As the head coach at Berthoud High School for 26 years, Scott Pickert experienced it all. Triumph. Tragedy. And everything in between. On and off the mat, his wrestling family was the common thread that carried him through and helped him navigate through all types of waters.

“I may have been the guy trying to steer the ship, but we had lots of people helping along the way,” Pickert said. “I always liked the old saying, ‘it takes a village.’ That’s what Berthoud wrestling has always been about.”

Pickert grew up in New York state, moving to Berthoud during his sophomore year of high school. With two other brothers and a family dairy farm to tend to, wrestling provided an outlet. Literally. “My (older) brothers would come home from school and put me in a wrestling hold and say, ‘Try to get out of this one,’” Pickert said. “All of my family members were involved in athletics, including my mom and dad, my brothers, and sister. I think I started wrestling in about second or third grade. It was always part of our family DNA.”

Pickert went on to win a pair of individual state titles at Berthoud before moving on to earn All-American status at Mesa College (now Colorado Mesa University) in 1986 and 1988.

After that, the dairy farm and the old stomping grounds of Berthoud were calling once again. “There just happened to be a job open, and Berthoud is where the family farm was and still is.,” Pickert said.

“Having a chance to five back to the kids, and not spend all your time on the farm…having a release other than the farm was healthy.”

While at Berthoud, Pickert racked up accolades and guided several wrestlers to the state podium. His first champion came in 1999 with Jason Vigil, and he went on to coach nine more champions, five runners-up, and 47 total placers.

“The coaching part of it was always a pleasure, just meeting young men and watching them grow into more mature, good citizens and adults,” Pickert said. “When I first started, I didn’t know that was the goal. But as my career progressed, it became less about winning and losing and more about helping them become good husbands, fathers, and community members.”

One of the biggest testimonies to the community came in 2007, when two Berthoud wrestlers – Tyler Carron and Nikko Landeros – lost their legs in a tragic accident. Pickert helped to rally the Colorado wrestling community to support Carron, Landeros, and their families in their time of need. And it was no surprise to Pickert when the two found resilience and a new calling on their way to winning multiple Paralympic gold medals as members of the U.S. sled hockey team.

“I always knew they would compete again; it was just the mindset they have,” Pickert said. “They’re wrestlers. They’re tough.”

(Presenter- Lenny Bachicha)