Holliston senior wrestler Zak Robinson shares 'special bond' with brother on autism spectrum

HOLLISTON – The jump to varsity was more of a series of steps.

A Unified program in Franklin, a club in Natick. A year at the middle school level. Countless hours of watching video.

And roughhousing in the basement.

Nate Robinson is currently starting as a freshman at 106 pounds for Holliston High, just his second year as a wrestler. But his first steps were taken during the stay-at-home days of COVID-19 in 2020, when big brother Zak routinely dominated downstairs, leading to a usual result: rug burns and tears.

“Nate’s been wrestling for years,” said his father, Jay. “He just didn’t know it.”

Zak, a three-year Holliston captain, and Nate routinely appear on the mat together, but not as adversaries. When Nate competes during meets, Zak is usually next to head coach Alex Strum, providing instruction for his little brother, who is on the autism spectrum.

“People underestimate him,” Zak, a senior, said, “but it’s awesome to see him fight through adversity.”

Nate was diagnosed at age 2 and did not begin speaking until three years later. His parents eventually discovered that he was a natural athlete, but team sports such as basketball were hard for him to learn. He adapted quickly to the more singular sport of baseball with the help of YouTube videos and watching live Cape Cod Baseball League games, later mimicking a second baseman who went down on one knee to field a ground ball.

He’s hit wrestling and taken it out of the park.

Nate Robinson took the mat for Holliston’s first bout of the season on the morning of Dec. 9 at a quad meet at St. John’s of Shrewsbury, pinning his opponent in the second period as the Panthers handed the Pioneers their only loss on a day where Nate won all four of his matches. He added fourth-place finishes at large tournaments in Belmont and Marlborough to help Holliston to its best start in years after winning just three matches over the previous three seasons.

The Panthers are 9-1 after a 46-27 win over Bellingham on Wednesday night. But even though Nate lost his match against Tyler Campbell, he gained knowledge and confidence when defending against his opponent's moves.

“I learned how to take a shot and how to release from the bar arm and I got away from the cradle," he said. "And I was tough.”

Nate's ability to teach himself through visual cues, with the help of reviewing videos, has provided a big boost to his learning curve.

“He watches so much film,” Zak said. “He’s able to pick up all these minute details and actually apply it to his matches. It’s incredible how much he’s improved in just a short amount of time.”

“Nate’s viewed now as, I think, as a contributor,” Jay Robinson said. “It’s not like, ‘hey, let’s be mindful of someone who has a different journey in life’ ... Now kids are looking at him in a different light.”

His brother has been with him every step.

Foundation formed at Unified, club and middle school programs

Back to the basement.

Zak Robinson began wrestling in fifth grade and Nate tagged along to his meets, tracking his opponents and filming his matches. But Nate wanted no part in participating.

Upon reaching middle school in Holliston, Zak began to excel and took direction when varsity members Spencer Fetrow (more than 100 career wins; now at Roger Williams) and program career wins leader and two-time state champ Brian Garry came down to mentor the team.

Zak, who placed third at States two years ago, has reciprocated.

Nate entered the wrestling realm two years ago when Franklin High School students Payton Boudreau and Lisa Burger helped put together at Unified program at New England Gold Wrestling Club as Carmine Colace served as coach.

Nate also competed at the club level at MetroWest United in Natick - where Wayland High special education teacher and Lincoln-Sudbury wrestling coach Joel Mode worked with him - and last year wrestled at Adams Middle School, reaching the state tournament. Zak served as an assistant coach both times.

Their bond with wrestling started downstairs during the pandemic. When Nate came up crying, adorned with scratches, his parents grappled with their own conclusions.

Mother Elina: “This needs to stop.”

Father Jay: “No. It’s an outlet for them.”

And a benefit to Nate.

“It helps me, practicing at home," he said. "I’ve learned a lot."

“I would kind of beat him up a little bit,” Zak recalled. “That’s some brotherly love right there. I thought it would be nice to have a drill partner in the house.”

Later, a teammate.

“Wrestling has benefitted my life in a multitude of ways,” Zak said, “and I thought, ‘hey, why not give that to him. Let wrestling guide him through life as well.”’

‘They have such a special bond’

Zak isn’t always allowed to help coach Nate during his matches. Only when the other team agrees.

But the alliance usually proves beneficial.

“We figured out that Nate’s not good if you try to explain a whole bunch during the match. It’s got to be short commands, like code words and that will really get him through,” said Zak, who captains the Panthers along with Matthew Bozyczko and Quinn Polny. “All the little things that help you win a wrestling match – he’s good at picking that up quickly.”

Strum, a Holliston High graduate who has coached at Holliston for four years after an 11-year stint at Catholic Memorial, appreciates the unique opportunity of having Zak and Nate on the mat at the same time.

“He knows his brother really well and has worked with him probably more than I have, so there are times that I’ll turn to him and ask what he thinks because he knows Nate so well,” Strum said. “They have such a special bond.”

Nate, who has a twin brother, Hugh, has spent many of his school years pivoting between classes with the student body and individual instruction. He struggles with language comprehension.

But on the mat, he’s just one of the boys. On match days, Nate says “I’m excited because I want to wrestle with my team.”

“He’s so happy to be included,” Elina Robinson said. “Especially in the teenage years, it’s even more difficult, to have a typical teenage high school experience and now Nate is getting that.”

Getting Nate prepared when Zak Robinson leaves for WPI

This time next year, Nate will not have his older brother beside him during matches and practices – Zak will be wrestling at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Plans are already in the works. How will everything come together?

“I’m not really sure,” Zak said. “We’re trying to figure out a system now.”

Among aspects to consider: warming up before matches; how to make weight; refueling after weighing in; a cooldown routine after matches.

“We’re trying to get down all the fundamentals,” Zak said. “There’s so much more that goes on hours before the match, days before the match, even after the match. We’re really working on getting those fundamentals set for him so that he will be more independent next year when I’m not there by his side.”

But Nate will be on his own in the spring when he tries out for the baseball team, when opponents will not be attempting to take him down.

Just another step; this time toward independence.

“All the adversity he faces, he takes it and takes it with a smile,” Zak said. “He’s one of the hardest workers I know and that benefits him in all realms of life.”

Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.   

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: WPI-bound Zak Robinson mentors brother Nate, who's on autism spectrum