Get to know Lapeer wrestling coach Dayonte Grimes
LAPEER, Mich. — Coach Dayonte Grimes is Lapeer High School’s Varsity Wrestling Coach. His coaching career began six years ago, and he has been coaching in Lapeer for the last two years. Wrestling has been a lifelong passion since Grimes began wrestling and competing in 1st grade through high school graduation. Coaching was the obvious next step. Coach Grimes says, “I have an amazing time coaching, and I feel that it brings out the best in me when I can bring out the best in them. I hope to show my students and wrestlers to have confidence in themselves and to know their worth–to believe in themselves fully and to know that anything is attainable if you set your focus on it and put in the work!”
Coach’s life lesson he has learned while being a coach is the importance of leading by example and developing meaningful relationships with people around you. He realizes that people come from all walks of life, but in the end, we are all more alike than we are different. After a loss, Coach Grimes encourages them to look at the strengths they exhibited during the match but also to look at the areas of focus they feel we need to address next practice. “Every loss is an opportunity to learn and grow. Don’t waste a loss by sulking; use a loss to gain knowledge and become better.”
Two things coach makes sure the team does to be successful is to give 100 percent effort every time they step on the mat and two: is to hold themselves as well as each other accountable in order to make sure there is continuous progress throughout the season. There was a time Lapeer had not had any state qualifiers in 6 years. Coach turned the program around and had five regional qualifiers, two state qualifiers, and one state placer within one season and has been his most memorable year. His proudest coaching moment has been watching the excitement and thrill of one of his wrestlers pinning his opponent and capturing his spot to the state tournament. There’s enough time, effort, and passion left for years to come with, I’m sure, more success stories. Coach Dayonte Grimes is a respected coach and mentor, that will not only create a successful program year after year, but also help create and mentor successful adults.
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