7). We see kids like this kid every weekend (rookies who seem way advanced). It drives me crazy to see these headlock machines tossing timid kids around. I feel like head and arm tosses should be illegal until a certain age. I have seen a lot of fine athletic boys straight up quit because some boy headlocks them and punishes them. This young man looks amazing, but I can recommend a few matches for him where he might get tossed by someone else… Then I would like to see his reaction. The kids that wrestle in our club are never taught a head and arm until they are schoolboys who are wrestling freestyle or Greco. I hope this young man luck, but I am positive that a day will come when he will meet another kid who has a great stance, and can sag their hips… Then I wonder how he would react.
March 8th, 2011 at 5:48 am
I will admit that it is funny to watch and the kid is a terror, right now. He will never make it to the Olympics because he will most likely be in jail by then. His parenting, and I have dealt with the parents, can be seen by the way he struts around on the mat. By the time he reaches 12 years of age the power, aggressive, head locking style of wrestling is not going to be as effective and he will begin to lose matches and with his early success and lack of humility the little man won’t be able to take defeat and will run from the sport. I believe we will see him in an octagon some day.
March 8th, 2011 at 5:49 am
That’s incredible!! Kevin is right, you hope he just does not get burnt out by the time he is older because the moves he is capable of hitting now are moves some of my high schoolers still can not complete. A LEG CRADLE!!??!!?? Are you kidding me?
Truly an awesome video.
March 8th, 2011 at 6:13 am
All I can say is WOW. This little kid is incredible. And what a duck under. Very polished with the execution of his moves.
I’m with Kevin though. Will he be burned out by the time he is eligable for college or the olympics? I think he would be just fine if his wrestling carrer is managed the right way by both his parents and coaches.
March 8th, 2011 at 6:16 am
This young man has a high physical/mental IQ for the game of wrestling. This wonder boy has it all!!! He has the technical skills along with the agility of a high school wrestler. Wrestling is a great way to get scholarships for education, it is an great confidence builder and the oldest form of self defense known to man kind. As long as this boy, his coaches and family, realize that he is just that a boy, and they don’t rush him to be more then he is then I think he can make his mark on the mat and use his game to become everything that he wants to be. Wrestling needs to continue to be fun for this young boy and as long as he is enjoying himself at this age he will naturally continue to make progress. I wish him the best of luck!
–Sincerely,
Robert Lucarelli
March 8th, 2011 at 6:22 am
this kid reminds me of me when i was his age
March 8th, 2011 at 6:23 am
He is indeed a rarity. His body awareness and positioning cannot be taught by drilling alone. Having a feel of when to hit these moves is much more impressive than the ability to execute them. Other kids may become better technicians than him and others may physically surpass him, but his positioning, body awareness, and timing are going to be tough to catch up with.
March 8th, 2011 at 6:40 am
I’ve seen this video going around. I think he is phenomenal! I haven’t even seen high school kids do some of the moves he does. I love the “leg cradle”. I hope he’s a nice, well-balanced kid who isn’t full of himself. He and his parents should be proud of his accomplishements, I hope he continues to have fun with it and doesn’t get pushed too far or burnt out. I will be looking to see how he does when he gets to high school,
March 8th, 2011 at 6:46 am
Pretty incredible young man. I was amazed at how technical he actually is, not like some little guys who just overpower their opponents by being bigger and stronger. He executes some pretty advanced moves. Will be interesting to see how he grows and matures and hopefull he does not burn out before he peaks out.
March 8th, 2011 at 6:58 am
InPresive he’ll be the man when he grows up
March 8th, 2011 at 7:01 am
I wish I could get my high school wrestlers to execute like that. He is impressive, I hope he sticks with it for the long haul.
March 8th, 2011 at 7:07 am
The boys on my son’s HIgh School wrestling team have been going crazy over this video! He is amazing! Like the other replies, I agree that he is a very mature wrestler for his age. He studies hisopponent and can read what moves are coming next. He is always one step ahead of the other and knows how to score!
March 8th, 2011 at 7:08 am
Phenom. However hes probably jus destroying becayse his opponents probably havent matured enough in certain ways. Still a beast i wana c how long he can keep it up for
March 8th, 2011 at 7:10 am
Impressive for such a young kid. I have never seen one so intense and able to execute so many technical things at such a young age. He has the head and arm down to a science but does other things very well too so I don’t worry to much about that being his “only” move as some coaches might critcize. I do also hope it can be and stay fun for him or he’ll burn out. Have seen that all too many times.
I also wish him best of luck. or as Gable says, that he makes his good luck.
March 8th, 2011 at 7:17 am
The boy is a beast. He is years ahead of kids his age as far as technique and explosiveness. I hope he is does not burn out and continues his domination throughout his career.
