Living life by the 3 Ds…I recall with great clarity the words conveyed by Coach Steve Page on the first day of wrestling practice my senior year at Livermore High School in 1983. New to our school, Coach Page was no ordinary coach. He was a proven leader that had produced several great teams and individuals prior to taking the reins at Livermore. With a struggling program and only eleven kids in the room on day one, week one, he said, “Hey gang, to be a champion you must live by the 3 Ds, they are Dedication, Desire, and Determination…and against all odds, you can accomplish anything by making the 3 Ds the foundation of your life’s journey.”

Incredibly, by season’s end many had bought into his philosophy, and by now with well over 40 plus kids on the roster, the program was double in numbers from years past, and from a statistical perspective, produced a record number of wrestling accolades that season. Henceforth, Coach Page produced numerous championship teams, East Bay champions, North Coast Section champions, placers, California state placers, and All-Americans. Undoubtedly, Coach Page is by far the winningest coach in the school’s sixty-year wrestling history.

Reflecting back, I am convinced that the common denominator for a large percentage of the program’s success was not only believing in, but integrating Coach Page’s philosophy of the 3 Ds in their day-to-day lives, myself included. The proof is in the metric when one measures the large number of successful wrestlers, future coaches, and productive citizens that came out of the Livermore program and its impact to the community and society as a whole during his twenty plus year coaching tenure.

More recently, I had the opportunity to conduct a Q&A interview with Nampa’s Carson Exferd and from the start of our talk, his story and outlook in life resonated with me. In essence, his story reminded me so much of living life by the 3 Ds.

Unquestionably, Carson is DEDICATED to the task of balancing and committing his life to the sport of wrestling, academics, and family, which many that have competed in the circle understand is a lifestyle that requires many sacrifices in the process. His DESIRE to meet or exceed his goals are unparalleled by a majority his age. More importantly, his DETERMINATION to achieve at every level has been the kinetic force propelling him through tough obstacles, shortcomings, and challenges that have come his way.

Carson’s journey in the sport of wrestling began around the age of five back when his family lived in the state of Montana. The Treasure State, or as its unofficially nicknamed the “Big Sky Country,” is known for its wide-open spaces and diverse terrain ranging from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains. Unbeknownst to some, Montana is also known to produce tough wrestlers at all levels. For instance, Montreal Olympic Bronze medalist, Gene Davis and current USA Wrestling Coach Bill Zadick, also a world freestyle champion, come from the Treasure State.

Much like any kid at the age of five, life is simple, full of adventure, and following the traditional norms of playing and having fun with friends is common place. For Carson, he was your typical five year old, but unapparent to him at the time, he was on a trajectory to achieve great things in wrestling and life. Although his father had wrestled in high school in the state of Wisconsin, Carson’s initial introduction into the sport was by coincidence when he routinely hung out with his best friends at their father’s wrestling practice at Flathead High School. According to Carson, the environment in the wrestling room looked fun and exciting and he wanted to be a part of it.

Fortunately for Carson, the Head Coach at Flathead was Jeff Thompson, a former University of Minnesota wrestler and accomplished coach, who had won multiple state team titles, been recognized by the National Hall of Fame, and recently was inducted into the Montana Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Wasting no time, Carson entered the wrestling circle and never looked back.

Beyond a doubt, Carson’s introduction into the sport of wrestling was well grounded and an ideal environment to not only excel, but to maintain long term interest. He could not have begun his wrestling journey in a better place than in Montana under the leadership of Coach Thompson at Flathead. It was the wrestling culture of hard work, grit, and pursuit of continuous improvement that lured him in to be a part of. For the next few years Carson continued integrating himself in the wrestling culture by participating in as many wrestling competitions possible, attending all high school and club practices, and growing in the sport that had become an integral part of his life.

The next chapter in his wrestling career began when his family moved west to the Gem State of Idaho in the Treasure Valley. Covering ground, his parents explored every option possible to place Carson into a local club that provided him the same environment to excel as in Montana.

As luck would have it, the Treasure Valley had a rich history of strong wrestling dating back many years and close to home was the Bullcatcher Wrestling Club ran by longtime and accomplished coach Kelly Bartlett. Fortunately for Carson, now eight years old, his first training partner at Bullcatcher was Tanner Frothinger (University of Nebraska commit), which from a training perspective could not have been a better setting to grow in the sport. Additionally, the Bullcatcher WC was home to many future prep stars that are now successfully competing at the prep and collegiate levels. Being in this ideal environment, Carson’s passion for the sport, coupled by the talent in the room, progressively enhanced his wrestling aptitude by a significant factor and it showed in his early performances winning multiple kids level competitions in Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman in Idaho.

