(Photo from Port Washington Public School District)
Matthew Castillo is a senior at Schreiber High School and the captain of the Viking Wrestling team. He has been wrestling since he was in kindergarten when he joined the Port Youth Athletics wrestling program, which led to a historic wrestling career.
From a young age, Castillo was inspired by his older brothers. “His older brothers wrestled, so he was always at those matches,” said mom Kelly Castillo. “He would watch their tournaments and cheer on his brothers and the other kids on the team. The team was always wrestling with him between matches and he just loved it.”
“Wrestling is my favorite sport,” Castillo said. “There is no secret to wrestling. I put a lot of extra time in running, lifting, and going to extra wrestling practices.”
“When you win, you stay humble and when you lose, you lose with pride and keep your head up,” Castillo said. “Every match is a lesson and I am always looking to improve for the next one. Wrestling has taught me many lessons that I will carry throughout life, especially accountability and responsibility.”
Castillo’s positivity and humility are vital qualities that make him a good team captain.
“Castillo is a three-time captain and has been an exceptional leader through his incredible work ethic in the wrestling room,” Viking wrestling coach Anthony Schettino said. “Castillo makes good decisions and stays away from anything that would affect his performance. He vocally supports and lifts his teammates whenever they face adversity. Castillo has certainly served as a role model to the younger guys on the team.”
“Castillo went on to win or make the finals of every single tournament during the regular season,” said Schettino. “He was recognized as the Section 8, Nassau County Wrestling Sportsmanship of the Year Recipient. Castillo will be competing in the National Championships at the end of March. We wish him the best!”
Castillo led the team to a historic season as captain, and his personal wrestling
career is monumental. Castillo has 134 career wins. He has been honored five times as a New York State Scholar-Athlete and is a
three-time Nassau County finalist.
The discipline Castillo learned from wrestling has transferred over to improve his dedication to education, which has allowed Castillo many options when it comes to his future.
“I’m still deciding what I want to do, but I know that whichever path I decide to take will lead to great success due to the grit I developed on the mat,” Castillo said.
