Private Schools: Chance Robinson Can Do Everything You Think He Can't

Don’t ever tell Chance Robinson he can’t do something. Truth is, he’s a warrior. The 16-year-old junior with autism rose up through the ranks at St. Edward High School to become one of the toughest wrestlers to beat, coming within one match of qualifying for the 2020 state tournament. His hard work inspired his coach to create an award named after him for future kids who give it their all. Robinson, who also plays on St. Ed’s football team and sings in the choir, is looking forward to his junior year and hitting the wrestling mat again.

Throw Down: Though Robinson committed to wrestling as a sixth grader, the sport did not come naturally to him. “When I first started wrestling, I wasn’t very good,” he says. Coaches and teammates were kind to him, but he got tired of hearing empty praise, so he started training outside of practice and at the Wrestling Factory of Cleveland, a gym in Lakewood. It paid off: he was named MVP of his junior varsity team as a freshman and missed qualifying for the state tournament by just one match last year. “I’ll be a state champion this year,” Robinson says. “Whatever it takes.”

Award Season: Robinson’s former coach at the Nordonia Knights Wrestling Club now gives out the Chance Robinson Award to students who give their all and support teammates, no matter their successes. The award is a testament to Robinson’s drive over the last five years. “The award is for kids that are hardworking and never give up,” he says.

Master Mind: As a student with autism, Robinson received a St. Andre’s scholarship and transferred to St. Edward as a freshman. The program provided Robinson with career preparedness courses and cocurricular activities that helped him feel included. He now assists with mass and prayer as a student minister, he’s a student ambassador and he sings in choir. “They look at me and they can’t really tell that I have autism,” says Robinson. “They just see how hard of a worker I am.”

Key Phrase: Robinson is persistent even on social media. The Macedonia teen hashtags nearly all of his Instagram posts with #DefyAllOdds. “I do everything I can that people say I can’t do,” he says. “People think people that are handicapped can’t do anything.”

Grad Plans: Robinson is already receiving calls from universities such as Ashland University and Drexel University interested in recruiting him. He hopes to wrestle at the college level and wants to one day work with other kids like him who have disabilities. “I want to be an inspiration to everyone with special needs,” he says. “If any school out there is looking or a hardworking kid, then I’m your guy.”