Offseason Wrestling: Summer 24'

My name is Darius De Asis but most people know me by my middle name, Ryder. I am a wrestler and a student-athlete at South San Francisco High School. This past 2023-2024 season has been a special year in chasing my athletic goals throughout my 3 sports. I am a junior and I take great pride in not only wrestling, but also starting on the varsity football team. My team and I went 12-2 and won a P.A.L. and a CCS Division 5 section title. This past spring season I threw for my track and field team and began offseason Freestyle and Greco wrestling for the South San Francisco Gator Wrestling Club. I also volunteer as a coach at the Gator and Alta Loma Middle School wrestling clubs.

This past wrestling season, I was able to cap my season off with a 5th place finish in the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament. This was a huge jump from my finish last season when I got put out in the regional tournament and failed to qualify for CCS. I owe my success to the work I put in during the off-season. I spent most of spring and summer jumping from camp to camp and from tournament to tournament. I've had the pleasure of being able to work with dozens of new workout partners and train under a multitude of new coaches. My ultimate goal for the end of my high school wrestling career is to add my name to the short list of state medalists from South San Francisco High School. I would become the 5th boy and 6th overall wrestler in the past 51 years to bring home the prestigious medal. My short term goals for this season were to become a CCS medalist and become a state qualifier. However, in placing 5th at CCS, I fell slightly short of placing top 3 and going to state. This is in no way a failure, just a longer road to the top.

To quote my coach, “Job’s not done yet”. As soon as my season ended on February 17th, I immediately got back into the wrestling room and became a training partner for other state qualifiers in the area. I then went on to make the podium (top 8) at my first offseason tournament, the 2024 California USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle state tournament in Fresno, California. Following Fresno, I made the trip to Centralia, Washington for the USA Wrestling Northwestern Regionals, a qualifier for the United States Marine Corps Fargo Nationals. Just recently, I finished top 12 at the Reno Worlds national tournament and was a match away from a medal.

Before spring is over I plan on competing in Farmington, Utah at the USA Wrestling Western Regionals, which is another opportunity to secure my ticket to the national tournament in Fargo, North Dakota in July. I’ve already secured my spot on the all-star roster to represent the Bay Area Wrestling Association at the California Association State Duals. If all goes well, I’m also looking to compete in Fresno, Huntington Beach, and San Diego. Lastly, I would like to participate in as many local and international camps that I can afford. These camps will help me develop existing and new techniques. Some camps I have in mind are coached by San Francisco State University, Stanford University, Los Gatos High School, and reigning Olympic Champion David Taylor.

The reason I've decided to share my story and goals with you all is that unfortunately, paying for these tournaments and training camps is not cheap. These opportunities are usually far away by design. One of the main reasons I performed better this season was due to how comfortable I felt under pressure; traveling far to compete with better wrestlers toughened me and made me more comfortable with the sport.

I know it seems lazy to ask for donations, especially for something that seems so unimportant in today’s society. But unfortunately, I’ve found that I would not be able to travel and compete everywhere I would like without a little bit of help. I was able to cover the cost of my trips earlier this year through recycling, as well as some backyard clean-ups for my neighbors. But I’ve made amends that there’s just not enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do. My main focuses right now are improving in wrestling everyday, maintaining my 4.25 GPA, and spending time with my family. Any and all donations would allow me to put more effort into these things. Money raised would go toward the cost of transportation, lodging, and tournament/camp entry fees.

At the end of the day, all these opportunities are just bonuses. If I am unable to attend these camps and tournaments, I will not use them as excuses, should I not meet my goals. A virtue I live by is to play with the cards I’m dealt. I will strive to be great whether it’s in Fargo, North Dakota at the national tournament, or right here in South San Francisco. My first goal whenever I step onto the mat, the football field, or the track is to represent my family, my school, and my city with pride.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my story; even if you are not able to donate, if you can help share my story and or leave for words of encouragement, they will be much appreciated and taken to heart!

- Darius "Ryder" De Guzman-De Asis

Thank you to everyone and I really appreciate your time!