One Wrestler's Courage: ... from Survival on the Streets to Success on the Mats

By Dr. Bill Welker

About the Book
Isaac Walker (aka Tyrone “Ty” Thomas) lived in the “projects” of a community in eastern Pennsylvania when his mother was murdered. To make matters worse, he was approached by a local juvenile “gang” to sell drugs, which he refused to do. Isaac later turned “state’s witness”, where he testified against “gang members” regarding a friend’s murder. In fear for his life, drastic measures were taken to protect Isaac.
In One Wrestler’s Courage, readers will be captivated by Isaac’s view on life and racism. Like so many adolescents, Isaac faces all the problems teenagers have to deal with - peer acceptance, dating and young love. His various “coming of age” decisions on and off the mats will inspire readers, including his mature acceptance of life’s disappointments. Without question, you will be moved by Isaac’s determination to succeed.
Avid wrestling and sports aficionados will also enjoy the various action-packed, real-life, dual meet and tournament, wrestling-match scenarios.

About the Author
An award-winning educator and one of the country’s foremost authorities on Folkstyle wrestling, Dr. Bill Welker has published a national best-seller, The Wrestling Drill Book, a DVD, and hundreds of articles on the mat sport since 1974. Most recently, his memoirs, The Sparrow’s Spirit, and his first novel, A Wrestler’s Curse, were declared winners in the sports category by the Beverly Hills Book Awards judges. All his books can be viewed at: www.billwelkerwrestling.com
A former Pennsylvania State Champion and State Finalist, Welker is a member of five wrestling halls of fame, including the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (West Virginia Chapter), and the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame. He has been selected twice as the National Wrestling Sportswriter of the Year by Wrestling USA Magazine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RoseDog Books
• Release date: May 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889257721

Book preview

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The contents of this work including, but not limited to, the accuracy of events, people, and places depicted; opinions expressed; permission to use previously published materials included; and any advice given or actions advocated are solely the responsibility of the author, who assumes all liability for said work and indemnifies the publisher against any claims stemming from publication of the work.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2023 by Dr. Bill Welker

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, downloaded, distributed, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without permission in writing from the publisher.

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One Wrestler’s Courage is dedicated to all the students that I have taught and coached for 40 years. They were the inspiration for all my professional endeavors to develop their minds and bodies. I have always believed in the following quote:

He who is only an athlete is too crude, too vulgar, too much a savage. He who is a scholar only is too soft. The ideal citizen is the scholar-athlete, a man of thought and a man of action.

 — Plato

It is also dedicated to my wife, Peggy, who has supported me throughout our entire lives together. Her encouragement has been my source of strength during difficult times.

And finally, I dedicate my memoirs to our parents, William and Dorothy Welker & Howard and Margaret Bainbridge, who taught Peggy and me to believe in ourselves and to thank God for all his blessings.

•••

IN MEMORY OF

JOE THOMAS & JOHN GOMPERS

RONALD & MARY LOU MAUCK

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A special thank-you to the late Coach Joseph J. Thomas, John Gompers and the late Sgt. Mark J. Gerrity, USMC, men who demonstrated the highest ideals of sincere friendship.

I also want to thank Human Kinetics staff members Jason Muzinic, Bill Johnson and Jennifer Mulcahey for their assistance in producing this novel. Human Kinetics was the publisher of my former works. Also, a note of gratitude to Mike Knapp and Andrew Rouce, my editors at Dorrance Publishing.

A note of appreciation to my developmental editor is forwarded to Melissa Wuske for her invaluable advice during the revision stage of the book.

A special word of appreciation to Thea Gompers, a professional journalist and publicist, for proofreading the final draft of the manuscript.

Finally, a deep debt of gratitude to the late John H. Gompers, historian, for piquing my interest in the history of the American Civil War.

Many thanks to Marty Fox and Paul Cramer for the book cover photo and cover design of Isaac Mike Martin (Wrestler) and Darius Savage (Official).

