By Brian Jerzak
The sports world is littered with stories of athletes who focus so much on their sport that everything else takes a back seat. The media loves to champion how focused elite athletes like Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback Tom Brady is. Waconia two-time state champion Max McEnelly is one of those rare athletes who is an elite athlete who strives not to be laser-focused on one thing but who strives for balance in his life.
"I have to have a balanced life. Wrestling can't be the only thing I think about," McEnelly said. "I try to have fun outside of wrestling, so it is not the thing I am thinking of all the time. When it is time to do my work, I do my work, but when it is time to hang out, relax and be a teenager, I can do that too. I think you should have a balanced life with wrestling."
Make no mistake, McEnelly strives for balance in his life but is also focused on results.
"The goal is to be a four-time state champion," McEnelly said. "No one has ever done it at my school. It would mean a lot for my hometown and my family. I go out there with the mentality that I am going to win every match, but I have to stay humble."
McEnelly's wrestling career started humbly.