For Chris Perry, wrestling has never been just a sport.It’s about family, it’s about discipline, and accountability. And now, it’s an opportunity.
Perry has been named the new head wrestling coach at Lakewood High School, taking over the county’s lone remaining high school wrestling program with hopes of not only sustaining it, but helping it grow into something much bigger.
The opportunity comes at a critical time for Lakewood wrestling, a program Perry acknowledged was facing an uncertain future before he stepped forward to lead it.
“I didn’t want them to close the program,” Perry explained. “I love wrestling, and I love helping kids. My children were going to be there as well. It was really a no-brainer for me.”
Lakewood Athletic Director Darren Hulen believes Perry is the right person for the job.
“Lakewood is very pleased to welcome Coach Perry and his family,” Hulen stated. “We are excited to see what his enthusiasm and knowledge will bring to our wrestling team.”
That enthusiasm became apparent almost immediately.
During a conversation about the future of the program, Perry spoke less about wins and losses and more about creating opportunities for student-athletes.
Wrestling, he believes, fills an important gap for athletes who may not fit into traditional winter sports.
“What does the big man do during the winter?” Perry asked. “A lot of offensive linemen and defensive linemen don’t want to play basketball. Wrestling gives them an opportunity to stay active, get stronger and continue competing.”
The sport’s benefits extend well beyond the wrestling mat.
Perry pointed to Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, a former state wrestling champion, as one of many examples of football players who credit wrestling for helping shape their athletic careers.
“Ray Lewis will tell you wrestling made him a better football player,” Perry stressed. “That’s what we’re trying to do. A lot of these kids wrestle and play football, and wrestling helps them become better athletes.”
In Perry’s view, few sports challenge an athlete physically and mentally the way wrestling does.
“There is football conditioning, basketball conditioning and baseball conditioning,” Perry explained. “Then there’s wrestling conditioning. Wrestling is on a different level.”
That level of commitment is one of the reasons he believes the sport develops character unlike any other.
Unlike football, basketball or baseball, there are no teammates to hide behind once a wrestler steps onto the mat.
“It’s one-on-one,” he said. “You can’t blame a receiver for dropping a pass. You can’t blame a quarterback for throwing a bad pass. You can’t blame somebody for missing a block. It’s all on you.”
That accountability is a lesson Perry hopes his athletes carry long after their wrestling careers end.
“You have to instill a passion for it,” he said. “If the kids develop a passion for wrestling, the rest takes care of itself.”
Perry’s own journey with the sport began long before becoming a coach.
A Fayetteville native and self-described military brat, Perry spent much of his childhood in North Carolina while his family moved with military assignments. He wrestled in junior high before attending Fayetteville Academy, where he focused on basketball and baseball because wrestling was unavailable.
After graduating, Perry enlisted in the United States Army at 18 years old and served six years, including time in Afghanistan and with the 7th Special Forces Group.
It was during his military service that wrestling re-entered his life.
Through fellow soldiers who competed in the sport, Perry rediscovered the value of wrestling as a training tool.
“When I got back into it in the Army, that’s what we did for conditioning and team training,” Perry recalled. “There’s really no shape like wrestling shape.”
Today, Perry is a disabled veteran who works on motorcycles, a trade he has practiced for roughly 15 years. Yet much of his life revolves around wrestling thanks to his six children, all of whom have competed in the sport.
“We’ve built our lives around wrestling,” Perry said. “Family vacations get planned around tournaments. It’s really a lifestyle.”
That family-first approach is one reason he believes he connects so well with young wrestlers.
After coaching his own children for years, Perry eventually found himself helping programs wherever opportunities arose. When Lakewood needed leadership, he answered the call.
Now, he hopes to build on a foundation that already includes state-level talent.
Lakewood returns wrestlers such as Parker Pope and Amoni Parker, both of whom qualified for the state championships last season.
“We’re going to build on what they’ve already got going,” the Lakewood coach said. “Hopefully we can keep growing from there.”
Growth, however, extends beyond wins, losses and tournament appearances.
Perry recently accompanied wrestlers to a camp at the University of Mount Olive and has already begun spreading the word about the program through social media and community outreach. An Instagram page has been launched, and new athletes have already expressed interest in joining the team.
Rather than focusing solely on recruiting athletes from other sports, he wants to create a culture that attracts students naturally.
“I’m going to go to school events and meet-and-greets, put information out there and let people know we’re here,” he said.
His long-term vision reaches beyond Lakewood’s campus.
Perry would like to see wrestling return to other schools throughout Sampson County, creating opportunities for more student-athletes to experience the sport’s benefits.
“I’d love to see wrestling grow throughout the county,” he said. “I’d love to see other schools start programs and build from there.”
Having witnessed wrestling’s explosive growth during his years in Florida, Perry believes North Carolina is poised for similar expansion.
“I saw it go from where North Carolina is now to becoming a monster,” he attested. “That’s what I’d like to see happen here.”
For now, the focus remains on Lakewood.
A program once facing uncertainty now has a coach eager to invest his time, energy and passion into its future.
And if Perry gets his way, the Leopards won’t simply keep wrestling alive.
They’ll help put it on the map.
“We’re hoping to bring some state champions to Lakewood,” the coach said. “That’s the goal.”