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We Dare You Not to Get a Little Emotional Watching This 7th Grade Wrestling Vid

Dec. 5, 2012 10:39am Erica Ritz

7th Grade Wrestling Match With Disabled Boy Goes Viral | Justin Kievit, Jared Stevens

(Photo: Facebook)

A heartwarming video of a 7th grade wrestling match in Tennessee has gone viral on the Internet, with more than 100,000 “shares” on Facebook since being uploaded roughly one week ago.

The video shows Jared Stevens, described by the Tennessean as “an extrovert with cerebral palsy,” and his opponent Justin Kievit, in an usual pairing.

Stevens, who reportedly has the physical abilities of a 6-month-old but an intellectual ability close to his age level, is laid on the ground, unable to stand on his own. Kievit bends down to shake his outstretched hand, and begins fake wrestling with Stevens as the match begins. As the crowd cheers, Kievit pulls Stevens’ arm over himself, struggling all the while, and allows a beaming Stevens to win the match.

The Huffington Post has more on how it all happened:

“Jared just likes to do stuff like everybody else,” [his father] told the Franklin Home Page. “There’s a limit to what he can do, but something like wrestling, he can do that as much as he can do. He just enjoys being out there participating. He doesn’t mind trying anything.”

Clay Mayes, Jared’s wrestling coach, said that the 13-year-old practices with his school’s wrestling team every day.

When Jared expressed that he wanted to participate in a wrestling match, Mayes said he called his friend Randy Stevens (no relation), a coach at another middle school.

“It wasn’t about weight class,” Mayes told the Tennessean. “I told him to point me toward the kid who has the kindest heart.”

Here’s the video:

The Tennessean interviewed other boys from the team, who said that Stevens cheers them on at every match. Kievit is the team’s captain– a rare accomplishment for a 7th grader.

The Tennessean continues:

“I was a little nervous,” says Justin [Kievit], who had no idea how many shares the video had until a Tennessean reporter told him. “Then I kind of figured out what to do.”

“It’s a little overwhelming to say the least,” says Craig Kievit, who thought just friends and family might look at the video.

“I watched it over and over again,” he says.

Stevens’ father is an engineer, and says he always tries to fashion ways for his son to try new things. He’s even gone ziplining with the Boy Scouts.

“Made me tear up,” one commenter wrote. “Can you imagine what that meant to the boy and his family?!” Others wrote how proud they were of both young men.

Here’s the Tennessean’s insider look at the wrestling team, and Stevens’ role:

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Comments (155)

LovinUSA
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 4:13pm
THIS America… is what ALL of OUR American people are about ! This is what OUR present administration is attempting to destroy, The sick, and satanic infected have infiltrated this country and herded you into believing OUR GOD is not…. L-O-O-K at this truth video …… and tell me any different…. OPEN your eyes people …. your “BACON” left you the day you made your vote and signed your name……BTW how’s that working out for you? And how do you feel dragging everybody else down with you because of your sick and greedy ways???????? May God truly bless these children and their parents and all involved in touching the hearts of TRUE Americans!!!!! B-R-A-V-O !!!!!!

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kcruzette7
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 3:56pm
How precious!…It’s good to see the heart of willingness in our kids…wish more could be displayed with the politicians/commentators ranting and ravings

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BlazingPatriot
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 3:51pm
FACT:

We all know this was “not” a wrestling match. A match requires two equal and qualified persons.
It was a staged performance as an act of kindness and support.

For this act of kindness and support, I commend all participants involved.

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jay1975
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 3:50pm
That is awesome.

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aaron@home
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 3:33pm
fake

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svan71
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 3:27pm
Liberals feel good about this kind of crap I think its insulting.

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jamesctheman
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 3:22pm
Now I see we have gone from being Bitter about an election to being bitter about everything. This is something I never thought I would see from the Blaze audience. The boy wanted to compete in a wrestling match. Would it make you feel better if the other kid went all Hulk Hogan on him? I don’t give a crap about someone else’s life perspective if they’re handicapped. That child has his reality. His life in his corner of the world. Life plays out for people different ways. WHO the hell made any of you judges of the ALMIGHTIES court?

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jamesctheman
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 3:12pm
THIS WASN’T CARRYING SOMEONE ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. This is about a boy who wanted to experience wrestling. That was as close as he’ll get. Ok so for you jerks handicapped or not who turn this into some type of patty cake society lines can shove it. Maybe the other kid should have pinned him if that floats your boat. The kid loves the sport & for 1 second wanted to feel like those other kids. He got that chance & it made him happy as well as the families & boy who was able to make that happen. If you can make a wish like this happen WHY ARE A BUNCH OF YOU CRAPPING ON IT?

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AllAmericanGirl22
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 3:00pm
Sweet, God Bless both of them.

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camper
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 2:58pm
The paerents should show this boy the speaches and videos of Nick Vujicic that would help him more than making him compete in a sham. What about the boy who lets him win what does this do to his psyche just asking?

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LeadNotFollow
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 2:48pm
This video was good clean fun.
Good folks doing nice stuff.

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Deliverance_from_the_left_now
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 2:31pm
It is truly wonderful to see a young man like this put everything aside and a act of kindness like this. Both competitors won in this match!!! This I can completely understand why you yield and let someone else have the win…congratulations to both of them!!!

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jdog777
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 2:22pm
Critics… chill. As a wrestler… and a wrestler’s dad… this is what we do. We submit and lift the weakest among us. Yes.. this was just a gesture. There is no way the crippled kid would win the match physically. This is not what it is about… it is about submitting to the spirit of our creator and voluntarily giving into his will by elevating the sick, needy, and the “least” among us. What we learn, for ourselves, with this simple gesture is that the “least” among us is actually the greatest among us. It is called Charity and Service… try it some time.

