Wrestling is full-contact for table crew, too

I’ve always appreciated the hard work put in by high school students when their school is hosting a wrestling tournament. If they’re not selling something, cleaning something or putting something away, they’re working at one of the tables mat-side.
Now on the surface, this is a great gig. Even though you’re working, you have a great seat next to the mat. Rim of the World High School students Callie Fuller and Garrett Martin were working the table at the middle mat at the Beresford Invitational, with great views of the championship matches. Both were working so hard, I didn’t see them get up from their table for at least a couple of hourse, except when two wrestlers collided with the table.
Now, these were just any two wrestlers. They were heavyweights. One, Cajon’s Brandon Rucker, is at the upper end of the heavyweight range, 285 pounds. He was facing Charles Wood of South Torrance who was lighter than Rucker, but was no lightweight either. While both were standing and locked up, they crashed into the table, sending Fuller and Martin reeling backwards, knocking the table over, spilling a soda among other things in the process.
“I was shaking for a while afterward,” Fuller admits.
They righted the table, and got back to work. Kudos to Fuller and Martin, just two of the unsung heroes who help make high school wrestling tournaments happen but sometimes get a little too close to the action.
Is there workman’s comp for table crews?

Share this

Facebook Twitter Plusone Digg Reddit Stumbleupon Tumblr Email