Leading by example: How Pueblo West's Eleazar Bachicha plans to make it to state finals
When it comes to being a leader in the locker room, not all are the vocal type.
For Pueblo West’s Eleazar Bachicha, the senior wrestler is the type of athlete to lead by example, letting his work do the talking for him.
This is Bachicha’s final year with the Cyclone’s program and for him, it's his time to finally shine and make a name for himself.
Bachicha wasn’t someone who started in wrestling. It took him a while to get to the sport.
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“I started wrestling mainly because I sucked at every other sport,” Bachicha said. “Then my dad told me that I should try wrestling since he did it when he was younger at (Pueblo) County. So, I decided to try it.”
Bachicha went on to say that he fell in love with the sport mainly because he could put his hands on somebody else without getting in trouble or being sent off the field. But he also appreciated the beauty of the sport and the opportunities it provides for its athletes, such as meeting new people and traveling.
This year, Bachicha has taken a big step forward and is poised to have his best year as a Cyclone. Currently, he sits with a 32-19 record overall at 106 pounds and is ranked no. 17 overall in Colorado.
“I feel like this year is a huge step forward from last year because this year I've been doing a lot better than I did last year,” Bachicha said. “It is fun to actually pop up on the rankings now.”
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Bachicha’s goal — since he wasn't able to go to state last year — is to make it to the top five or better be able to get to or near the podium.
“I don't want to be another wrestler that gets knocked off at the beginning,” Bachicha said. “That's my goal this year”.
To get there, Bachicha feels like he must work on his techniques. From his defense to his shots, there still is some work that needs to be done according to Bachicha, but he is willing to put in this work to achieve his goal.
This is why Bachicha feels like he is a silent leader. He lets his work do the talking for him. From extra time in the weight room to trying to figure out what he needs to improve on to make it to the end.
“I feel like I'm a leader, yes, but I'm not the most vocal leader,” Bachicha said. “I mostly like to lead by example, occasionally I'll say some things here and there. But other than that, I kind of just lead by example. I'm pretty quiet.”
Outside of wrestling, Bachicha’s life is a unique one as his mom and family run a foster home. He talked about how that experience has helped him adapt and learn life skills.
“I have siblings, but they're all much older than me. They all have their own life. I live with my mom who does foster care, and my dad who's a welder,” Bachicha said. “It's a balanced household. I learn people skills through being able to live with those kids and getting to know them and them being like brothers to me. That’s my family. Being able to see them all grow up and get older and do good things in life, that's pretty cool.”
Bachicha went on to say that his home life has helped him become a better leader in the locker room and has helped shape him into the man he is today. Bachicha and the Cyclones will be competing in the CHSAA Class 4A Southwest Region 4 tournament this weekend for a chance to place in the state tournament.
Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @chowebacca. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo West's Eleazar Bachicha wants to lead the Cyclones to state