By the time Carson reached the fifth grade, he had made a name for himself in the wrestling circles in Idaho, and moving forward it was his goal to expand his competition challenges beyond the state level and compete at regional tournaments. While competing at the Salt Lake Slam in Utah in 2016, he beat fellow Idahoan’s Mack Mauger (Missouri commit) in the quarter-finals and Dedrick Navarro (Northwestern commit) for third place in a kid’s Novice freestyle competition, and unknown to him at the time, he and Navarro would end up being future teammates at Nampa High School. According to Carson, after the match, “Dedrick and I connected really well and we became very good friends, as well as with several other members of the Bulldog Wrestling Club.”

Not too long after the Salt Lake Slam, Carson joined the Bulldog Wrestling Club in Nampa. From that point forward, he has been a part of the Nampa wrestling family and presently the high school program is among the top in the state.

“Carson is among the toughest kids I have had the privilege to coach. He’s loyal and driven by passion and fortitude.”

• Roy Perales, Nampa Head Coach

It has been stated that surrounding yourself with positive, hardworking, and motivated people can affect every aspect of your life from business, academics, and sports. In essence, Iron sharpens Iron. Excelling in the sport of wrestling is no different, especially when balancing academics, day-to-day life, and the arduous demands of living life in the wrestling circle. Since his early beginnings, Carson has surrounded himself with a strong core group of wrestling partners that he has trained and competed with on a national level.

This core group consists of his Nampa teammates Dedrick Navarro (Northwestern commit), Simon Luna, Nikko Gonzalez, as well as his training partners within the club circuit since competing at the kids level in Idaho, which includes Tanner Frothinger, the Martino Brothers, Christopher (attending Princeton) and Matthew, and Hudson Rogers to name a few. The combined accolades of this talented core group is impressive, but more importantly is dedicated well above the norm. It has been Carson’s passion for the sport of wrestling, combined with his strong work ethic and commitment to train with the best, that has placed him among Idaho’s elite and on a trajectory to compete at the next level and beyond.

According to Levi Jones of the ALL-IN Wrestling Academy, “Carson is going to compete on the biggest stages in wrestling someday, he exemplifies the growth mindset and he is in love with learning ways he can better himself and those around him. I could not be more honored to be a small part of his journey. If I was still coaching in college, I would be recruiting him hard because he will lead and help build the best wrestling culture! The best is yet to come for Carson Exferd and I’m happy the state of Idaho and Al Fontes has recognized him into the Hidden Gem’s category! Let’s go!”

Traveling out of state and putting it on the line against the best competition possible has been the norm for Carson since middle school. Adding to his long list of accolades from the kids to middle school levels, Carson has accumulated an impressive wrestling resume while competing for Nampa High School.

Entering his junior season, Carson has earned two Idaho State titles in the 4A division (7^TH in the school’s history) and is in position to become the first wrestler at Nampa to earn a third and possible fourth individual title (Note – Nampa High School will compete in the 5A division during the 2022-’23 season). Winning a title at Rollie Lane Invitational his freshman year, he also earned state titles in Freestyle and Greco-Roman in the Junior division. Additionally, Carson has earned All-American honors at USA Preseason Nationals and more recently at the National High School Recruiting Showcase.

What’s more, Carson has been active in the sport of soccer since an early age. As a matter of fact, he has played competitive soccer for the last ten years and was on the varsity team and lettered during both his freshman and sophomore seasons at Nampa. Be that as it may, he decided to focus the fall season more on wrestling in order to prepare and compete at the Super 32 and Preseason Nationals.

Academically, Carson is an exceptional student and currently maintains a 3.75 GPA and has made the honor roll multiple times at Nampa. According to Carson, he enjoys the learning environment at Nampa High School and connects very well with his teachers and coaches.

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to observe Carson in competition at the highly competitive Reno Tournament of Champions, where he was seeded #11 in the tough 132-pound weight division. Winning his first four bouts with solid form, he lost a hard fought quarter-final match to FLO’s #14 nationally ranked Carlos Stanton of Sunnyside High School (AZ) by a decision of 8-4. Despite this loss, he battled hard throughout the consolation rounds and did not let this match deter him. In fact, he came back strong winning his next two matches and eventually finished the tournament competing against Stanton in the fifth place medal match.

Prior to the match, I had the opportunity to talk with Carson about his previous matches and provide him some encouragement. Focused and more than ready to do battle on the mat, he stated that he was going to wrestle Stanton even harder this time and beat him. There was no doubt that his competitive spirit was on full display and a reminder of what it means to have a “can-do,” never give up attitude. The second match was an epic battle for three solid rounds with Carson exchanging multiple counters upon counters, but coming up short in a 1-0 loss. Despite his final match not going his way, he left everything on the mat, wasting no time focusing on the past, and moving forward and more determined to prepare for the remainder of the season and to achieve the goals he has set.