March 8th, 2011 at 7:25 am
Great for him! Advanced for his age! Hopefully he is in it for the long haul. But keep in mind those were just 8 year olds with half the training he has! Eventually the competition will level out! If he keeps working hard at it he will be able to develop this amazing ability!
March 8th, 2011 at 7:30 am
This is very impressive. It makes me think about his coaching. How is he coached? Who taught him to wrestle like he does? Can other kids his age be coached the same way? All wrestlers are different. All kids are not ready to learn the techniques, strategies, and mindsets at an early age. Can this be sustained for many years? This is a highlight video. Are these other kids the top kids in the country? Does he dominate all of his opponents? I am not trying to take anything away from this little guy, but I would like to know the answers to these questions. Either way, this kid is impressive!
March 8th, 2011 at 7:35 am
Awesome!
March 8th, 2011 at 7:38 am
Amazing. Wish I had a kid like this coming in to my program! You don’t see many High School kids to get this focused and aggressive on the mat, much less throw some of these technical moves.
There are some tough kids at the youth program in my area that I bet could compete with him. Look forward to seeing Steveo as he gets older and better. And like previous comments… hope he doesn’t get burned out!
March 8th, 2011 at 7:44 am
Awesome. Like to know what happens to him in the future
March 8th, 2011 at 7:47 am
Love the mat sense, and move are shock how good they are for his age, and will love to see how he progresses and maintains his enthusiasm.
March 8th, 2011 at 7:50 am
I think he will be burnt out by high school, hope he has a chance to play other sports..
March 8th, 2011 at 7:50 am
This kid is great. I to have concerns about burn out. I have seen some quality wrestlers in youth programs but do not contiue beyond. He definately has the makings to be a great one. Much luck to him and his family.
March 8th, 2011 at 7:52 am
He’s certainly something else and very talented but he’s also more physically and mentally mature than his peers in that age group. While he may very well go on to great success in the sport, probability says the competition will even out later on. You see so many studs at the youth level only to never be heard from again when high school starts. Peaking to soon and burnout does it to many. Hopefully it will remain fun for him.
March 8th, 2011 at 7:59 am
Wow! The little guy is good. He’s got textbook form and technique. If he enjoys the sport and wants to keep at it, he should be able to progress very well. He’s got fluidity in his moves that most high school wrestlers would dream of. Well done Stevo.
Dan Steinhaur
March 8th, 2011 at 8:00 am
WHAT YOU DO AT PRACTICE, MOVES TO THE MAT IN COMPETITION. LOOK OUT FOR THIS YOUNG MAN. EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH AND LEARN.HIS NAME WILL BE A HOUSEHOLD NAME IN THE WRESTLING COMMUNITY FOR YEARS TO COME. 12 YEARS FROM NOW, OLYMPIC MEDALIST.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:03 am
The kid is awesome. How does a kid that young look so smooth and polished? He’s got moves that most high school wrestlers would love to have. But how will he handle losing? I hope that his parents do a good job keeping that in prospective and encourage him to be a good sportsman. I hope that we see more of him in the future. GOOD LUCK!
March 8th, 2011 at 8:04 am
Looks pretty good however needs to get away from thr head n arm. It only wotks when they are little guys.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:09 am
Wow that kid is a beast for the 6 years have been wrestling I have never seen anyone get pin with just using their legs. That kid has major skills.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:11 am
The strength, technique and aggressive wrestling style exhibited by Stevo are truly amazing. He can’t have too many peers out there. One can only imagine the number of hours he has already spent training and wrestling. I don’t know why my first impression (beyond utter amazement at his ability) was to wonder if this is a healthy situation. I certainly don’t know anything about this boy, his family, his coaches, etc. I probably shouldn’t have had those thoughts, but I did for some reason. I don’t remember feeling that way when seeing videos of phenoms in other sports. Perhaps it was jealously on my part or perhaps it is the emotional toll that I have seen wrestling take on youngsters who were very successful and who were then unable to handle the emotional dimension of the sport when some of that success waned? Who knows. Regardless, I genuinely with Stevo and his family all the best in wrestling and everything he does in the future.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:14 am
Sorry I mean to say for an 8 year old he is a beast. He has major skill. Able to take control from any situation from top or from bottom position.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:16 am
This kid is awesome! I saw maneuvers I dont see from kids twice his age!!
