Scott Glabb and his wrestlers at Santa Ana High SchoolThe U.S. wrestling community loves an "overcoming adversity" story. It can be how an athlete overcame a physical disability or the pain of a serious injury to become a champion ... or how an underdog found a way to dethrone a defending champion. The adversity doesn't have to be wrestling-related. It can be about overcoming poverty, a violent neighborhood, or an abusive childhood, too.
These types of challenges -- and more -- have faced Scott Glabb and his wrestlers at Santa Ana High School in suburban Los Angeles since Glabb took the head coaching job at the impoverished, inner-city school in 1990.
Nearly a decade ago, Glabb shared some of his stories and those of some of his wrestlers in his book "A Saint in the City: Coaching At-Risk Kids to Become Champions."
Now Glabb shares new, uplifting stories of how he, his staff and his wrestlers overcome adversity on and off the mat with his new second-edition book, titled "A Saint in the City: True Stories of Champions Living in the Barrio" published by Liberty House.
Frank Jasper with Scott GlabbScott Glabb is not a southern California native who grew up on the beach ... or in the barrio. Instead, he grew up in Washington State. In a 2010 InterMat interview, Glabb admitted he had a rough start in wrestling, winning just one match in his first year, and that was in the practice room ... but that he found a home in the sport, as it helped him through his parents' divorce and other issues. Glabb continued his mat career at Eastern Washington University, where he not only earned his bachelor's and Master's degrees, but also became lifelong friends with wrestling teammate Frank Jasper, who played the muscular, menacing state champ Brian Shute in the iconic 1980s high school wrestling movie "Vision Quest."
Glabb came to the Los Angeles area to be with his then-girlfriend, taking a coaching job at a wealthy Orange County high school. After one season, Glabb took on a much more challenging assignment as head coach at Santa Ana High, in a community where violent crime, drug abuse, poverty and homelessness were all stark realities ... and where large numbers of his student-athletes and their parents did not share his passion for wrestling, let alone a basic interest in showing up for practice or at times, actual wrestling meets. In his first year, the Saints were 11-16.
Then Scott Glabb had an epiphany.
"God spoke to me," the now-long-time wrestling coach told InterMat back in 2010. "He said, 'You are never going to win.'" I gave up on the idea of winning, and instead, decided to invest in the kids, helping them in character building, developing their spiritual side, making them better individuals. I threw my life into these kids."
"I had found my calling."
Scott Glabb more than answered that call. Over the years, the Saints have achieved much with Glabb at the helm. By 1993 he guided the Saints to their first league Championship -- the first in any sport at the school -- then to twenty straight league titles. Just this past season, Santa Ana senior Joey Daniel won the 220-pound title at the California state wrestling championships in Bakersfield, the first wrestler from the school to be crowned a CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) individual state champ. In addition, Glabb established a girls' wrestling program, and coached a number of female athletes to individual titles as well.
Scott Glabb has earned numerous honors. He was named Orange County Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1998, as well as National Wrestling Coaches Association's California state wrestling coach of the year in 1999. He also received the California Coaches Association Wrestling Coach of the Year award in 2007. Glabb was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's California Chapter in 2014. More recently, he was named Santa Ana Unified School District Teacher of the Year.
Why a second edition?
In describing his reason for writing the first edition of "A Saint in the City", Glabb said, "I wanted to share stories of kids wrestling to save their lives, with the hope they get to build a life beyond wrestling." He quoted one wrestler as telling him, "I'm doing this for my family."
As coach Glabb writes in the introduction to the second edition, "One of the reasons I wrote this book for you, the reader, to understand the struggles, obstacles and hardships the wrestlers of Santa Ana High School faced daily. My hope is that this book changes you, inspires you, and motivates ou to make a positive difference in someone's life ..."
"We have all dreamed, at one time or another, about changing the world and making it a better place, especially for our children," Glabb continues. "What happened to that dream? Where did it go? Do you still have it? At sixteen, my dream was to one day be a teacher and coach wrestling. Why? Because I loved the sport and wanted to stay connected to it. Somehow I knew that was my purpose in life ..."
After facing first-year frustrations at Santa Ana High, Glabb received this message from God: "Start investing in these kids!"
"So I changed my approach to teaching and coaching and began to serve those kids put under my tutelage. Reach out, make the investment, and try to change lives."
As Glabb told InterMat, "We do the best we can with the kids God sends us."
