Anthony Robles’ first season as head wrestling coach at Mesa High School left him hungry to accomplish even more at the school where he once wrestled before earning national attention at Arizona State.
Robles, 34, is a Mesa High alumnus who became one of the nation’s best college wrestlers at ASU, despite being born with only one leg.
At Mesa High, Robles won state individual championships his junior and senior years, going 96-0 combined those two seasons.
While at ASU, Robles won the Outstanding Wrestler Award at the 2011 NCAA tournament, where he was the individual champion in the 125-pound class. He went undefeated in his senior year in 2011 and was named a three-time NCAA All-American (2009-2011) while at ASU. Robles also received other notable accolades such as the Jimmy “V” award for perseverance, and the Best Male Athlete with a Disability at the 2011 ESPYS.
Now, Robles, who was a volunteer coach for the Sun Devils after he graduated, has returned to where it all started. He was the freshmen coach at Mesa in the 2021-22 season, and this season was his first as head coach of the program, comprised of both boys and girls who wrestle under Arizona Interscholastic Association sanctioned competition.
“I’m just blessed man, I get to be a dad and I get to be a wrestling coach at a program I love. Life is good that’s for sure,” Robles said.
And he was already looking ahead just after this season wrapped up.
“I’m just trying to take a successful program and make it even that much more successful. It’s a big shoe to fill but I’m ready for it, I’m excited. My goal is to make this a top-five program in the state and eventually we’d like to be a team state champ.”
Robles’ experience clearly is an asset, but he said at times this season it also would cause him to get too ahead of himself while coaching the high school wrestlers. Luckily, he had his former high school coach, Bobby Williams to help guide him.
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“It’s really been awesome to have coach Williams with me this year, he’s constantly reminding me to break everything down from square one,” Robles said. “Being a coach was always a long-term goal of mine.”
Robles said one of the keys he tried to instill in his young wrestlers was to look beyond the physical aspects of the sport and also embrace the mental side, such as scouting an opponent and understanding their own weaknesses, all while always believing in themselves.
“Having that mindset as a competitor, I think it’s really helped me as a coach,” Robles said. “What do we need to work on? What do we need to be prepared for next time around for our competition? It’s definitely been helpful.”
Robles said the girls’ program at Mesa High is growing and a large number of boys are moving up from the freshman and sophomore levels.
During the recent AIA state tournament, the girls’ team finished seventh overall. In addition, two wrestlers placed in their weight classes: Opal Jarman at 126 and Kailey Cisneros at 132.
Mesa’s boys’ team finished eighth overall, with two boys taking first in their weight classes: Joseph Jarman in 138 and Rowan Gneiting in 190.
“My heart was leaping for joy for them,” said Robles. “To be able to play a small part in them reaching their goal it’s something I’ll never forget, and I was blessed to have that opportunity and memory.”
Robles expects the sport to continue growing in popularity now that girls are able to compete in Arizona as a sanctioned AIA sport. And, he hopes, that his own example will lead more students who might not have considered wrestling to give it a try.
“You don’t have to be the tallest, the fastest, the strongest… you can be missing a leg, you can be missing an arm, you just go out there and figure out a style that will work for you,” said Robles.
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He said coaching has opened his eyes to a different way of approaching the sport himself.
“Before as a competitor, it was ‘What can I do to be a better athlete?’ Now, all the focus is, ‘How can I help these kids? How can I motivate them?’ You have to set yourself up for the future,” Robles said. “As a coach, I’m really maturing and learning.”