My name is Ed Schneider. I was born and raised in Fishtown, a neighborhood of Philadelphia. Fishtown has undergone major change over the last 50 years and so have I. I hold a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in education from Temple University. I teach philosophy and history at Council Rock South High School in Bucks County, PA. I am the Captain of the lifeguards in Wildwood, New Jersey. I would not be who I am without the sport of wrestling positively altering my life’s trajectory as a student, a wrestler, a coach, and a person.
Over forty years of my life have been spent on a wrestling mat. I started as a high school wrestler and moved on to coaching high school and youth wrestling programs in both Philadelphia and Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I eventually began mentoring coaches and helped NCAA athletes to understand the growth of the Philadelphia wrestling culture and the differences in Philadelphia neighborhoods. On my journey through wrestling, I have been blessed to work with businesspeople, politicians, police officers, teachers, NCAA All-Americans, Olympians, tournament directors, wrestling coaches, families and wrestlers of all ages.
While reading this book, you will see each chapter has a statement about what was going on in the city of Philadelphia or a city neighborhood. The statement is followed by a quote that represents the mindset of the chapter. The content of each chapter is the journey the sport of wrestling has taken me on, my journey. Please pay attention to the personal connections and the people mentioned. More important than the wins and the losses, more important than the sport, are the people I have met along my wrestling journey.