The VTSU Castleton wrestling team has been one of the most prominent teams on campus in recent memory.

The Spartans have a deep roster with skilled athletes across all weight classes and they’re led by Coach Scott Legacy. This team is led by an experienced coach who fosters a culture of hard work, discipline, and mental toughness.

Legacy has built a culture that emphasizes teamwork and strong leadership from both players and coaches.

“Everybody is brought into the culture and we all understand what it takes to be a nationally ranked team,” Legacy said. “The other thing is we believe in our philosophy of you’re only as good as the guy above you and beneath you. It’s not easy to get athletes to buy into, but it’s a fact and if you can get everyone to buy into that mindset that is when you can have success.”

The Spartans also have a well-rounded coaching staff that brings different levels of knowledge to certain aspects of the sport. Having that variety on the coaching staff enhances the wrestling experience ensuring athletes receive a quality amount of knowledge while balancing that out with a quality amount of support.

The Spartans added graduate assistant Ryan Foutz onto the staff. Foutz, a Roanoke, Virginia native comes from Roanoke College. He always had aspirations of becoming a wrestling coach and felt Castleton’s winning culture was something he wanted to be a part of.

“I’ve always loved wrestling and had success of my own in my wrestling career but in college I didn’t achieve all the goals I wanted to, so it motivated me to get into coaching to help others achieve their goals and fulfill their ability,” Foutz said.

It’s been tough for Foutz as he adjusts from being an athlete to his coaching role. Foutz is learning how to focus on the development and growth of others because he’s so familiar with focusing on himself. This transition demands a lot of adjusting fir the new coach because he not only has to also navigate the investment in others but also the team dynamics.

“It’s a different culture from what I’ve been used to because everybody here loves being around each other,” Foutz said. “Because the environment is so welcoming, everyone wants to be a part of the team and they all treat each other equally which is awesome.”

The Spartans have garnered national recognition with their recent success at the Penn College Invitational and a sweep of the Stevens Tech Quad. Legacy is pleased with the program’s success and believes it’s made an impact on both the school and the belief in what the team thinks they can achieve in the long-term.

“I believe the team sees our recent success as representing Castleton in a special way and they’re very proud of that. The team as a whole appreciates the fact that we’re being recognized at the national level because it’s showing that all the work we’re put in is paying off,” Legacy said.

Leadership always plays a crucial role in the success of a team as it shapes both the culture and performance of the team. Legacy and the team understand it’s about creating an environment of accountability, motivation and support that drives the collective success each of them desire to have. But Legacy’s expectations for the leaders and veteran wrestlers goes further than their impact on the mat.

“I expect our leaders off the mat to lead like they’re good students, be good community people, and always strive to become a better person. I believe all of that leads you to doing good things on the mat,” Legacy said. “I think that too many times people look at what you have to do athletically and we kind of reverse it.”

The Spartans have set a standard of excellence in Division 3 college wrestling. Their continuous relevance in the national spotlight has given the program a confidence that makes them believe that they’re national title contenders. And rightfully so. Legacy has witnessed the growth of the team each season and he believes they have what it takes to bring home the championship.

“We believe we can bring home the NCAA trophy and it’s not just what we want, but what we believe,” Legacy said. “Winning the championship would motivate us to strive for more and help us take another step into becoming better than what we already are.”