Lakewood Ranch wrestlers give back to their community through caroling

This was no ordinary choir. 

Sopranos, altos, tenors and basses were not designated. Notes didn't crescendo or decrescendo. No choral director was present to keep the tempo.

Roughly 40 high schoolers of varying musical talent huddled together. They stood not on an auditorium stage, but on the carpet of a retirement home dining area.

As one, the group belted out holiday classics. When their festive repertoire reached its end, Lakewood Ranch Wrestling Coach Pat Ancil stepped up to the microphone.

"I hope none of you are retired choir teachers," Ancil said.

His closing remarks earned some chuckles from the crowd of retirees. He was happy to joke about his wrestlers' not-so-perfect musical performance.

But he was serious about the unique opportunity in front of his wrestlers. The coach always has believed you're never too young or too old to give back.

"I want to expose them as much as I can outside of that comfort zone," Ancil said. "So that they get a real, true vision of what it's like."

Photo by Jack Nelson

The Mustangs left the mats behind Dec. 15 to visit Cypress Springs Gracious Retirement Living to sing carols for the residents. The concert lasted no more than 30 minutes, but hit several classic Christmas numbers — even if they didn't hit all the right notes.

Wrestlers' eyes were perpetually glued to the lyrics on their phones. When they did look up, it was often to laugh at mistakes, or proudly sing the parts they knew well.

Nerves were there in the beginning. During their last few songs, though, several of the student-athletes couldn't help but smile.

"I've been through a lot, and I know these people have been through a lot," said senior Mason Giunta of the 190-pound weight class. "Doing what I can to help them have a better day or better holidays is what matters to me most."

The wrestling team's caroling dates back to 2020 and has become an annual tradition. It was a brainchild of Ancil, who sought an unconventional path to expand his wrestlers' boundaries.

He came to an agreement with the Sheridan at Lakewood Ranch, and that partnership endured for the first three years. But when it changed ownership to the Summit, the new owners weren't as eager to welcome them back.

That's when a Lakewood Ranch High student — working part-time at Cypress Springs — suggested they try Cypress Springs Gracious Retirement Living off Town Center Parkway.

The Mustangs have now performed there for three years. They return every December in full force, prepared to bring some holiday spirit.

"A big thing I like about this is not only giving back to our community, but also, the learning opportunity it provides for wrestlers," said junior Daxton Martin of the 126-pound weight class. "(The wrestlers) can see that and be like, 'Oh, maybe I'm good at something else.' It's not just like, 'I'm only a wrestler.'"

Photo by Jack Nelson

The Mustangs made a concerted effort to prepare for their performance. Beginning over the Thanksgiving break, the group held six practices, led by Giunta and Martin. Both of them are involved in Lakewood Ranch High's choir program.

Decisions on what songs to sing were left up to the wrestlers. Ancil, along with assistant Mike Schyck and girls coach Nate Lancaster, did submit a request.

"We did ask them to do one Hanukkah song, but they butchered that so bad," Ancil said, laughing. "We just said, 'Forget about it, we'll wish them happy holidays.'"

The group was thrown a curveball of sorts on concert night. Giunta and Martin — their unofficial choral directors — showed up late, missing the first few songs of the night.

They opened with "Jingle Bells" and managed to get through "Silent Night." Soon enough, they were on more modern tunes like "Last Christmas."

Ancil and Martin agreed the team's best rendition was of "Feliz Navidad," which was written and first recorded by José Feliciano in 1970.

"It's a pretty simple song, and I think we did okay with it," Martin said. "I think the people out there enjoyed it, and that's a big high, because we just want to put smiles on their faces."

Photo by Jack Nelson

Following their finale and some quips from Ancil, all the wrestlers walked out into the audience. They mingled with the retirees and listened to their stories.

It's more than just singing they sign up for each year.

"That's so great to see that, because they're making a connection," Ancil said. "It opens their eyes."