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention those individuals who influenced my life. Besides my two role models – Dad and Coach Mal Paul, there were Coach Lyman Beans Weaver, Glenn Flegal, Lynn Holderman, Ron Mauck, Bill McEldowney, Bill Hinegardner, Dick Edge, Dr. Vince Monseau, Larry Ritchie, Mary Kay Reisinger, Andy Garber, Woody Yoder, George Kovalick, Bobby Douglas, Bill Archer, Larry Deaton, Jack Regis, Sr., Joe Handlan, Ray Marling, Jim Monderine, Ray Chenoweth, Sam Defillippo, Pat Walling, Thea and John Gompers, Joey and Abbey Maroon, Barry Gashel, Rod Oldham, Ken McWilliams, Chris Diserio, Mike Stalnaker, Bert Shelek, Dave Adams, Bob Fehrs, Eric Carder, Dr. Dan Doyle, Edward Buzz Evans, Dr. Marilyn Fairbanks, Dr. Steven Stahl, Ellery Newberry, Claude Readly, the Peery Family, Dr. Steven Rinehart, Bill Van Horne, Nick Bedway, Adam Townsend, Don Clegg, Mike Myer, Seth Staskey, Kim North, Bubba Kapral, and Tom and Linda Rataiczak.

— Dr. Bill Welker

FOREWORD

You certainly do not have to be a wrestling afficionado to enjoy Dr. Bill Welker’s One Wrestler’s Courage. 

I must admit that I am not an avid reader. However, I could not stop reading this novel. 

Welker did a masterful job of blending real people with the characters in the novel. He sometimes combined two real people into one. He sometimes changed the first name and/or the last name to make the characters more relatable. 

Welker also based many of the things that happened in the novel on his own personal experiences as a wrestler, coach and official.  

Having the protagonist, Isaac, grow up living in the Easton, Pennsylvania’s South Side projects was an excellent choice. The author captured what it would be like as a youth there. 

Easton is a blue-collar town and is best known for being the home of Larry Holmes, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Larry grew up living in the South Side projects. Below is a quote from Larry Holmes about growing up living in the projects. 

"In Easton, our part of town was known as ‘the projects’ - just another way of saying the poor part of town. That meant we lived with no air-conditioning in the summer and inadequate heating in the winter. The only comfort we got was a store-bought fan.

"It also meant going hungry some nights. Mom would do what she could to stretch a bag of rice, and beans... and she made her own bread because it was cheaper.

But every day was a struggle, and to keep our bellies full it took the welfare checks we got and the government-surplus Spam, powdered-milk, blocks of cheese, lard, beans and rice that we stood in line for once a month.

One Wrestler’s Courage also gives the reader a brief education regarding the American Civil War in an entertaining way. 

After reading Dr. Bill Welker’s novel, you will understand the meaning of the its title - One Wrestler’s courage.

It truly is a must-read, sports-oriented classic.

Bob Ferraro

CEO/Founder

National High School Coaches Association

1970 NCAA Division I Wrestling Finalist

PREFACE

Gang violence has risen sharply, especially in large cities. Youth gangs are becoming more violent and increasingly serve as a way for members to engage in illegal money-making activities, such as drug and firearms trafficking.

A recent survey of law-enforcement officials from forty-five cities suggests the presence of almost 1,500 youth gangs with more than 120,000 members. The rate of violent offenses for gang members is three times higher than non-gang delinquents. The average age of the arrested gang offender is seventeen or eighteen years.

The age range of gang members appears to have expanded in recent decades with members remaining in gangs longer and becoming increasingly involved in more serious gang-oriented pursuits. The gang problem is not exclusive to juveniles since adults have been involved in almost one-half of the youth gang-related incidents.

Many experts further suggest a close relationship between contemporary young gang members and organized adult crime.

Gang attributes include violent behavior, group organization, leadership, territory, recurrent interaction, and use of symbolism. Gang membership appears to prolong the extent and seriousness of criminal careers.

The disturbing increase of young people committing federal crimes of violence, especially gang-related crimes, necessarily means juveniles must be considered for prosecution.

