MacLean Develops His Strength and Toughness
Junior Brandon MacLean’s strength is by far more than physical. He possesses confidence and a willingness to learn and improve, driving him to excel. "When I first get out on the mat, I think there's no way my opponent has worked as hard as I have, and there is no reason why I shouldn't win," says MacLean.
“Actually, it’s quite simple. My coaches have always taught me that the harder you work the better you will become," he says, "I never give up."
It is that mindset combined with his natural muscle strength that has made MacLean a top district contender in the 215-weight class.
"He thrives on success," says Coach Bill Young. His coaches have watched him mature mentally. "Things are starting to make sense to him when it comes to wrestling. He has realized what he needs to do to get better."
"You know he means well," says Assistant Coach James Brown, "He wants to be successful as a wrestler, something you can’t teach. This separates good wrestlers from average wrestlers."
His attitude is so apparent that even his teammates have caught on. "Brandon's got a mindset that no one will beat him, which helps him during his matches," says teammate Cam Everett, " He's not cocky at all, just very self confident and confident in others."
He is so confident in his teammates that he is the first to give them the moral support they need before a match. "Brandon gives them words of encouragement like, ‘You are better than him. You can beat this guy," says teammate Zach Gitzen.
Next year MacLean is looking to take home first place in the region and at least third in the state.
"With Brandon, he tells you his goals and the things he wants to do in life, and you believe him, says Brown. "As a coach, you want to encourage him and guide him to reach his goals."
MacLean decided to wrestle because his best friend Mike was on the team. "It looked fun," he says. MacLean jumped right into the action and was more than ecstatic with the outcome. "It was my first match of my life when we wrestled Loudoun County and I was losing," he says, "But I reversed this guy and pinned him. It was the first varsity pin in Titan history."
But the rest of his freshman season wasn’t as easy. MacLean had a tough season. At only 14 and 190 pounds, he was wrestling more experienced juniors and seniors. But of course that didn’t faze him much. If anything, it made him a better wrestler. "I love new challenges," says MacLean, "In my opinion; there is no other sport that is more physically demanding." Through the years he has met this demand, but it wasn’t too difficult as MacLean is naturally strong and athletic. "I hit the weight room to get stronger," he says.
His athleticism carries over to the shot put and discuss for the Titan track team. He picked up the sport as quickly as he did with wrestling. Last season, he proved to be one of Dominion’s top throwers. "My role model was my old throwing coach, Ronnie Bowman," says MacLean, "He drove me to be successful and gave me motivation."
"He just needed a kick in the butt," says Ronnie Bowman, "He has grown into a strong, talented, young man."
MacLean is your typical, high school teenage boy. He likes to watch football and hang out with his friends. He loves the barbeque chicken sandwich from Wendy’s. "A friend would say I’m kind and just a nice guy," he says.
MacLean’s coaches recognize him as polite and eager to learn and improve. With his blue collar approach to his athletic career, MacLean is sure to become a household name next season.