March 8th, 2011 at 8:20 am
The kids a great wrestler, but if he was forced to wrestle or train he could burn out really quickly. I know a few kids whose parents force them to wrestle and in a few years they go from being state champions to barely placing in the county. I hope this kid stays with it though cause he could be amazing if he wanted to be.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:24 am
I had seen this video a couple days prior and he def has amazing technique. Aside from being able to throw kids around his escapes are quick and crisp, and his high crotch very good form. He didnt stop between the time he had the legs and the time he finished the move which a lot of young wrestlers struggle with. Also with he leg cradle he knew that he would need good positioning and arch the back in order to secure the pin. Also as Mr. Harms said i too hope his parents are teaching good sportsmanship. Nobody likes a solid wrestler who thinks he is always gonna be untouchable.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:30 am
A brilliant display of a confident athlete who KNOWS that nobody has outworked him or is more determined to win than he….He must not however, rest on his laurels and continue to improve, as there is always someone somewhere who is better!
March 8th, 2011 at 8:33 am
There is NO doubt this kid has been well coached and has great ability. I noticed A LOT of head locks, which most would call that junk wrestling. It is low percentage wrestling, no questions asked. If you noticed this kid also had a great low attack. He move well on top and bottom. I would say for being only 8, he is a complete wrestler. He doesn’t mind going high or low. He is comfortable and confident from feet, top, and bottom. My only critisism would be will this kid make it to 18 in wrestling. I would rather have a 18 year old national champ than an 8 year old national champ. It would be great to have both, but kids are weird animals. What one will push hard to do, only a few others will. How will he respond when other catch up to him? Can he work at this pace through out his HS career? There is a lot of things that can change in a young person’s life. My best wishes to this kid and all kids that put there heart and soul into one of the world’s toughest sports!
March 8th, 2011 at 8:33 am
First let me say the kid displays great skills for such an early age. That being said I can’t help but think it will not pan-out as people may think.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:34 am
Seen the kid wrestle a couple of times although he is a good wrestler he is not as good as the video appears
March 8th, 2011 at 8:43 am
I think that the most impressive thing about this kid is his skill. He is throwing moves that you dont see in kids twice his age. I would just like to say good job to the kid for wanting to work hard and good job to the parents for either teaching him or getting him the teachers to make him better. wrestling need more people like this.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:45 am
This kid is very technical and fast for his age. I would love to know what his work out routine is like. Great job, little man.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:46 am
The kid is great. I do not understand why any one would want to go into how he is forced to wrestle. Bottom line if he did not want to he would not wrestle at that level.Keep in mind he is only eight and he is a kid.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:46 am
I love this kid berly eight nd already wrestling fututer all american chamion how could he wrestle dat smooth nd dosent get scare at all I would of love dat I started wrfestling at eight… congrats steve ur being a father
March 8th, 2011 at 8:48 am
Dam this kid has got heart hopefully he doesnt burn out later on
March 8th, 2011 at 8:53 am
The kid is good. I guarantee that by the time he enters high school he will get beat by some of the kids he is defeating now, that is if he is still wrestling. A great deal of the kids he is beating now will mature and be just as good if not better than he is right now.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:56 am
Wow! This kid wrestling is awesome
March 8th, 2011 at 9:00 am
WOW, kid is awesome. and i love the mohawk
March 8th, 2011 at 9:03 am
This kid will be someone to watch in the future
March 8th, 2011 at 9:04 am
wow… is it ethical for a kid his age to be THAT good?! Future olympic gold medalist from the looks of things….
March 8th, 2011 at 9:05 am
Wow, he has talent.
March 8th, 2011 at 9:18 am
WOW!!! That’s awesome!
March 8th, 2011 at 9:25 am
he’s better than Brent Metcalf. lol
and Brent graduated from my high school
March 8th, 2011 at 9:30 am
I’m praying for you and the new addition to your family to come! Your life will never be the same again. I wrestled in college and never mastered some of the moves that Stevo seems to have ready at a moments notice. He must watch and practice a lot. Someone has instilled in him a fair amount of aggressiveness for an 8 year old- I too hope he doesn’t burn out.
March 8th, 2011 at 9:44 am
That kid is amazeing, I know from experience coaching my son and our team it takes hard work and dedication from both sides. Along being coach/Dad I want my son to advance to the next level. I do have concerns if I’m over training my son. We work at home, after practice and anytime he wants. From that being said, my son was taking almost last in tourney (last year) to placing top 3 cosistantly (this year). He’s enjoying his success and is asking for additional training. I’m sure Steveo parents are thinking or have an idea if they are doing the right thing.
Congratulations Steveo, your a gift from God, and thank you for helping our sport getting recognize world wide. Last, we should as a wrestling community should be supportive not hating on the parent and Steveo success.
J.Alejandro
Asst. Coach
Team Vegas
Team Vegas
March 8th, 2011 at 9:46 am
As a youth wretling coach, I have a question.
