Connecticut wrestler connects to Guatemalan roots through USA Wrestling for Peace program

Photo of Ben alongside coaches Curtis Urbina and Tom Maurath. Photo by Gina Mazzriello.

On May 28, 2005, a wrestler was born. Connecticut wrestler, Ben Plaue was adopted from Guatemala by his loving parents David and Gina. This past Sunday was his “Happy Gotcha Day”, as October 13, 2005 was the official day of his adoption. Not knowing he would be introduced to the greatest sport in the world, Ben found himself at a local wrestling clinic in Newtown, Connecticut in fifth grade. He has been with the sport ever since. Five years later, he is growing to be the best he can be, on and off the mat.

Highlighting the Plaue family means a great deal to the USA Wrestling for Peace (USAW4P) program. A lot of the initiative is dedicated to promoting wrestling as a positive global force. Considering our next trip is to Livingston, Guatemala, Ben took it upon himself to be an active helping hand in contributing to the start of a youth wrestling program in his native country. In addition to promoting the sport as a positive global force, USAW4P strives to develop impeccable character among the youth the program encounters. Asking Ben what encouraged his commitment to assisting USAW4P garnered a simple reply, “I felt I needed to do something,” he said. This epitomizes how wrestling is a powerful influence that can be shared with the rest of the world.

Thus far, his efforts have been tremendous. His desire to engage his people in the wrestling community and motivate them to donate their gear has been exceptional. People want to help him, which is leading to the expansion of what USAW4P is able to provide to the Guatemalan youth. He connected with his coaches and they were all eager to assist Ben along the way. Ben’s mother Gina expressed that this is a special way Ben gets to marry his passions. She is proud that her son is using his love for wrestling to help improve the lives of others. Ben is incredibly modest, but what he has done speaks volumes to the type of young man he is becoming. With the help of his sister Celia, they exchanged old gear from various sports in return for wrestling gear. He is determined to advocate for his roots in Central America.

Only a freshman at Newtown High, he entered as two-time youth state champion. Already owning a spot on the varsity line-up, he is projected to wrestle at 120 pounds for the Nighthawks. For the last five years, he has been a staple in the Newtown Youth Wrestling Association room. Now that he is in high school, he is also involved with the Empire Wrestling Academy in Somers, New York. Ben and his family speak very highly of his coaches, to whom they cannot thank enough for engaging Ben in the sport of wrestling and what it has done for him.

Opinions of the sport can be diverse, but two words that are very common in the wrestling community are grit and respect. These are the two words that Ben’s parents placed a huge emphasis on; they are grateful that these attributes are being instilled in their son. Being a parent to a wrestler is a commitment in itself, but Ben’s parents do so with humility and grace. They love what it teaches their son and what it is teaching them about him. Ben’s dad David loves the camaraderie wrestling presents, whether that is in friendships or good sportsmanship. Ben loves it too. While wrestling is an individual sport, the community surrounding it is made up of genuinely supportive people. Ben appreciates this. “They pick me up when I lose, and cheer me on when I win,” he said.

Furthermore, Ben was eager to share the values of wrestling and he demonstrated them in the following three points:

1.It teaches real life experience.

2.It teaches perseverance‒ in wrestling and in life.

3.It teaches a great mindset and mentality.

People in our community, and beyond, can attest to greatness it instills in each wrestler. It is typical for wrestlers to share the goodness of the sport in their daily lives. In addition to being some of the most incredibly disciplined and intense people in the world, wrestlers embody grit, humility and grace in all they do, especially in what they do for others. Ben is an amazing example of using his gift to make a difference in the world. That is his goal and that is exactly what he is doing.