That message is evident through every page of the new second edition of "A Saint in the City" where readers will meet some of Glabb's wrestlers, including Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez, UFC fighter ... as well as girl wrestlers who not only made names for themselves on the mat at Santa Ana High, but also opened doors for younger women to find their place in the sport.
And, while Santa Ana High School has undergone an $80 million makeover -- and the community around the school has seen a reduction in crime -- teaching and coaching has not suddenly become easier.
"The biggest challenge now is dealing with kids who are homeless," Scott Glabb said in a 2018 interview with InterMat. "Not all these young people fit our traditional definition of homeless, of being out on the street. Most of these students are sleeping from house-to-house, moving on as necessary when the family kicks them out to make way for other family members, forcing the students to be essentially on their own."
An inspiring, energizing read ...
All too often, it's easy for wrestlers, their coaches, parents and fans to get caught up in the stats -- won/loss records, pinning percentages, points scored -- and lose sight of the benefits of participating in the oldest and greatest sport.
Once he came to that epiphany in his first season that his purpose as Santa Ana wrestling coach wasn't to simply get his wrestlers to put up glitzy numbers, Scott Glabb started making a significant difference in the lives of his Saints. As he told InterMat in 2018, "I've been out pushing the message of viewing wrestlers as complete individuals, and focusing our efforts on developing each kid to be better in all aspects, not just on the mat."
The new, second edition of "A Saint in the City" will inspire anyone in wrestling -- coaches, family members, and the athletes themselves -- to aim higher and achieve greater goals in the sport ... in the classroom ... and in life beyond school. The individual stories Scott Glabb shares are varied ... but all share certain elements and universal truths, such as overcoming adversity, remaining on task, and having a strong belief in your own capabilities to make them meaningful and relevant to wrestlers everywhere.
Here's what a couple of champions said about coach Glabb and his book.
"This book shines a light on the importance of coaching in the development of young men through the greatest sport in the world: wrestling," said Jordan Burroughs, two-time NCAA champ and 2012 Olympic gold medalist. "The trajectory of many lives has been changed due to the selflessness of Coach Glabb, and I think it's a definite read for anyone in the business of leadership."
Gilbert Melendez, UFC champ and one of coach Glabb's wrestlers at Santa Ana, said, "Glabb gave me confidence. He got my head straight. In "A Saint in the City," one reads about kids most coaches would give up on, that I would give up on, but Glabb never gave up on them."
The new second edition of "A Saint in the City: True Stories of Champions Living in the Barrio" is available for purchase from Amazon ... or from the official website for the book.
To purchase a personalized, signed copy of the book directly from Scott Glabb, email santaanawrestling@gmail.com.
New Teacher's Guide brings A Saint in the City to life for student-athletes
A Teacher's Guide is now available, providing lesson plans and teaching tools instructors can use in the classroom ... and coaches can use as they guide their wrestlers through this inspirational, true-life book about their sport.
The Teacher's Guide is a set of lesson plans/curriculum based on the state common core standards that are aligned with each chapter of the book. The theme of the lesson plans is Intrinsic motivation.
Students and wrestlers will learn and gain principles about goal settling, forgiveness, making the right choices, perseverance, mental toughness, and more.
For more information -- and to take advantage of package deals and quantity discounts, visit the book's official website.
Now Coach Glabb is writing the next chapters in his life
In March, the Orange County Register -- the local newspaper that covers the Santa Ana Saints wrestling program -- reported that Scott Glabb would be retiring as head coach after nearly three decades in the position, effective immediately.
When InterMat asked about this bombshell story, coach Glabb confirmed some of the basic elements ... but, in sharing details, offered reassurance to those involved in the Saints wrestling program -- along with their fans -- that he is not breaking ties with the school he has served for nearly 30 years.
"I'll still be at Santa Ana High," Glabb told InterMat. "I will continue to be instructor in the PE/wrestling class for sixth period, allowing me to continue to spend time with the wrestlers."
Glabb offered this explanation for his changed role at Santa Ana High.
"My son started wrestling last year at age 13. His high school is in the same league as Santa Ana, which makes things complicated."
"I thought this might be the best time for me to step aside from my long-time role," Glabb continued. "It's something I had been considering for a while. In fact, I let my AD (athletic director) know a year ago."
"I will now be able to go to my son's events. Not just wrestling. He's also talented in signing and acting."
"I'm delighted he's involved in wrestling. The sport will help him in his other activities because it helps develop mental toughness and tenacity."
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