1. how often does a kid train to be this good!
I am not sure which move of his I like the best…..the sit out, duck under or craddle. Regardless it is great to see someone with the type of dedication it takes to become this good!
March 8th, 2011 at 9:47 am
Congrats on your coming baby Steve! That is awesome!
That why phenom youth wrestling is on your brain?
Anyway, this kid is amazing! He does seem to really like what he is doing so I think if he keeps a reasonably balanced life burnout shouldn’t be a problem. He does seem a bit on the cocky side… He may be the next Dan Gable.
Re: Physical commentary. His agility is amazing at that age. Truly. A lot of Greco or Judo in his style, which I think is interesting. Something about the way he moves makes me think he might be getting an intro into mma as well. Can’t necessarily put my finger on it. Thoughts anyone?
March 8th, 2011 at 9:50 am
Unreal. Leg cradle?
March 8th, 2011 at 9:52 am
I seen this kid videos before!!! I love it! Gotta have a proud mama for that boy! I love the pin with the legs!
March 8th, 2011 at 9:53 am
I love the tough guy face before the match. Lets hope he doesn’t get burned out. If he has the drive then Olympic team 2020 wouldn’t be a far stretch. Grecco hopefully though, no offense to the freestyle lovers out there.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:08 am
man that kid is amazing! he is using moves that i dont even see our high school kids using. his fluidness on the mat is spectacular. I hope like the rest said that he isnt overworked or trained and has a bright future in this sport!!! Keep up the work lil man!!!
March 8th, 2011 at 10:08 am
This kid has a phenomenal jump start. I don’t want to speculate that he will be an Olympian because come high school, other wrestlers will be just as strong and aggressive. He won’t be able to just toss them around so he still has a lot of work to do so that the competition does “catch up” to him later on.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:10 am
He is amazing….I too worry about any athete training that hard at such a young age and maintaining his enthusiasm for another 14-16 years. We have HS and College wrestlers that are not half as smooth and not nearly as quick as this young wrestler. I’d love to hear from his father (coach) on the techniques hes used. Right now, this kid is saoking up the knowledge and you nkow hes amped up for every competition. I wouldnt be surprised if he was pushing his coach to teach him more….
March 8th, 2011 at 10:14 am
my father showed me this vid wile on yahoo , this kid is better than high school kids he looks like he will become so strong in the future and hjas crqazy judo throws, preston help me out DUDE lol
March 8th, 2011 at 10:17 am
In all my yearsof coaching have only seen 2or 3 that had his skill level. All of those burned out as others caught up to his level. It was evendent that the kids he was wrestling were far below his level and scard to death. I hope his parents and coaches prepare him for what he will experiece at other levels.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:24 am
UNBELIEVABLE kid and awesome skills for his age! This is just one of many You Tube videos I have watched in the last few days on this kid.
Congratulations on your new addition too!
Wishing you a little wrestler of your own ~ girl or boy!
March 8th, 2011 at 10:25 am
Amazing little dude! Hopefully he won’t get too pressured into training and performing that he ends up hating it! He is still an 8 yr old kid….gifted to be sure…..but he has lots of time.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:31 am
As an 8 year old, this kid is purely a beast. You don’t even see kids twice his age that can setup some of the throws Stevo can. Excellent matwork. I hope this kid can keep the intensity up his entire childhood because he’s got greco-roman olympic champion written all over him. One of the best videos i’ve seen in a long time.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:31 am
Bring him to hte Rocky mountain nationals in Denver Colorado. My son Jacob Duran is alot more skilled than the kids I see im facing on the video. He is hte same age and weight. check my boy out at trackwrestling.com Jacob Duran
March 8th, 2011 at 10:37 am
Awesome! Actually watched this a week or so ago from a different website. It’s almost unbelievable. Maybe he is the next Dan Gable!
March 8th, 2011 at 10:39 am
This kid is Amazing! great attitude and knows how to win!
March 8th, 2011 at 10:43 am
Holy Cow! No fear, constant pressure, total confidence. Unbelievable!
March 8th, 2011 at 10:45 am
Looks like some Judo training. Maybe even some Jiu-Jitsu. The kid can move. He will definitely keep making headlines.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:56 am
The kid is obviously very talented but I hope the parents don’t let it go to his head. It looks like it might already be heading that way with some of the showboating. I wish the kid well but hope he stays grounded.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:56 am
Yo, this boy is CRAZY. I never seen a 8-year old pulled a leg cradle, Poulin is a lil tank. Cant wait to see this kid when he get to high school!
March 8th, 2011 at 11:00 am
Congrats Steve!!
