I am very sad to inform the wrestling community that we have lost another fine young man in the wrestling community. Andre Thibault was doing what he loved most, playing with his friends when a freak accident took his life. He was only 12 years old. Those who know Andre are privilidged enough to have met the nicest young man ever. I challenge you to find one wrestler that he has faced that would say he was mean or was a bad sport. He set a standard for good sportsmanship and how to approach the sport of wrestling. He was part of a large family of wrestlers and wrestling supporters. His brothers, Alex, Nick and Luke, all wrestle. His sisters Dominique, Camile and Natalie were his biggest fans. And his mother and father were the rocks that had grounded him so well and made him the delightful child we came to know. Please take time this weekend at your tournaments to remember why we do this. Remember that life is fleeting. Most of all to those that participate in this sport, you are doing what Andre so dearly loved to do and that he set a standard that you can try to live up to. We at Halstead wrestling club are sad and heartbroken but we are thankful. We are thankful that we were priviliged enough to have wrestled on the same mat as such a wonderful child. We will always remember what Andre did for us and we will wrestle with pride knowing that Andre would have wanted it that way.

Coach John Werner
Halstead Wrestling Academy