Indiana teacher balances lesson plans and wrestling matches

Crawfordsville teacher balances classroom, wrestling ring

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — For most teachers, the first week of school means lesson plans and classroom prep. For Brayden Lee, it also means getting ready to step into the wrestling ring.

Lee, a teacher at Crawfordsville High School, says his two worlds collided sooner than he expected.

“When I first became a teacher, my goal was to really keep that on the down low,” Lee said. “I wanted to try to keep my wrestling life separate from my teaching life. But high school kids are very active on social media. So as soon as they find out your real name, they’re just like, ‘Facebook, Google, everything.’”

Lee says it only took a couple of weeks for word to spread.

“Within a week or two of my first year of teaching, it was out that I was a professional wrestler,” he said. “So it didn’t last very long.”

Lee says his students have been mostly supportive, even if they try to use it to their advantage.

“They kind of just use it to get me off topic a little bit and it does work from time to time,” Lee said. “But they have been pretty supportive, I would say, for the most part. And I’m very lucky that they don’t make it as big of a deal as they potentially could.”

Even his colleagues were caught off guard.

“They’re just kind of like, ‘Whoa, that’s a really weird thing that you do,’” Lee said. “The main person who was kind of maybe disgruntled that I was a professional wrestler was actually my principal, but that’s just because he was concerned I was going to get injured.”

Lee reassured his boss, but admits it didn’t go as planned.

“I tried to reassure him that, hey, like I’ve only had like a few concussions I’m going to be okay,” Lee said. “And then the third week of my first year, I broke my foot.”

Now, with a new school year starting, Lee is focused on both the classroom and his next big match.

“Wrestling is kind of just like a day-to-day thing for me,” he said. “I have to be really focused on what’s going on in my classroom during the week. I try to make sure that I’m giving my full effort to both things. And for me, the best way has just been to take it day by day and kind of focus on being in the moment and not thinking too far ahead.”

That includes his upcoming showdown with Jack Vaughn.

“Jack Vaughn is a very talented wrestler,” Lee said. “He’s calling himself the last real professional wrestler. But he’s kind of coming into my home promotion. This is a promotion that I literally started with my first year of wrestling. I’ve been a champion there, so to me this is kind of a proving grounds match.”

Lee says he has extra motivation for Saturday night.

“He told me that his 40th birthday is actually on Saturday,” Lee said. “The good news for him, or the bad news for him, is he’s going to start his 40s out with a loss.”

Emerge Wrestling is set for Saturday at the Bartholomew County Fairgrounds, 750 West 200 South, Columbus. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the opening bell at 7. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Crawfordsville teacher balances work with pro wrestling dream

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