The video seems to be just a HIGHLIGHT video. He has GREAT skills on the mat, I would love to see some scrambles with other quality grapplers. When a very technical wrestler gets a chance to compete against gung ho novice wrestlers the potential for fireworks is greatly enhanced.
With that being said, GREAT highlight reel! He looks like he is having fun, if they (Stevo, family, and coaches) can keep it fun we are in store for more great reels.
Also have a feeling that we will get bombarded with tons of footage from other creative dads. Let the Highlights begin!
March 8th, 2011 at 11:04 am
I think this kid is amazing! He has moves and skills that are better than many highschoolers. My only worry with this kid is burnout. To be this young, this good, and work this hard can be hard on a kid this age. I really hope he stays with it. If he does I am sure we will hear a lot out of him in the future.
March 8th, 2011 at 11:22 am
While this is indeed impressive and the number of complicated moves that are used, I see the repeated use of the headlock. At this age, a headlock is a simple move that is quite successful, especially against inferior opponents. However, I doubt the current success will be continued for a number of reasons. First, the headlock is easy to defend once wrestlers are taught the counters, hence its judicious use at higher levels of wrestling. Second, the attitude displayed is on the edge of poor sportsmanship. At higher levels, this will not be tolerated. The best wrestlers in our state, and we per capita produce a lot of DI wrestlers, are the most humble kids I have seen. Unlike the hockey players around here, they don’t strut there proverbial stuff. They wrestle, win, and then wrestle some more.
I have seen good kids that never amount to much. As my son’s high school coach noted to him as a kindergarten kid, no one cares how many matches you win until your in high school. Kids develop at different rates as does their wrestling, hence development is the great equalizer.
Just some thoughts and Steve good luck with the new addition.
March 8th, 2011 at 11:33 am
I’m sure he has done a ton of wrestling! I hope he doesn’t burn out by the time he gets into high school! It’s gotta get old killing every kid you wrestle.
March 8th, 2011 at 11:33 am
Our we sure thats not a “little person” and not an 8 year old kid? That kid has way to much confidence and skill. If he doesnt get burned out he has a bright future.
March 8th, 2011 at 11:41 am
This kid is amazing. Reminds me of three of my cousins. Too bad they are years older now. Will be looking to see this kid in the future.
March 8th, 2011 at 11:50 am
Wow” That young man is amazing he chain wrestles very well!
March 8th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
That kid is an animal. That leg cradle was so sweet!!! Like said in a earlier post i hope he does not get burned out by the time he gets older.
March 8th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
he will do a great job for his country in future by his game
defiantly !!
March 8th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
This kid absolutely knows how to throw. He knows how to set up his throws but also knows how to take advantage of an opportunity when it pops up. His throws are insane for a little kid of eight years of age.
I was blown away by that figure four leg cradle he threw on a kid at one minute and fifty three seconds in the video. One in a couple of thousand people know how to set it up let alone actually use it.
He sure has a great sense of balance and has great body awareness as to where he is positioned in relationship to his opponent. I guess you could say that this kid has a highly developed kinesthetic sense at such a young age.
He sure has been doing a lot of freestyle wrestling and could easily become a Greco Roman wrestler in the future if he wanted.
This kid may go on and become an Olympian. He wrestles like a man as far as his balance and technical proficiency is concerned. You could only wish that a teenager would have the poise and focus that this kid has.
It’s extremely weird to see this much talent and technical proficiency in a young kid. I also envy that damn kids Mohawk !!! I always wanted a Mohawk !!!!
However-Dads and Moms, please keep in mind that this little boy is the exception rather than the rule. I would require parents of child athletes to take a course in either developmental psychology or child psychology because many just don’t understand how your average child’s mind works and that you can cause a lot of harm to kids if you push them too hard while they are still extremely young.
The whole idea is for little kids to have lots of fun and for them to have positive experiences while participating in any sport. The idea here is for kids to want to be involved in our sport for the long haul. If you try to live your glory through your kid’s achievements, you will sadly find out how easy it is to make your kids to grow up and hate your guts. I have seen a lot of kids with incredible potential get so burned out on wrestling and turn to drugs and alcohol.
I nearly completely turned my back on midget wrestling because I couldn’t stand watching little kids of five to seven years of age crying while wearing vinyl suits while doing what seemed to me like endless sets of jumping jacks. Little kids should be having a blast. They are too young to experience that high level of competitive pressure. They shouldn’t be worried about making weight!
Thank you for sharing that You Tube video of this incredible athlete. I am from Southern New Jersey and was extremely fortunate to have seen great wrestlers like two time state champions Bill Dykeman, Orlando Caceres, Darryl Burley, and three time state champion Joe Melchiore. I was also fortunate to have seen Paulsboro and Highland High schools when they were at their very best!