- Excerpts from a U.S. Department of Justice Report

ONE

triumph and tragedy

Adversity is the first path to truth.

—Lord Byron

His name is Tyrone Ty Thomas.

Great match, Ty! You just beat a wrestler who’s had years of mat experience, explained Easton, Pennsylvania’s head wrestling coach, John Maitland.

Really, coach?

Absolutely, Ty. Tommy St. Clair started wrestling in the Danville Youth Wrestling Program as a third grader. His father was a Pennsylvania State Champion at Danville and an All-American at Penn State.

Wow!

Now, get over there with your Rover teammates. They all want to congratulate you.

•••

At the end of the afternoon session of regionals at Muhlenberg College located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Coach Maitland received a phone call from his junior high coach, Carl Regan.

John, I know you’re busy, but I just had to call you.

What’s wrong, Carl?

It’s Ty’s mother. She was murdered this morning.

What!

Ty’s older stepbrother, Wylan, was high on meth and shot Thelma Thomas in the head. She died instantly. The police have Wylan in custody and he confessed to the murder. I thought you needed to know.

 "Oh my god, Carl. Ty has no other stable family members in Easton. She was Ty’s rock and kept him on the straight and narrow path in the ‘South Side’ projects. Remember, she was so pleased when Ty started wrestling last year. I remember her saying, ‘Ty has found himself in wrestling. His grades are up and he has even been talking about going to college. Ty’s my youngest child. I want a better life for him away from the projects’.

Carl, what am I going to do?

John, Ty will do anything you decide. He worships you.

Carl, I hope I’m worthy of his admiration, said Coach Maitland, fighting hard to hold back tears.

You are, John. You are.

•••

In his regional finals match, although Ty was pinned by the returning state champion from Kingston High School, he qualified for states. Furthermore, Coach Maitland’s Easton Red Rovers were declared the Northeastern Regional Team Champions.

On the drive home in the team van, Coach Maitland had Ty sit next to him, thinking about what to say to Ty.

"Ty, I’m really proud of your performance the entire season. You beat some kids who had much more experience on the mats.

I wish I would have done better in my finals match. I didn’t like getting pinned.

"Who does, Ty? But you have to remember you were defeated by the defending state champ. And next weekend you’ll be participating in the state tournament at Hershey’s Giant Center.

Since we’re going to get home very late tonight, you can stay at my house. Mrs. Maitland will make you a great breakfast in the morning before I drive you home.

Okay, coach, but I need to get home early to let Mom know how I did. I wish I could contact her now, but we can’t afford cell phones.

I wish you could, too, Ty, replied Coach Maitland, feeling sick in his stomach.

•••

That night after Ty fell asleep in the Maitland home, John shared with his wife, Kay, the reality young Ty Thomas would have to face.

Kay, I don’t know what to do. How do I tell Ty what happened to his mother in the morning – and by his stepbrother?

John, I know you will do the right thing.

There’s another problem, Kay. Ty has no stable environment to go back to. His other stepbrothers and stepsisters are deeply involved in Easton’s drug trafficking. There’s no longer a stabilizing person in his life to keep him moving in the right direction, with his mother out of the picture. It’s absolutely the worse environment to send him back to.

Maybe we can help, John.

What do you mean, Kay?

Well, we have a large house with an extra bedroom, John. And it would be nice to have a teenager living with us. I say we let Ty stay here until everything is straightened out for him.

Kay, I think that’s a possibility, but first I have to figure out what to say to Ty in the morning.

John, I know you’ll handle the situation compassionately.

•••

Ty, how are Mrs. Maitland’s pancakes?

They’re great, coach. I’m full. I can’t wait to tell Ma that I qualified for states.

Ty, I need to talk to you. Let’s go into my den.

Okay, coach.

Ty, sit on the couch, said Coach Maitland, pulling up a chair beside the crouch.

Ty, something bad has happened to your mother.

What! Is she sick? I need to go to her.

No. She’s not sick, Ty. It’s much worse. I wish there were an easier way to tell you. Ty, your mother is dead.

"She can’t