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Tom Shaw, Washington State Wrestling Association State Chairman, collapsed and died while returning from the Cadet and Junior Freestyle State Championships in Spokane, Washington this morning April 22nd, 2001 about 11:30 a.m.
April 22, 2001 - I was shocked and dismayed this evening when I got the call from Sherry Bullard about Tom's passing. It was just 24 hours ago that I remember Tom coming up behind me at the Cadet and Junior State Tournament and rubbing my shoulders while I was sitting at the scorers table. After officiating all day I was "wound like a spring" and Tom could tell. It was a very comforting show of support from Tom last night and it will always be my last memory of him, someone who really cared about people. I first met Tom in 1993 when my son was a PeeWee wrestler. We were practicing with a local club. My son (and both his parents) were becoming really excited about this "wrestling thing". I was introduced to Tom through some mutual wrestling friends and liked him right from the start. He had a great sense of humor. We were part of a small club (about 8 kids freestyling) and wanted to get our son additional exposure to moves and training techniques. Tom invited him to practice with his Marysville club on the days Jonny didn't practice with his own club. He did this for a year or two until we joined the USA Everett Club. Tom was also involved with the USA Everett club at the time in that his son Brian trained there. Of the kids that I have watched train over the years, the one I hoped Jonny would emulate the most was Brian Shaw. I thought his technique was great and he was such a fluid wrestler but it wasn't just his wrestling that I admired. Although Everett has had a lot great kids (as people, not just wrestlers) I think Brian was the nicest and most polite one that I met over the years. That he could wrestle at the level he was capable of was just a bonus. Tom would always complement us on our son's abilities and since this was "Brian's Dad", it meant a lot to us. There are things people will tell you over time that burn in your mind as memories. I remember Tom telling me that he had been watching Jonny since he was little and new he would "be a good one because of the work ethic he showed as a PeeWee." In 1997 he stood next to me at the Edmonds Rhino tournament and watched as Jonny sat out from the bottom and then did a cartwheel (completely inverted) over the opponents back to score the reversal. At that moment he said "Jonny has always been a 'good' wrestler but now he has become an 'eloquent' wrestler". In my mind it was the kind of move that Brian would have done in the same situation! I will miss receiving those kinds of complements from Tom in the future. Tom worked hard to get a Junior Duals team together and compete back in Oklahoma. Not only did they compete, they kicked butt! If not for injuries depleting the team to the point of having to withdraw, who knows how far they may have gone. It made me proud earlier this year when he asked me about my son's age and told me that Jonny was his 98 pounder for the Junior Dual team in two years. I hope we make that trip in 2003 and wish our friend could be there with us. I know he will be in spirit. The I-5 tournament that Tom ran was always a special and very tough tournament. I know a lot of people complained about how long the tournament went but that is what happens if you have the biggest and toughest tournament in the state. I loved it when our kids were still wrestling at 8:30 at night and they were rolling up mats all around them. It meant you had a LOT of matches and a LOT of wins if you were fortunate enough to still be wrestling at that time of night. Until we started attending Western Regionals (and above), the I-5 was our "big tournament." I will remember the "Road Kill Cafe" and the Road Kill Award. I remember Brian Shaw and Coyte Cooper entering two weight groups each in order to get more matches (and pins) competing against each other to try and win the award. We will miss Tom's direction in this tournament. As Director of the state association Tom worked hard to improve the opportunities for our state's wrestlers. Being on the board of any volunteer association is usually a thankless position and being the president is even more so. In spite of health problems over the last few years, Tom continued to work for the association and for all the wrestlers in this state. I'm proud to have had Tom as my friend over the years and will miss him dearly. The past 12 months have been very tough on our state with the passing of Tom Shaw, Mike Hess and Graham Moran. I hope they are all happy in the big wrestling mat in the sky. Dave Gilbertson Everett, WA July 31, 2001 - Tom
Shaw named USA Wrestling State Chairperson of
the Year |