March 8th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
The guy knows how to do a damned leg cradle!
March 8th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
The kid looks like one of those kids in wrestling that will have a giant tattoo on his back by age 12. I love youth wrestling, but this kid is too aggressive for 8 years old. To even bring up that he is a potential future olympian or NCAA champion is rediculous. Nothing like setting the bar so high whereas anything less is failure.
March 8th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
This kids a future state champ
March 8th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
WOW! THAT’S AWESOME.
March 8th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
WOW! THAT’S AWESOME.
March 8th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Amazing. I wonder if he is as good at school work and other things he needs to learn. Kids need balance. I agree with many of the other posts regarding burnout, injuries from amount of training, etc. And someone commented about humility – I have observed most wrestlers are pretty humble. The ones who are not really stick out, and it is a shame. I wish this kid success, continued health and balance.
March 8th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
First things first, Congrats on your soon to be daddy title!!! Now, this 8 year old is too cool!! Makes me wonder who his parents are that instilled him with so much confidence. Thank you for sharing!!
March 8th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
This kid has amazing skill. However, lose the mohawk. Confidence is great but swagger in one so.young is a bit much.
March 8th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Congrats to this kid! I can only wish him luck through out all his growing up years! Their are so many distractions. I am sure he can and will be a Olympic gold medalist!
March 8th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Kid’s got good technique. Eerily similar to me at that age.
March 8th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Oh, BTW, a sincere congratulations is in order Steve on becoming a father…
March 8th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Gratz on being a daddy. The kid shows some real talent and potential but can he keep the drive over the next 10 yrs. If he can he’ll definately take home many championships. thanks for sharing.
March 8th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
WOW! this kid is hitting the ground running if wrestling is the sport he choses to pursue. If he can keep hisdrie am love for the sport I don’t he will any difficulty achieving anything he wants. I wish him the best of luck for his future on the mat.
March 8th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
Great to hear your having a addition to your family.Kids are alot of fun.Great to see someone has show him alot of fundamentals early on.
March 8th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
congrats on your soon to be fatherhood . that kid is technically amazing and fast must be the hair .
March 8th, 2011 at 4:13 pm
This kid is amazing! Not just for his age, just in general.
March 8th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
This kid is amazing to watch. He has the aggressiveness needed to succeed and he is only 8 years old! I just hope that he doesn’t peak at a young age. This is very common.
March 8th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
i hope he can build on his skill and become a legend in high school, college etc, becuase youth wrestling does not mean much
March 8th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
He moves with incredible fluidity, and pulls of some pretty advanced moves. How long and how often has this kid been training?
March 8th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Congratulations, you’re going to be a dad! That is really something! Best of wishes! About that 8 year old wrestler, his technique is amazing! He’s going to be good.
March 8th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
Congrats on the soon to be daddy… I wish some of my hs kids would pick up that kind of confidence. This kid is amazing. It will be great to keep following him as he continues through HS and College. Could be an Olympic Gold medalist.
March 8th, 2011 at 6:08 pm
I watched this Saturday and then forwarded it to all my wrestling buddies.
We all want to know how he learned to throw and have such good hips and leverage.
Did he take Judo? I wrestled with 3 brothers from washingto state that were all Judo blackbelts and wrestling state champs…… The Roberts brothers…… They could all throw at will like this little stud.
March 8th, 2011 at 6:10 pm
Wow! He’s better than me!
March 8th, 2011 at 7:11 pm
im not even going to lie about this one my wrestling team gave this thing its first 100 views they were telling me about it like 3 weeks ago and i got pretty pissed when it went like on yahoo idk i sort of felt a little betrayed lol but im glad wrestling got a little more attention
PS congrats on the kid steve
March 8th, 2011 at 7:17 pm
I wish I was leg cradling kids when I was 8 years old.
March 8th, 2011 at 7:25 pm
This kid has some great footwork. I hope that he can keep his act up. If he does, he can be something really great.
March 8th, 2011 at 7:46 pm
this kid would whoop my a** as it is
March 8th, 2011 at 7:51 pm
First of all, congratulations to you and your wife, Steve!
I was very impressed by his speed and power, especially considering he still has several years till physical maturity.
I can only hope that he keeps up this level of intensity so that we can see him wrestling on the big stage sometime down the road. Far too often with prodigies, the kid burns out and loses interest or other kids catch up to their athleticism as they mature. Hopefully his family, coaches, and supporters keep everything in perspective, don’t pressure him, and just let him wrestle because he loves it.
I doubt college coaches are seriously thinking about him yet, but I always find it funny when college coaches will drool over, say, a 12 year old basketball phenom. I doesn’t make sense to put so much time and energy into them when there are so many variables and so much time. Who know how much they’ll grow, where their interests will lie, what injuries will occur, etc.