In summary, Carson began his journey in wrestling at an early age and has been on a trajectory to achieve to his highest potential possible, both on and off the mat. From the first day that he set foot inside the wrestling circle to this day, he has not been fearful to put his reputation and talents on the line against the best of the best. His actions and competitive spirit is a reminder that has sparked great memories of when I first heard the 3 Ds speech by my coach close to forty years ago and how my outlook in life changed significantly from that point forward. I can describe it in one word, “POWERFUL.”

The accolades Carson has achieved thus far is serving as a sign of more to following in the years to come. Regardless of wins or losses, he will always move forward and continue on his trek in life pursuing the goals he has set for himself. He is an exceptional student, athlete and leader, not only on the mat, but in life. I look forward to watching Carson compete and pursue his goals in the years to come. Below is my Q&A interview where we discussed wrestling, family, hobbies, academics, and future goals in life.

Q&A INTERVIEW WITH NAMPA’S CARSON EXFERD

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN THE SPORT OF WRESTLING?

EXFERD – I began wrestling around the age of 5. When I lived in Montana, my two best friend’s father was the head coach at Flathead High School…Jeff Thompson. We hung out a lot at his high school practices and club. Shortly thereafter, I began wrestling in the kids level tournaments.

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN THE SPORT?

EXFERD – My coach at Nampa, Roy Perales and Levi Jones of the ALL-IN Wrestling Academy. Both have influenced me a great deal. Also, Rylan Rogers of Coeur d’ Alene High School. His knowledge and approach to the sport inspires me.

HEADING INTO YOUR JUNIOR SEASON, WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT AND LONG TERM GOALS AT NAMPA HIGH SCHOOL?

EXFERD – My short term goal is to earn All-American honors at the Reno TOC and Doc Buchanan Invitational. My long term goal is to go undefeated in Idaho and become the first four-time State Champion for Nampa High School.

HAVING HAD SOME GREAT SUCCESS AT THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER, DESCRIBE YOUR TRAINING ROUTINE AND YOUR OUTLOOK IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

EXFERD – Normally, I work out twice a day. This includes my daily practice at Nampa High School, running on my own, and attending practices with Levi Jones at ALL-IN Wrestling Academy.

DESCRIBE YOUR ACADEMIC AND WRESTLING EXPERIENCE AT NAMPA HIGH SCHOOL.

EXFERD – I connect very well with all my teachers and coaches. Nampa is a great learning environment.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE ACADEMC GOALS?

EXFERD – My goal is to graduate at Nampa High School with a 4.0 GPA.

DO YOU HAVE AMBITIONS OF COMPETING IN COLLEGE OR INTERNATIONAL COMPETION?

EXFERD – Yes, I want to wrestle at the Division I level in college and continue on to the international level.

IS THERE AN OLYMPIAN, COLLEGIATE LEVEL WRESTLER, COACH OR SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF THE SPORT OF WRESTLING THAT YOU WANT TO ASPIRE TO BE SOMEDAY?

EXFERD – My favorite wrestler is Roman Bravo-Young of Penn State. He has a funky style and hard work ethic.

WHAT LIFE LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED IN WRESTLING THAT APPLIES IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE?

EXFERD – You’re going to have to do things that you don’t want to do to be successful.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A YOUNG WRESTLER WANTING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE SPORT OF WRESTLING OR IN LIFE?

EXFERD – You have to learn to love the sport before you can work hard at the sport.

WHAT OTHER GOALS DO YOU HAVE IN LIFE?

EXFERD – It’s my goal to be a world class Big Game hunter.

DO YOU HAVE A SAYING, MOTTO OR PHILOSOPHY THAT YOU LIVE BY?

EXFERD – I expect to win…It’s my attitude at everything I do.

ONCE YOU ARE DONE COMPETING, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO STAY INVOLVED WITH WRESTLING?

EXFERD – Yes! I want to coach at the collegiate and international levels.

OUTSIDE THE SPORT OF WRESTLING, WHAT HOBBIES AND FAMILY FUNCTIONS DO YOU ENJOY MOST?

EXFERD – I enjoy hunting with my bow, duck hunting, and snowboarding.

ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC PROFILE

SCHOOL: Nampa High School (5A)

WRESTLING CLUBS: Bulldog Wrestling Club, ALL-IN WC (Levi Jones), Best on Best (Chris Owens)

PROJECTED WEIGHT: 126/132

GRADE: 11 (Class of 2024)

ACCADEMIC ACCOLADES

• GPA: 3.75

• Honor Roll (Multiple)

WRESTLING ACCOLADES

• 2x Idaho State Champion (4A) 2021-’22

• National H.S. Recruiting Showcase – All-American ‘22

• Idaho Freestyle State Champion – Junior ‘22

• Idaho Greco-Roman State Champion – Junior ‘22

• 2x IHSAA District III (4A) Champion 2021-‘22

• Reno Tournament of Championships placer ‘22

• USAW Preseason Nationals – All-American ’21

• Rollie Lane Invitational Champion ’21