He's a "Matt" of all trades
12/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Wrestling
Funny to think that Cassidy could probably be a star running back or baseball player in college right now, but instead chose to compete in wrestling. In fact, he never focused on just one sport until he came to college. So why did wrestling earn the right to be his number one passion? “I love the one on one competition that wrestling offers. It’s just you and your opponent out there. Nothing in sports can top it.”
Nothing, you say Matt? What about running for 300-yards in a football game during his younger days at
The time came for Cassidy to choose a college and he said it wasn’t a very difficult decision given all of the positives that Lehigh has to offer. “Obviously Lehigh has a great wrestling program with tons of tradition and the great academics of the school make it even more attractive to recruits.” Cassidy continues, “Having Coach Strobel at the helm also bodes well for Lehigh. Coach has a fantastic reputation having been an Olympic coach and with all of the top wrestlers he’s developed over the years.”
Strobel likes having athletes of Cassidy’s caliber on Lehigh’s team, as well as student-athletes with the 184-pounders mentality. “I’m intrigued by multi-sport athletes, they pique my interest. I know that they are dividing time between sports, so that when it comes time to turn their attention to the one sport, there is great room for growth.”
Strobel continues, “If an athlete is only playing one sport, they might ‘peak out’ so to speak, and they can’t seem to get any better, but with someone in Matt’s case, he has room for growth and he’s been doing just that while at Lehigh.”
If being a tremendous athlete or having one of the nation’s finest coaches at his every disposal weren’t enough, than perhaps having bloodlines that go back to his uncle Steve, who was an EIWA Champion and two-time captain during the mid-90’s at Lehigh, will give Cassidy the advantage he needs to become a legendary wrestler in the Brown and White.
“My uncle is the reason I started wrestling in the first place. He’s always been there for me, helping me with my technique and mindset entering matches. I can always call him when I need to, whether it’s with something pertaining to wrestling or school, or just something about life that I need to talk about. He’s a great friend to me.”
Cassidy’s uncle is not the only family member that has helped him cope with some of college’s tough times. “My parents have backed me with everything I’ve ever done, be that academically or athletically. If I need someone to complain to when life starts getting me down, I can call home and my parents are there to listen.”
Cassidy continues, “My teammates have also been great. We are really like a family in terms of always being there for one another, joking around, hanging out constantly. Every weekend we watch football together on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. We’ll watch movies or go to the movies, whatever it is, we’re always hanging out, doing it together.”
Lying low is one of the terms Cassidy liked to use when describing the off-mat activities that he and his teammates take part in, mainly because that is Matt’s personality when he’s not earning 21 wins on the mat, as he did last season. Cassidy is a laid back type of guy, very non-confrontational and always looking for some fun. The type of people as Strobel tells us, that he likes having around his program.
“I like that laid back attitude and approach to things that Matt brings to the table. Whether it be in sports or in life, you can’t be serious about everything all of the time. You need that balance and Matt has that.”
This balance that Strobel speaks of was never more prevalent than when Cassidy competed in the second annual “Superstars” competition during last summer. In the Superstars competition, one member from each team at Lehigh represents his respective squad in a myriad of athletic competitions, be that weight lifting, baseball, swimming, track and field, etc. Cassidy represented the wrestling team and says that it was a great experience all around. “We had a lot of fun that day. It was just an all around good day. You see the other athletes around campus, but you may not know them that well, so to be with them at an all-day event like that and compete as hard as you can was well worth it.”
