When it comes to wrestling success in town, the grapplers on the mats ultimately are the ones who get the pins and other clutch wins by decision — many at the championship level. But much of the Newtown wrestling success, from youth-level to high school titles, throughout the years, may be attributed to the volunteer parents behind the scenes.

Tom Maurath has played a key role in Newtown wrestling at all levels, currently as the president of the Newtown High School wrestling program Booster Club. And for his efforts, Maurath is the 2023 Newtown Bee Sportsman of the Year, an award which since 2008 has honored late Newtown Bee Sports Editor Kim Harmon.

“His organizational skills are second to none. He’s a great people person,” said Newtown High School Head Coach Chris Bray, whose wresting team is competing for a State Championship this week. “He’s very selfless. He’s not doing it for himself. He’s doing it for this organization.”

Maurath is not only a big-time supporter of the program, he has also helped coach along the way. A Newtown High conference champion, back when it was the Western Connecticut Conference in the mid to late 1980s before competing at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Penn. for a year, Maurath knows a thing or two about competing on the mats.

Maurath likes to refer to a quote from Dan Gable, an Olympic gold medalist and one of the best wrestlers of all time, who once said: “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”

“It takes a different level of commitment and hard work,” said Maurath, comparing his athletic activity of choice to other sports. “It teaches young kids about resiliency. It’s you alone and you’ve got to pick yourself up and you’ve got to get past tough situations.”

Much like in life in general.

Lessons provided in wrestling continue throughout childhood and into the grappler’s adult life, Maurath said. With that in mind, he finds great value in wrestling and how it helps not only keep children and young adults in shape but also shape them as they grow and develop. He has passed his knowledge and passion for the sport down to his children Fritz and Marc.

Fritz has gone on to compete at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., where he is a senior captain. Marc, an NHS junior captain coming off a South-West Conference championship in the 157 pound weight division, is in the process of looking into collegiate wrestling options.

Maurath has spent more than a decade wearing various hats for Newtown wrestling from kindergarten on up into the collegiate ranks, including coaching and being a part of the recruiting process for not only his own children but also other competitors in the program.

“It puts me in a position to help be more of a facilitator,” Maurath said of his exposure to the college recruiting process and getting involved with helping Nighthawks advance to the next level after high school.

“The part of my role that is the most rewarding is to help student-athletes achieve their goals. Some of our wrestlers have invested ten-plus years of hard work and now that investment is paying dividends during the college recruiting process. Newtown wrestlers are getting the opportunity to wrestle at some fantastic colleges and universities,” Maurath said.

“Because I have experience in running our youth program, coaching both youth and high school, and having two sons that have been through the program, I am in a unique position to help support both our organizations,” he added. “It’s a lot of work but it’s something I love to do. I get so much satisfaction knowing I’ve played a part in getting them there.”

In addition to Fritz Maurath at Johns Hopkins there is current NHS team member Fisher Stites, who recently committed to Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. “Our current class of juniors have fantastic academic, athletic and community service resumes. I look forward to seeing the opportunities they will have,” Maurath added.

“His commitments not just to his own child but other kids in the program is unbelievable,” said Newtown Youth Wrestling Association (NYWA) Head Coach Curtis Urbina, adding that he is pleased that Maurath is being recognized. “We couldn’t be more proud of him.”

“In a perfect universe every team would have a Tom Maurath,” Newtown High School Athletic Director Matt Memoli said.

Memoli notes that coaches have so many things they have to take care of and having someone to take on the role of scheduling, fundraising, and other team needs helps clear some space on their plates.

“He’s like a bulldog. He’s a go-getter. He gets things done. He’s extremely organized,” Memoli added.

Maurath has helped set up the Nighthawks for current and future success by lining up participation in notable in-season tournaments within and outside of Connecticut. These tourneys not only expose the wrestlers to top-notch competition but also grab attention from college coaches, which kickstarts the recruiting process.

The youth program has grown into a powerhouse not only in the state but also in New England with the success spilling over at NHS. The Nighthawks are the No. 2 ranked team in the state behind only Xavier of Middletown.

“While it is an honor to be recognized individually, I see myself as just one part of a great group of program volunteers, coaches and student athletes that make up Newtown’s wrestling community,” Maurath said.

“I am especially grateful to our youth board leadership. Over the last decade, we have had fantastic presidents, including Chris Manfredi, Tony Gioffre, and Nick Veneziano. The current members of the NYWA board have taken the program to a whole new level. I am so proud that our youth team are repeat New England champions and that USA Wrestling has recognized the NYWA as one of the Top 100 largest community-based wrestling programs in the United States. It is easy to see why over 85 percent of the NHS varsity roster came up through Newtown’s youth program,” he added.

Maurath points out that the coaches at NHS are a huge part of what the program has accomplished and said he is grateful to the coaching staff.

“Coach Chris Bray has been with us since the beginning, leading championship high school teams from 2014 through 2017. To have him back to coaching at the NHS is a huge part of our success. Coach Curtis Urbina is the backbone of our program; he is the reason we have so many kids fall in love with our sport,” Maurath said.

The winning ways and collegiate opportunities stand to continue.

“I could not be more confident for the future of our program. With Coach Mike Long and Coach Anthony Falbo, who were both standout NHS wrestlers coming back to now coach our youth and high school programs, our future is in good hands,” Maurath concluded.

=====

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.