Perry had an object impaled into his eye causing considerable damage to his orbital bone and leaving small pieces of bone close to his brain. That injury and accompanying swelling has caused a number of other complications. As injuries go, Perry's is as serious as they come.
Unfortunately, no matter his level of health insurance the financial burden from an injury of this severity has been, and will continue to be, significant. Due to the nature of the injury Perry will remain in California for several weeks, which will be costly to his wife and three young children.
To that end the wrestling community has responded by raising money through a GoFundMe account which the Perry family can use for covering these expenses. The outpouring has already been incredible, but let's be sure to keep it going and support one our one in his time of need.
Best wishes to the Perry family and to Richard for a speedy and full recovery.
To your questions …
Q: Congratulations on the birth of your daughter, Foley! As new parents, you and your wife probably have a lot of thoughts flying through your heads, and wrestling is likely not at the top of the list. But...this is a wrestling column. So, let's discuss a classic wrestling question:
"When should my daughter/son start wrestling?"
Most parents who also happen to be lifelong wrestlers, coaches, and fans of the sport have probably thought about this at some point around having a child. As an uncle, I've thought about how exciting it will be when my now young nieces and nephews start to roll and discover their strength, flexibility, and balance through athletic endeavors, hopefully including wrestling.
So, any thoughts on how wrestling and the grappling arts can be sustainably built into a child's (and teen's, and young adult's) life of balance, empathy, competition, and community? What attributes of the sport do you anticipate to be important for self-discovery and socialization for your daughter, beyond the importance of a strong gut wrench, that is?
-- Nate H.
Foley: Thanks! Children bring a new perspective and even in these early days I've enjoyed thinking about all the small changes she's brought about in the way I view the world. Disneyland has started looking attractive. I want a Subaru Forrester. Changes are brewing.
I'm a little less concerned about when my daughter will wrestle (or even if) and more focused on creating healthy physical habits and emotional strength. Though organized wrestling will be her choice, there is certain to be instructive wrestling with her cousins, friends and parents. Light wrestling with your children is beneficial in reducing stress, connecting with parents, learning empathy, and respecting familial hierarchies.
As for timing I'm more interested in skill development and a focus on pursuing passions disciplined with rote learning. At this moment I'm not too concerned with steering my daughter into wrestling, or violin so much as I am interested in her developing body awareness via gymnastic-type activity, discipline via repetition and grit in seeing things through.
Were my daughter to REALLY want to compete in wrestling I would nudge her towards jiu-jitsu at first as a way to limit any head trauma and also to help teach her positive habits of teamwork and discipline. Also, I think a little pink gi would be too cute for words.
Q: Is Jered Cortez still at Penn State? Have injuries officially ended his career?
-- @Robbybobbi
Foley: Jared Cortez is not listed on the official Penn State roster for 2018-2019. He joined the seniors for a Senior Night celebration last spring, indicating that he was likely to not use his final year of eligibility.
Anthony Cassar (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)Q: What do you make of the Penn State heavyweight situation? Don't you think Nick Nevills is 'owed' something for putting it on the line for his team? Is there such a thing as loyalty at high-level programs?
-- @Robbybobbi
Foley: Do you mean because Anthony Cassar has moved up to heavyweight? I think it would be difficult to secure any starting position based solely on a previous year's performance, or perceived sacrifice, let alone at Penn State.
Cassar is (probably) moving up to avoid a showdown with two-time NCAA champion Bo Nickal who moved up from 184 pounds. Can Cassar beat Nevills and prove himself a more apt Big Ten competitor at a new weight class? Maybe. But I'd still bet on the All-American Nevills to better deal with opponents' weight and find W's for Cael and co.
The Blue and White wrestle-off will give some early season indication as to who will take the top spot by March, but don't be surprised if the staff discounts in-the-room wins based on familiarity and weighs heavier success against outside opponents.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Snyderlaev 2 anyone?
Junior Pan Am highlight film!
Q: Who do you see as the biggest lock to win a world championship in Budapest in each of the three styles?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Women's wrestling: This used to be a simple answer: Icho or Yoshida. If that didn't work you could still choose any number of Japanese and feel confident in the pick.
But this year the Japanese aren't competing at their top and the smart money remains on Helen Maroulis. She'll be healthy and there just isn't anyone at 57 kilograms who can match her strength or speed.
Freestyle: Kyle Snyder and Jordan Burroughs are attractive choices for American wrestling fans, but with Chamizo and Sadualev also challenging for titles at 74 kilograms and 97 kilograms respectively the smart money has to be somewhere else.
I'd choose David Taylor, but Hassan Yazdani Charati is an Olympic champion.
Geno and Taha are neck and neck at heavyweight.
Vladimir Khinchegashvilli dropped a match to Bekbulatov at Euros and is still settling into 65 kilograms.
All the favorites taken off the table, the best remaining option might be Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov at 79 kilograms. He beat Kyle Dake 8-2 at Yarygin and hasn't been challenged since.
Greco-Roman: Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia): He does nothing better than anyone who's ever done something.
Q: I saw that Dom Abounader won a silver medal for Lebanon at the Asian Games. I have noticed that other Americans have competed for other countries. Do they have to have a parent born in that country? Or what is the rule that allows them to compete for other countries?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Dual passport holders are able to wrestle for either nation without having to change nationality, so long as they have never competed for their other nation previously. For example, Abounader hadn't wrestled for the United States and was able to compete for Lebanon without issue.
For those who aren't born with dual citizenship certain nations grant the proper paperwork in order to allow top-flight competitors to join their ranks. Nations are allowed to bring in one wrestler a year in each of the styles and those wrestlers are automatically eligible to wrestle. However, if they've wrestled for another nation there is a transfer fee.
What you see in the United States was a long time coming. We have a number of capable wrestlers in the 20's with access to Regional Training Centers and developing nations with a thirst to compete at the international stage. That's the right combination and one I think will continue to create opportunities for our young up-and-coming stars.
Q: Thoughts on the Hawkeye Wrestling Club adding to their women's roster with the additions of Kayla Miracle, Forrest Molinari and Michaela Beck?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Bravo! Having a mixed-gender training situation is awesome for the women and the men. I'm thrilled to see Iowa leading the way in this area and think it's indicative of their larger attitude towards making positive moves in order to compete for the national title and medals at the international level.
With Regional Training Centers now interested in our women wrestlers we could see a real change in the development of our women's programs, like we have in men's freestyle. Local support, personalized coaching and a reduction in training-based travel schedules will pay dividends in 2020 and beyond.
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