Life & Work with Connor Steensma of Western Michigan University

Today we’d like to introduce you to Connor Steensma

Hi Connor, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started working on forming the club in November of 2023. I got invited to work on it by another student I hadn’t met quite yet, his name is Tyler. Over the next few months, we worked on everything we needed to do in order to get the wrestling club to become an official Registered Student Organization (RSO) at WMU in May of 2024. Tyler was our first president, but due to workload, in April of 2024, before we became an RSO, he stepped down from his position as president, which is when I stepped in from vice president to be our second president. Over the next few months, myself and a small group of people who showed interest in wrestling for WMU did a lot of work to promote the team and fundraise so we could afford to compete. Our first season saw us having a total of 17 individuals on the competitive roster, joining and competing as a part of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA), and raising over $10,000 for our program. As we gear up for our second season, we are coming with quite a bit of new and exciting features that weren’t available for us in our first season. We launched our website, wmuwrestling.com, where you can find everything WMU Wrestling. We will be launching WMU Wrestling merchandise that will be available to the public for purchase. We now have a full coaching staff consisting of seven coaches from all over Michigan. We will be competing more than we did last year and are looking to continue to make a name for ourselves.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been many trials and tribulations along the way. We have faced what seems like continuous trials, from raising enough money to compete, finding a coaching staff who are willing to volunteer to coach and who share the same vision that all of us at the wrestling club share for the future of the club, to finding a practice facility on campus at WMU, a challenge which we have been facing since the inception of the club. We always find a way to make things work. in our eyes, we have to find a way to make everything work because if we don’t, then we will fade out of existence like the last few wrestling programs at WMU. It took us about a year and a half of constantly looking to find a dedicated head coach that was eager to grow our program and to help us succeed and exceed our goals.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I currently work for my father’s company, Steensma Lawn and Power Equipment, as a customer service representative, where I am responsible for getting customers the parts they need for their lawn mowers, tractors, chainsaws, leaf blowers, etc. as well as make sure that customers receive the best service possible when they bring mowers, tractors, or any other equipment in to be fixed. Before working for Steensma Lawn and Power, I worked in a few different restaurants as a cook for the past three years or so. Some establishments I have worked in is Texas Corners Brewing Company and Rykse’s. I learned to cook in these kitchens, which has lead to a love for cooking. I am most proud of the Wrestling Club to be completely honest. It’s taken a lot of work and a lot of time and dedication to get it to where it is today and where it will be in the coming years. What sets me apart from everyone else, and what I believe is one of the only reasons the club is successful and growing, is my work ethic and ability to make things happen. When I enrolled at WMU, I knew there wasn’t a wrestling program that I could join. I fell in love with wrestling in the two years that I competed in high school and I wanted to wrestle in college. Because I wanted to wrestle in college, I decided I would wrestle in college, which meant I had to form a club. So I did and now I’m able to wrestle. It really was that simple for me. I wanted something done, there wasn’t an avenue for me to get that something done, so I created an avenue for it get done. What’s even better than myself being able to wrestle is that myself and many others have been able to create the opportunity for anyone else at WMU to wrestle for and represent their university.

What matters most to you?
My family and friends matter the most to me. They’re my support system and in my opinion any good relationship regardless of the type requires a support system of some sort. I know that my family and friends would do anything for me and they know that I would do anything for them. As far as traits go, respect and honesty are the two things I care about the most. Selflessness is also something that I care about a lot. I believe that everybody should be treated with respect, and when meeting someone new, that there is a foundational level of mutual respect that needs to be had between myself and whoever I’m meeting. Honesty is key in running a healthy and successful endeavor, like the wrestling club. I have to be able to base decisions off of facts and truthful information. If I can’t do that, then the program will fail. Selflessness is one of the most important things to just being a good person. Put others before yourself and be sure to look out for those around you. If someone needs something and you can help, then you should help, regardless of if you want to or not.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wmuwrestling.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wmuwrestlingclub/?hl=en