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02/06/2019 11:00 PMDarren Hicks has been involved with the wrestling scene in Clinton throughout his life. This winter, Darren took the reins at the helm of the Huskies and is now helping his young club develop into a hard-working family of grapplers.
Darren grew up in Clinton and still lives in town. He started wrestling in 4th grade and competed at Morgan until suffering a knee injury. Darren later became an assistant for the Morgan wrestling squad. He stepped away after a few years, but continued to keep tabs on the Huskies while coaching his son Jonathan’s park and rec soccer team. When Darren found out that Morgan wrestling was looking for a head coach, he decided that it was time to get back to the mat.
“I heard about the opening and felt it was the right fit and right time. I wish I did it sooner, because I’m loving it,” Darren says. “Safety is first with me, and I also want them to have fun and enjoy the experience. It’s the same with me. I’m a competitive person, but I want to enjoy what I do.”
While emphasizing respect for opponents, Darren is also stressing the importance of confidence among the Huskies. Darren wants his wrestlers to believe in themselves and build on their victories as they strive to reach the next level of success.
“We are big on strong conditioning and self-confidence, especially with a young team,” Darren says. “We want the kids to take to that winning feeling. It’s a demanding sport, so we want to get them motivated to strive through the struggles. Discipline and sportsmanship are also big for me.”
Every one of Morgan’s wrestlers has tasted the feeling of victory this season. Darren gets great satisfaction when he sees his athletes walk off the mat with that positive glow surrounding them.
“All of our kids have at least one win under their belts, and seeing that smile on their faces gets me emotional and takes me back,” says Darren. “Seeing the other kids join in one guy’s celebration is great, too. It’s even great when you get that one small smile out of them after a loss. We have a great group of kids and want them to enjoy and learn from experiences.”
Morgan Athletic Director Kevin Rayel says that Darren is an outstanding addition to the Morgan wrestling program, given his history of success in wrestling, in addition to his contagious enthusiasm.
“Coach Hicks is a Clinton native who has strong ties to the wrestling community, both as a competitor and now as a coach,” says Rayel. “He is highly relatable to student-athletes, and we expect his positive energy will create a great student experience and bring much success to our program as we continue to build it.”
Darren believes that the kinship between his athletes is helping things run smoothly in his first year as Morgan’s head coach. As the postseason approaches, Darren feels pleased to see such an infectious spirit from his wrestlers in the gym on a daily basis.
“The camaraderie here starts with the seniors and captains we have. It’s a tough sport and we push them, but the upperclassmen are extremely supportive of the younger kids. Even as coaches, we push them and pat them on the back when they make that last push-up,” Darren says. “We’re progressing along well. We’ve gone up against a lot of big schools. It’s been tough for all of us, but the kids are developing the skills and steps they need. It’s a tight-knit family here. They are progressing perfectly and will be ready for states.”