Anyways, the kid is a beast. Thanks for sharing this cool video.
March 8th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Steve, My son and I have watched this video a couple of weeks or so ago the kid has natural instinct that can’t be taught…Throws are off the wall and reaction to flow is great…Great to se him having success at this age–hopefully he will learn from it, stay humble, and have a great wrestling career.
My son is going to meet him this week. Stevo is coming down to Conn. to work out at my sons wrstling club…
He will give me a first hand look when he I talk with him after practice…
talk to you soon…
March 8th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
This kids a monster….but i’m scared for whether or not he’s been forced to do this sport…..it would just bew a shame for him to drop the sport and burn out when he’s older…. But nontheless, i hope this kid continues because this si simply amazing.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
I’ve got kids on my high school wrestling team where I teach that can’t hit some of those moves, and they went to regionals! The kid is awesome technically. I’m guessing he has to have some older brothers and got recruited for a ‘practice buddy’ since he could walk. Either that or his coach/dad was an olympian??… The hardest thing for kids like this is to stay balanced and keep a positive and respectful attitude. Even phenomenal kid atheletes are still people and need all the other experiences other than just athletics to become balanced and productive adults… I hope he gets it, and a stellar career on the mat.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
This kid is crazy good. He will be a beast when he gets to high school. He just needs to keep practicing and he will be unbeatable by the time he gets to high school.
March 8th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
What a show this kid puts on. Hope we can follow him and see where he is 10 years from now. Does He continue to improve or does He burn out..That is the big question. I hope it is FUN for him so He keeps it up.
Congrats on Fatherhood..It will change your life BIG TIME!!
March 8th, 2011 at 9:12 pm
Knows the basics very well , Very aggressive and super strong! I hope he stays with it!
March 8th, 2011 at 9:36 pm
No doubt this kid has a ton of ability, great instincts, and unreal mat awareness for an eight year old. But there is a fine line between teaching kids to compete and burning them out too early. After this whole youtube sensation, what will be left for this kid? A lot of people are posting that “he has a great work ethic”, and “great attitude”, but let’s keep in mind that this kid is eight. I think what we are seeing could be the product of some heavily involved parents, and what happens when he starts to push back. As someone who has been involved with wrestling for over 26 years, and who also had a father who was a college coach, I have seen it happen time and time again. I hope that this is not the case.
Congrats on being a dad, it’s the best feeling in the world!
March 8th, 2011 at 11:08 pm
Thats is remarkable for such a young age
that is great to see cant wait to c him in the UFC
March 9th, 2011 at 12:24 am
Congrat’s to you and your wife. Blessing’s heading your way!!!
O.K, very impressed with what I see, the balance, speed, and the momentum this little monster can create. I would have to say that he is way ahead in the game. I would like to see how and who he is off the mat! it is one thing to create a wrecking machine, but another to step off the mat and still be a respectable young man.. Hopefully the balance is there. If not, I am affraid we might see a burn out earlier then his parents or fans would want to see!!! Thank you my friend, HWR
March 9th, 2011 at 8:33 am
well,the kid is incredible
i loved to see him in action
he has a great future ahead
however he needs to study and dont go for the “violence mode” yet,as he probably will be in strikeforce or ufc in the future!?
At the age of 8,does he undenstand that is a sport?
wont he be a bully at school?
Those are questions that i m not sure about the answer…
great work by parents and coatch all the way!
regards
regards
March 9th, 2011 at 9:18 am
I have to disagree with what most people said. There is no way this kid will even make it to states if he keeps using throws and tauses i just doesnt work at the high school level. That was just a vidoe of his highlights i would like to see more, like when he tries to shoot a low-single and doesnt get it, or him actually wrestling good kids.
March 9th, 2011 at 11:42 am
When I first watched the video I was afraid this young wrestler could be specializing too soon, and like many other people who posted comments, concerned he might burnout. I say that because wrestling is a sport where the athletes reach their peak in their mid to late 20′s, and considered a late-specialization sport. This is not to say a wrestler couldn’t start young and experience success early. Just last weekend I spoke to a wrestler that had developed their skills in Russia at a young age and was beating World Champions in his late teens and he is still on the mat at 39. Early success didn’t seem to hurt him, certainly being involved in many other sports before his growth spurt did help him to become a very good athlete. I am a believer that being active in many sports, developing athletic skill before an athlete reaches their growth spurt is critical for long term development for late specialization sports.
Congratulations on fatherhood, all the best.
