Section 1 mourns loss of longtime wrestling coach, inspirational figure Matt Moore

Matt Moore was friends with Superman, touched the lives of Olympic gold medalists, and moved a generation of wrestlers throughout his decades of coaching and teaching in Section 1 — all while still finding time to spend with his family and friends, and practice his faith.

He was a superhero, a father figure and an inspiration to many, which is what made news of his death so difficult to all that knew him.

Moore passed away at the age of 74 on Monday. He died of sepsis.

"It's like he was born to be a good person," said Putnam Valley modified wrestling coach Dan Turner. "He was an amazing teacher, coach, friend, father — everybody that knew him absolutely loved him. This was a guy who just, without having to say a word, taught everybody about hard work, perseverance and positivity. Those are the things all good coaches and teachers need to have, but he was the living epitome of that. Nobody did it better than him."

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His sayings still echo and resonate with his former pupils and assistants. Moore often preached about maintaining a positive outlook and that anything is possible with hard work. He believed in giving every student and wrestler a chance, teaching them lessons that would go beyond school halls or the wrestling mat.

"He helped out kids a lot and got kids involved that didn't really fit in with other stuff, like a square peg in a circle hole," former wrestler, neighbor and current Yonkers assistant coach Chris Ball said. "But he was a very patient man that saw things in kids that they didn't see in themselves. He made it very easy for them to be on the team with other kids."

Moore taught for 33 years at the Peekskill School District. He started as an assistant coach with the wrestling team in 1973, before taking over for Larry Cook in 1978.

"He was tough, but fair, and he was always a positive mentor in my life," said Chappy Manzer, a 1992 Peekskill High School graduate. "He never missed a practice, and he made sure that we never missed a practice. He would actually come to our house, if we had a snow day, and pick us up. He was also a very religious man, and he cared about the athletes. Peekskill didn't always have the best reputation, but he tried to make Peekskill a better place and he instilled that heart and work ethic in all of his athletes."

Manzer was the last of four Section 1 champions that Moore guided as the head coach at Peekskill. However, Moore's legacy is hardly defined by wins and numbers, but rather the way he lived his life even with the obstacles that came his way.

In the fall of 1991, he experienced a freak accident while playing rugby that left him paralyzed and wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life.

"I remember the day, I took a ride out to the hospital that evening with coach Larry Cook," said Beacon coach Ron Tompkins, a former wrestler and assistant for Moore. "He was an athlete — always running, always working out. I remember (his wife) Peggy saying that's how he survived, just because of his strength and the sport of wrestling. He just kept pushing on, and didn't let that bother him. He was very determined, and he also had a very strong family and friends behind him."

Despite the accident, some things never changed. He remained devoted to his family and church. Moore doted on his grandchildren, even sometimes giving them a ride on his wheelchair and doing the occasional wheelie.

He made it a point to always be on time to teach and coach wrestling. At school, he transitioned from being a physical education teacher to instructing health class. On Sundays, he attended church and taught adult bible study classes, then led film sessions with his wrestling team.

The man who once marveled his wrestlers, family and friends with his physical fitness and natural athleticism, was now inspiring them with his words, charm and unwavering optimistic outlook on life. Moore helped out actor Christopher Reeve, who was best known for his role as Superman, when Reeve had a horseback riding accident that left him paralyzed.

Alumni, friends, and Olympians came out for his fundraising events. The White Plains Rugby Club, Peekskill and Section 1 wrestling communities also rallied around him.

He continued his health-conscious life, refraining from smoking and drinking, and maintained a strict diet. The only drug he ever took were his daily vitamins.

Moore was inducted to the Section 1 wrestling hall of fame in 1997.

After Peekskill, he moved on to serve as an assistant coach at Lakeland/Panas in the late 1990s, before going on to help out the Putnam Valley modified wrestling team. He regularly showed up to help coach the young Tigers until the 2019-20 season, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"At first, kids would eye him, because they were afraid they would hurt him or they weren't sure," longtime nurse and caretaker Andrea Stone said. "But once Matt started talking and explaining, he was like a magnet. They talked about wrestling, baseball, or sports in general, they would gravitate towards him. ... When we would go over to Putnam Valley Middle School and the kids saw his van, they would just flock to him."

Despite his physical limitations, he remained a sharp coach and was one of the most brilliant minds in the sport.

"He was so good at communicating, and I think that's one thing that won everybody over," Turner said. "He was unable to move a majority of his body, but he was still able to teach someone how to do something effectively better than some people who have better control or full control of their body."

Those who weren't familiar with him at first, quickly learned about his wisdom and didn't question it.

"He just had that way about it, that sage advice," Lakeland/Panas coach Dave Bergen said. "He would be there, and his presence and who he was — he always connected with the kids. He was smart and shrewd, and you didn't want to coach against him because he really knew his stuff. He was a really good coach and a good man."

His lessons and teachings live on in his former students that were inspired to follow in his footsteps and become coaches. Section 1 wrestling will continue to give out its annual award in his honor.

"He's left an indelible mark on Section 1," Ball said. "I think that it's something that there's still enough wrestlers and coaches that preach his message, and the way he did things, and the way he saw the sport, giving the gift that wrestling gives you that you take with you for the rest of your life. You don't realize it while you're doing it, you realize it after you've left. Wrestlers like myself and the other wrestlers that have gone through Coach Moore's program have the opportunity to give back to kids in the same way it was given to them."

Moore is survived by his wife, Peggy, his four daughters, Marissa, Melanie, Michelle and Meagan, and his grandchildren.

"A man, who could only move his mouth, making such a big impact on the world," Stone said. "He was so authentic. He was trapped in that body, in that chair, but he had such faith in God. I'd never seen somebody so faithful, or somebody that I never saw angry or mad. He never asked, 'Why me?'— Never. And he still lived a beautiful life."

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Matt Moore: Section 1 mourns loss of inspirational wrestling coach