WIBN Ambassador Spotlight | Fox Maxwell

Fox Maxwell, The "King of Consolations"

Whatever phrase you use, "On the backside," "dropped to consis," "wrestling for third,"….., after a wrestler loses the first match in a wrestling tournament, they still have a chance to finish third in the tournament. The realization that a wrestler cannot 'win' the tournament can often negatively impact their performance after that initial tournament loss, but other wrestlers thrive under pressure. Fox Maxwell is precisely that type of wrestler. Throughout his wrestling career, he has thrived "on the backside," and this mental toughness all but guarantees his success in his professional career. We are proud to feature him in our Ambassador Spotlight for March 2022. Fox is a graduating senior at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.

Growing up in Wilmington, Massachusetts, his name "Fox" was given to him because it was his mother's maiden name and paid homage to his Native American ancestry. Although his father wrestled, Fox didn't immediately enjoy the sport. After a brief try as a young kid (and an 0-4 day at his first tournament), he decided it wasn't for him. However, he would come back to it during his freshman year and catch the bug. In his first year as a freshman, he wrestled on the junior varsity and had a lot of success at that level. At the end of the season, his coach invited him to a college super regional tournament, and it was at that moment, Fox decided that he wanted to wrestle in college. From that day forward, he committed to the sport and his future. Frequently working out and training multiple times per day, he knew that he had to catch up to those wrestlers who had started wrestling at a much earlier age than he did. And the hard work paid off. He made steady progress during his sophomore through senior years and would finish on the podium but never at the top.

After he graduated from Wilmington High School, he decided to start at community college before transferring to a four-year school. During the year in community college, he began volunteering at the club where he had wrestled: Metro West in Natick, Massachusetts. While mentoring and coaching young wrestlers, he trained and started looking at New England schools to attend before ultimately landing at Bridgewater State University, a Division III school south of Boston.

At Bridgewater State, Fox has had a very successful career. This year, at the super regional tournament, Fox lost an early match and found himself "on the backside" again. Undeterred, he battled for a third-place finish and qualified for the Division III National Tournament. Although he didn't have his best tournament at Nationals, he had a great experience and has no regrets. His goal was to wrestle in college, and he is content that all his work led him to his goal of wrestling in college and graduating.

Fox rarely found himself at the top of the podium throughout his wrestling career despite being on it. It was the losses that fueled him and that helped him improve every day. He sees his third-place finishes as a badge of honor that he will never quit or give up. On the contrary, he prides himself on performing at his best when the stakes are most high.

Fox will graduate with a Business Management degree. Much like how he set a goal of wrestling in college, he also has established goals for his professional career, planning to get into the real estate industry. He is currently studying to become a real estate agent and pass the licensing exam. Beyond that, he plans to open up his real estate brokerage and start a moving company to complement his real estate business. Fox is also exploring a future in the National Guard to help him pay back his student loans. He sees a commission as an Officer in the National Guard as a way to help with college debt and help him develop leadership skills that can help in his professional career.

Like virtually every wrestler, Fox is well aware that wrestling was the foundation for all other success he's had in his life thus far. It has been the foundation of his entire life's plan and gave him the discipline and focus to remain committed to achieving those goals. He is excited about the possibilities ahead and knows that the intangible benefits of wrestling will likely be the reason for his future success.

As a testament to how much the sport has done for him, Fox continues to mentor and coach young wrestlers at his club (Metro West). He wants these young men and women to glean from the sport the very lessons he has learned so they can achieve their goals. Last weekend, he traveled to Virginia Beach for the NHSCA National Tournament with the club team. He will continue to give back to the sport and promote the life lessons it teaches.

In June, at Bridgewater State University, Fox will become the first member of his family to graduate from college, a familiar theme amongst wrestlers. Wrestling ranks second among all sports in the highest percentage of first-generation college-bound students. His future is very bright; we are proud to have him as a team member. Best of luck, Fox!