Daniel Hicks will never know the sound a crowd’s roar of approval, the gasps of a crowd on pins and needles during the most tense moments of a wrestling match.
Hicks, a senior on the Sherburne-Earlville wrestling team, was born deaf. He is a perfect example of a person learning through his own mistakes on the mat, and figuring out on his own what we – those in the hearing world – might take for granted.
“He had a tough time through pee wees because we couldn’t yell to him what to do,” said S-E assistant coach – and Daniel’s father – Brian Hicks. “At that age, it’s so important to coach the kids during matches. He had to learn the hard way, and he’s probably a better wrestler for it.”
Competing at 135 pounds this season, Daniel moved up a weight class to improve the team. He jumped head first into a weight-training program, and he doesn’t miss a day of lifting after each practice.
Coupled with offseason wrestling in which he competed in freestyle tournaments, Hicks is clearly one of the Marauders’ most valuable assets this season. “He’s taken the next step that he needed to as a wrestler,” said S-E head coach Bim Palmer, who has coached Hicks from his first days on the mat. “Daniel’s earned his own name, and he gives you everything he’s got. That’s his makeup.”
In helping S-E to a second-place finish last weekend at the Leo J. Sammon Tournament in Ilion, Hicks had his breakout performance. Hicks, who is not a stranger to tournament titles, took the next step among individual accolades. He won his opening two matches by technical fall and major decision, then, when matches increase in difficulty, he got even better. He pinned his semifinal opponent, and won the 135-pound title with a first-period stick.
Hicks won the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler Award. Although he did not hear the applause, he saw the cheering around him, he acknowledged congratulations, and he is no stranger to a handshake or hug from his mom and dad for a job well done.
Hicks’ breakthrough last weekend makes him a worthy choice today as our Evening Sun Athlete of the Week.
“At the tournament, he actually was sick and almost didn’t wrestle,” Coach Hicks said. “Every year around this time he gets sick. We knew he was sick and we let up a little bit on him in practice. After he wrestled his first match, he went outside and got some air. He came back and slept for two hours. After his second match, he said he felt better. In the finals, he was jacked.”
Intensity and motivation are no problem for Hicks, either. While coaches typically can raise the tone of their voice or use specific words to fire up their pupil, Hicks lives in a silent world. Still, he’s always ready to go when it’s his turn to step on the mat. “He has to rely on himself to get ready for a match, and every time he has been ready to go,” Palmer said. “He’s an easy kid to root for, and everyone has a piece of their heart for Daniel.”