Fifty Years of Stoughton Wrestling
A ceremony was held on Dec. 6th, 2024, where 74-year-old David Nielsen was honored for his commitment to Stoughton schools’ wrestling programs over the past 50 years.
Nielsen is involved with Stoughton wrestling in two ways: he serves as the coach of the River Bluff Middle School wrestling team and works as a referee for the Stoughton High School wrestling team. He entered both positions back in 1974.
However, he didn’t go in without any experience; Nielsen began wrestling back when he was still in school.
“I started wrestling during my junior high school years—it was called intramural sports,” Nielsen said. “I [then] wrestled in high school and enjoyed it.”
Attending middle school in Stoughton, he’s found himself back at home to coach aspiring athletes. Being a fall sport, Nielsen comes back to bring the middle schoolers forward every Oct. through Dec. towards victory in their typical ten-meet season, where wrestlers of different schools are matched to compete based on weight and abilities.
“We attempt to have each wrestler wrestle at least twice per dual meet if possible…each wrestler tries their best to win. They want to improve their personal record,” Nielsen said.
Practicing nearly every day after school, Nielsen is devoted to helping student-athletes grow as competitors and gain the skills they need to excel in wrestling—and other practices—in the future. This is mainly done with a scope of self-growth and encouraging the wrestlers to beat records and previous performances. The push for these athletes to improve is one of Nielsen’s favorite aspects.
“[I like] seeing them grow into the sport of wrestling, and prepar[ing] them to hopefully be able to compete at the high school level […] the goal is not to win as a team, but as an individual,” Nielsen said.
Although he no longer coaches them as they move on from RBMS, Nielsen gets to watch their progress from the sides as one of their potential referees as they make their way to the SHS wrestling team. By working as a referee, Nielsen has felt that he can give back to the sport that has given much to him.
Nielsen is involved with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA). While he’s not working as many referee shifts per season as he once did (as of now, about 12-15 matches per season), he still gets to do what he feels is an essential part of the game: being fair and accurate.
“ It’s my job to officiate the match within the rules of the WIAA in a fair and impartial manner. As an official, I see a move and award points as earned. There are many rules to follow, and a match moves along quickly,” Nielsen said.
Despite being strict on the rules, Nielsen still appreciates his place and shares his favorite part of his position.
“I enjoy the camaraderie with my fellow officiates […] [and] officiating two good teams in the competition. Over the years, I have come to know many coaches at many different schools and at the meets/tournaments,” Nielsen said.
For his hard and continuous work with Stoughton’s wrestling programs, the ceremony was held in town, where his friends and associates accompanied him with respect to his last fifty years of aiding the sport.
Nielsen feels proud of his work, particularly after his recognition, and states that he has loved every moment of his time with the program. Additionally, he appreciates the interest and support he’s received from everyone around him, particularly his “wrestling family” and his wife.
“It was great to be recognized after fifty years in my hometown, where I also started. I was honored to have received my award from my lifelong friends and fellow coaches, Dan Spilde and Bob Empey […] [Though], I also wished that my lifetime friend and mentor, Vern Pieper, could have been there,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen also adds that he was surprised to receive a wooden plaque of recognition from his grandson, a senior at Stoughton High School, Josh Nielsen.
With the intent to continue his passion as long as he can with Stoughton wrestling, he feels accomplished in his ability to stay involved so long and keep so many kids interested in the sport. Nielsen sees wrestling as a rewarding sport that never gets old. For the athletes he mentors and oversees, he adheres to two missions in the work he does.
“As an official, I will always make the call as I see it. No matter who the team is,” Nielsen said. “[And] as a coach, I tell them to always strive to be better.”
