Scott,
I think that ANYONE can fall in love with this sport if they have a chance to. Some kids get pushed away because of parents expectations or coaches or they just dont hang with it long enough to find that momment when this sport embraces them and they in return embrace it back.
I hear every word you are saying. My son went a whole year with out winning a match. We ended up switching clubs and nothing really changed. He he learned more and was more competitive but he still just wasnt into it 100%.
Then we were at Salina. He was doing well. We lost our first and was running through the back side and one more win to place. We were up by one and the kid reached on the inside of his leg and pinched him. He let out a scream and just let the kid go and stood up and the kid reversed him for 2 and we were done.
That was the momment! That was the day my son became a wrestler.
Next year we were state bound, the next year he was a state champion and the sport has become a passion.
It used to be that we did wrestling to stay in shape for football. Now we play football to stay in shape for wrestling.

This sport has the ability to change everything about a kid...
It was Schroeder that said it best: A lil saying for wrestlers to live by AWEEILIE.... After Wrestling Everything Else In Life Is Easy.
Good Luck to EVERYONE for the rest of this season!
Go Big or Go Home!!!