Matt Fiordirosa, a wrestling coach and father from Ingleside, Illinois, recently shared his experience after his son lost a match and noticed his dad’s frustrated body language.
His 7-year-old son, Luca, lost his match at a recent wrestling event called the Didi Duals.
However, being a little upset about his son losing for a few seconds led Luca to notice his dad’s frustration and reflect on it, which sparked an interesting conversation between them.
In the post, Matt praised Luca and his team for their effort, grit, and focus during the matches.
7-Year-Old Wrestler Son Catches His Dad’s Frustrated Body Language After a Loss, While Father Says It’s Never About the Results, It’s About the Effort!
In the post, Matt highlights a learning moment after Luca lost a close match.
Matt explained that he always tells his son that effort and growth are more important than winning or losing.
However, he admitted that he felt upset for a few seconds because he hates seeing hard work go unrewarded.
Luca surprised his dad by calmly handling the loss, shaking hands, and listening to the coaches.
Later, Lucas said something that caught Matt off guard:
“I just don’t like when you get upset that I lost.”
Following his son’s statement, Matt realized that even subtle body language can affect how children feel.
Afterwards, Matt and his son Luca had a good conversation, and Matt said that it was quite interesting to hear the words coming from his 7-year-old boy.
The post reached many people, and multiple other parents commented, expressing their support and saying what a good dad Matt is.
One user in the comments wrote:
I think it speaks volumes that you have given him the home that has fostered the emotional growth and support to where he feels comfortable enough to vocalize that something you did upset him—even more so that it was your response to his loss. That courage (on his behalf) speaks volumes. You are raising a true leader! I was already impressed, but honestly, you are setting the example for so many other coaches/clubs to follow.
Matt said he wants Luca to succeed for himself and enjoy the lessons wrestling teaches, not just to make others happy.
Lastly, in the post, Matt reminded other parents and coaches to reflect on how they react to their children’s wins and losses.
