Dean at 81 wrestled at the Sunflower State Games this past weekend. After winning his second match and taking first place. Dean reached down and untied his wreslting shoes and left them on the mat.
Dean started wrestling 60 years ago at K-State. He wrestled 4 years at K-State never being pinned and always promoting sportsmanship. After 60 years he has only been pinned twice once at an Olympic Trail i the 50's and at the Sunflowers Games one year, and to this day he still promotes sportsmenship.
To any of you that were at the Sunflower Games it was an amazing moment.
My Dad loves this sport, although he retired from activly wrestling, he will I'm sure coach as long as there is an ankle to grab and a half to sink in tight.

this article is from the Capital Journal. I hope you all will enjoy it.




Linwood's Sheets walks barefoot into wrestling retirement




























Adam Sacasa / The Capital-Journal

By Rick Peterson Jr.
The Capital-Journal
Published Sunday, July 13, 2008


Dean Sheets knew that wrestling in the Sunflower State Games might not have been the smartest thing he ever did, but the 81-year-old Linwood man was willing to give it a try anyway.

Sheets, who hadn't wrestled competitively since the 2001 Sunflower State Games, was one of about 200 participants in Saturday's event at Seaman.

Dean Sheets, 81, coaches one of his wrestlers on Saturday at Seaman High School. Sheets competed in the Sunflower State Games for the first time in seven years, winning the gold medal in his weight class and age division.

"I might not get off (the mat), but I'll get on," a smiling Sheets said before his first match.
And he did get on. But before he got off, he removed his shoes and set them on the mat, which in the wrestling world signals retirement.

Sheets was still smiling at the end of the day. The former Kansas State grappler — he competed for the Wildcats from 1949-52, placing as high as third in the Big Eight — won the gold medal in the 190-under weight class in the 50-and-over age division.

Sheets has been involved with Kids Wrestling since 1963 and coaches the DeSoto wrestling club, which brought several competitors to Saturday's SSG competition.
"I started the Linwood team in '65 and we went to the first kids tournament that Fritz Knorr had, and I've missed one state tournament since then," Sheets said.

Sheets said he was willing to compete one last time to identify with the kids he coaches.
"I still coach the kids so I thought I'd give it one more try. This is it," he said. "I (was) kind of iffy about it. I haven't been practicing too much."

Sheets provided the perfect ending. Following his gold-medal win, he removed his shoes and placed them on the mat to officially announce his retirement. The crowd roared.

And with that, Dean Sheets walked away a winner.




Edited by parkwayred (Today at 05:40 PM)
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I’m not very smart… but I can lift heavy things!

I wish I had stayed to see Coach Dean's second match. My little Ryan has really enjoyed his first season of wrestling and it's all because of Dean's recruiting. Our family is proud to call Dean our friend. We asked Dean if he would coach Ryan at the Sunflower Games, to which he said yes, but I was a bit worried when he told me "go ahead and sign me up, too." Course I didn't question him as to whether it was a good idea or not. Man, am I relieved that he didn't get hurt! Dean is an awesome coach and I am looking forward to seeing what he can teach our Ry Guy this next season!

The firm handshake guy who is an Amazing Man - Talk about giving back to the sport. Not too many have seen more kids lace up their shoes. He is just going to devote more time to coaching now. I have great respect for this man and for what he has done for Kansas Wrestling, the sport, many many kids, parents and other coaches.

Coach McCarthy

ditto ... Deano is a Great Guy!!