FOREST CITY, IA--He's someone making a difference not only on the mat, but in the lives of North Iowa youth.
KIMT, along with our Giving Your Best partners, First Citizens National Bank, and Diamond Jo Casino, are honoring a Forest City man, who's given hundreds of hours over 15 years, helping kids to be their best.
This gym in Forest City is filled with more than just rowdy boys, some of them are the future of Iowa wrestling.
Forest City High School Wrestling Coach Murray Anderson says, "he's somebody like a pied piper, the kids follow him, he's got all kinds of energy, he makes everything a blast for the kids."
And at the helm of the Little Indians Wrestling Club is Todd Spooner.
Spooner says, "I do it for the kids you know, I grew up wrestling, my kids wrestled, and I just think it's a great sport, it teaches them discipline and hard work."
After starting the youth program in 1996 with just 13 wrestlers, 15 years later, Todd now coaches more than 70 youths a season... producing 126 youth state qualifiers and 3 youth national champs.
Anderson says, "He defines that award, I mean he's, he's doing everything, he does a lot for the wrestling club, he does a lot for our community, just all the time."
While Spooner jokes that this was all a total surprise for him, "The club president, she told me that you guys just wanted to come in and do a clip on youth wrestling, so I thought you guys were going to be interviewing the kids. I did not expect it at all."
Its more than just his hundreds of hours of all volunteer work... he's a mentor, a role model.
Anderson says, "He wants the kids to learn how to be good citizens, and you know everyday before practice starts it's 'guys get your homework done?' Everybody you know, 'I want good reports from the teachers'."
In true, humble volunteer fashion, Todd says the club could never do what they've done without the parents, driving around and supporting the kids.
"You know they don't just drop them off and leave them, they stay here, and that's what makes the club so great."
They'd probably agree that Todd has something to do with it too.