March 9th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
My two oldest boys (11 and 9) have been wrestling for 3 years. We go to a lot of tournaments and see high caliber wrestlers regularly. The fluid movements and transitions Steve-O exhibits can not be taught…trust me we are still working on my 11 year old let alone the 9 year old. He is very aware of body positioning and has been well coached with more than enough tools in his tool bag. The only negative I can see is his cocky attitude. Granted, this is only from viewing the videos, but I see kids like this all of the time, the difference is that he appears to back it up. I hope that the kid continues to grow and love the sport, and I look forward to seeing him in the Olympics.
March 9th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
This boy is good….he has it all the “kill them” attitude, skill, and focus. It is apparent he has worked hard and his father probably wrestled or is a coach….wonder if he has older brothers also.
March 9th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
Pretty solid kid for his age. He obviousoly has done repetitive drilling. Hope he does not get bored or bunt out. he is quite young.
March 9th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Awesome wrestler!!! Great technical moves and physically strong.. My question is does this young man have the mental and emotional part when he does lose?
One of a kind wrestler…. I pray that his parents and coaches don’t force or push him to the point of burnig out. Anyhow, congrats Steve on your good news.
God Bless
March 9th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
This 8 year old boy will be reconigze by many to come. He will be the next Lebron James, but of wrestling he will change the face of wrestling. College coaches will be coming out of the wood works just to recruit this young superstar.
March 9th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
Amazing!!!!!!! Having the right program and skill set will do…
March 9th, 2011 at 6:36 pm
Impressive!
I see how he does when he wins but wonder like many how he does when he loses?
March 9th, 2011 at 7:09 pm
This 8 year old kid is proably wrestling kids that are 1st year wrestlers. Just last week i saw a kid pull a leg cradle. i know many kids who wrestle just like him! Plus this kid has a bad attiude about pinning kids and getting up and showwing off. He could at least help his kids up after pinning them! Like i said hes proably wrestling 1st yr kids.
March 9th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Wow! That young man has SKILL! I enjoyed watching I know how much he must have worked to get to be the champ that he is and it’s obvious he loves the sport. I and my three boys give him mad props.
March 9th, 2011 at 10:02 pm
Wow this kid is oustanding! I wish I was traindwhen I wad a kid. He is goinng to be a power house in colledge
March 9th, 2011 at 11:05 pm
The leg craddle that he hits was sick! Also congratulations on your wife and your pregnancy! The best gift in life! Better than any medal or trophy you can ever recieve!
March 10th, 2011 at 3:52 am
bloody amazing, he is even better than me, oh yeah congrats to Steve Preston ont he father new hope you wills till carry on, best teacher yet!!!!!!!!
March 14th, 2011 at 11:32 am
Crazy. Kid is amazing.
March 14th, 2011 at 5:14 pm
great wrestler maybe your kid will be like him Steve
March 15th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
This is a sensational little kid! He’s gonna go really far in the wrestling world if he sticks with it.
March 17th, 2011 at 7:20 am
I’ve seen many youth wrestlers such as this 8 yr old. I have coached for 30+yrs and he is the perfect example of a parent living their desires through their child. Based on the video, he has no problems hurting other wrestlers through his head hunting attacks..not much skills required to throw a headlock..nice techinque on single /doublesand reversal(switch)..stay the basics and he’ll do okay. But , I seriously doubt that this child will make it to high school wrestling , the parent(s) will make sure this happens by their pushing him in the sports to much. To advanced for his own good, this doesn’t come for practicing a couple days a week-I think he’s being pushed to practice—I maybe wrong—but I don’t think so based on my coaching experience.
April 2nd, 2011 at 7:22 pm
All I really see is a cut up highlight compilation of a kid that throws too many head & arms. If you were making a highlight reel of your kid wouldn’t you avoid using multiple head & arm clips?? Well, you would if you had enough OTHER footage to make a vid! The kid is good & has natural positioning knowledge which is important for youth wrestling. BUT he is not a “phenom” or a “terror”.
Any kid knows a head & arm. The challenging part is forcing them to wrestle WITHOUT it. Ducks, slide by’s, snaps, picks, shots, throws are all highlight reel moves. 1 or two nice & clean head & arms against TOUGH opponents maybe. These clips are of him wrestling your average incoming youth wrestlers and dominating. He is tough, my goal would be as a parent or coach to get him beat a few times a season…. Tulsa, Reno, Iowa, etc. AND WRESTLE HIM UP a weight. It’s usually the parents that want to avoid a challenge for there kid. The kid usually is up to it.
April 2nd, 2011 at 7:43 pm
I can’t even find his bracket on the Brute Nationals Results website…. ?
May 20th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
he’s so over rated who is he wrestling i know of 50 kid’s better then him