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- rickc34
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 11:31pm
  Yes, help those that cannot, be the good Samaritan.
  
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JustJP
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 2:19pm
God bless them and their parents

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WarHorse36
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 2:19pm
Jared won the moment he decided to wrestle. Jared wins with just having the guts to go toe to toe with another wrestler. He wins by just having the courage and fortitude to get on the mat and to keep doing it, even if some people see it as embarrassing or make fun. He has inner strength. Regardless of whether the match was won, lost or someone gave him a win, at least he stepped up. Many people that comment negatively, could possibly learn a valuable lesson from Jared. In fact, I think we all could.

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jlondon53
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 2:13pm
Oh I can watch without crying alright! I find this very demeaning. It leads the viewer to believe that those with CP are incapable of having any ‘real’ value or ability what-so-ever. Not everyone with CP is mentally retarded and incapable of knowing when they are being patronized. Try making me cry over one of the ‘real’ accomplishments made, and hurdles overcome, by those with CP every day without it having to be based on a lie. However! I do appreciate the intent of the young man that took the fall regardless of whether or not the efforts were misguided. Hopefully after reading some of the other points of view on this thread, he and his good heart will learn from them and continue to grow.

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- JamesT1979
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 2:17pm
  You got a family member with CP? I do, my son is six and has it worse than the boy in the video. Sir/Miss you have no idea what you are talking about.
  
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Vohn16
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 2:10pm
So heart warming seeing good sportsmanship

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JamesT1979
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:50pm
You people who have a problem with this don’t get it at all. These kids grow up seeing everyone else doing the things they can only dream about. It’s just like a make-a-wish but on a smaller scale. Everyone knows the little girl with cancer really isn’t a princess or the kid who get’s to visit a movie set really isn’t an actor..that’s not the point..its allowing these kids to dream. Children with CP just want to know what it’s like to participate..they want to feel normal..even if they know their bodies are not like their friends’..they just want to dream. So shut up and let them.

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sexyvixen21
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:48pm
UMM- EXCUSE ME SIR….MY RESPONE WAS TO EROCHEM. Apparently with your screen name it’s all about you. Typical I was in the service…I’m god. Oh believe me- I wouldn’t give you the time of day. Merry Christms (sarcasm)

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- sexyvixen21
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:57pm
  it was to ***crochem***
  
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Clownzilla
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:46pm
I don’t agree with this. This kid would be better served if they embraced his strengths to teach him how to REALLY excel at something. Way back in high school we had a girl in a wheelchair that had down syndrome (yes, I know this kid doesn’t have down syndrome but is severely still disabled). She didn’t have the abilities of most of her peers BUT she was absolutely amazing at the piano. It wasn’t the fake, compassionate “good job” type of amazing but she was GENUINELY amazing! You couldn’t even get remotely close to her in music competitions and you really loved to hear her play. The girl in the wheelchair KNEW she had very few talents but was taught to concentrate on what she was good at. The kid of this article has many challenges and having him “win” rigged matches is not going to help him and only will give him a false sense of accomplishment and a warped sense of his abilities. He will be better served if he is given genuine challenges and not rigged junk like this. I almost NEVER disagree with Beck and I consider him one of my top 5 heroes but I have to disagree with him here. I know that people on both sides won’t agree with me but I call it as I see it.

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tarajunky
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:31pm
I wrestled in jr high and in high school. I’m not going to sugar coat this, I would have been extremely uncomfortable being placed into the position of having to wrestle this boy.

Same thing if there was a girl that wanted to join the wrestling team. There were a few girls that I would see at wrestling meets. I never had to compete against one of them, but I think it’s very inappropriate and puts people in a situation that’s unfair to them.

This is especially true of wrestling, where they have very structured competitions. If you weigh 5 pounds more or less, they consider it inappropriate to wrestle someone in a different weight class. But to wrestle a girl is suddenly okay? I don’t get it.

It’s great for this boy if it makes him feel better about his disability, but couldn’t he get the same satisfaction “wrestling” with his dad? Or with a neighbor kid? Why go into a competitive meet and expect random strangers to participate in this?

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richhs
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:24pm
If his intellectual capacity is about right for his age, I think he knows they let him win… I guess at 13 it doesn’t really matter though.

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Comeandtakeit
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:23pm
If he has “the physical abilities of a 6-month-old but an intellectual ability close to his age level” then doesn’t he know he really didn’t win this match? Did he ask for someone to throw the match? I wonder if he was asked if he wanted someone else to throw the wresting match, what would he say?

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usmc1063
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:07pm
Sometimes it’s not about the compitition, sometimes it’s about human compassion, once it is truly given a heart is changed forever. Some in society will look upon people with disablities as a burden and some will see this video and go whats the point. Then there are those who will understand that it’s about the human experience. It’s about the sharing of a moment and excepting that all life is a gift and has reason and purpose beyond our own existance. It is the understanding that we are all flawed in someway and are not perfect. Yet most of all it’s about excepting of that fact and sharing a moment in the sun to help another grow. Well done youngman you will go far and will be rewarded in your life.

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sexyvixen21
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:03pm
“found this to be disgusting” WTF???….. get over yourself. I swear some people are just miserable in life. Here’s a clue…..no one ask to be born with something wrong with them. Geez

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- usmc1063
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:41pm
  I was thinking before I wrote this why should I even waste my time responding. Because a person like you would never get it. With a screename like yours it is obivious it is all about you anyway. Sure no-one wants to be born with a disablity but people are. Yet to arrogrant and self centered people like you they are just an object to be bullied and taken advantage of. It’s just to bad that what I or others say to you won’t mean a thing. Just remember people like you always end up on the other side of the coin, and trust me your kind never handles it well.
  
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