Today we’d like to introduce you to Melvin Lofton.
Melvin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I got started coaching in Norman, Oklahoma at Norman High School in 2003-2004 after my college wrestling career ended at the University of Oklahoma.
After coaching wrestling at Norman High School for three years, I then moved/transferred to Dallas, TX with my retail job, Champs Sports at the time. While working a full-time job I started to volunteer my extra time with a Wrestling Legend, an Olympic Gold Medalist, and one of the best mentors in the world, Kenny Monday. At the time, Kenny Monday had a youth wrestling club, Team Monday, and also coached at a powerhouse high school, Bishop Lynch, that was very well known around the country for the talent they produced ever year. I spent a few years learning how to really coach and train young athletes the right way under Coach Monday. I thank him so much for the wisdom he instilled in me and allowing me to be apart of something special and build memories that will last a lifetime!
After a few years helping coach at Team Monday Wrestling Club, I then move to North Dallas and end up becoming the head coach at another upcoming wrestling club, Dallas Dynamite Wrestling Club. I spent 6+ years at Dallas Dynamite developing young wrestlers into awesome, respectable, hard-working young adults. Many of which continued their wrestling careers into and through college.
Once Dallas Dynamite started to dwindle down after so many incredible years of developing young wrestlers, I then wanted to create my own style of wrestling and my own way of coaching so that’s when LoftonStyleWrestling Club was created. At the time I was also helping coach wrestling at a local MMA gym, Guy Mezger’s Combat Sports Club, now known as Mezger’s Martial Arts MMA, where I currently run my Youth/High School Club, LoftonStyleWrestling Club.
I have now been running my own wrestling club for four years now. It was a very very long road to get to where I am now and I’m still climbing to achieve more goals. It’s such a blessing to get to mentor young athletes and adults everyday to try to help each individual become the very best that they can be. Growing up, I had a ton of help from many people and had awesome mentors to help me reach my goals I had set for myself, so I feel it’s my calling to do the same and help give back to as many as I possibly can.
It’s so so many people along the way that has helped me get to this point and beyond to try to name everyone, but they all know who they are and I really thank each and every one of you for the love and support you’ve always shown me over the years. I’d also like to thank my parents because they instilled the necessary values in me at an early age and has always supported me in anything I ever did or wanted to do, and that made a huge difference in my life!
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road by far! I went through a period of time to where I was working very little part-time at my retail job and pretty much volunteering my other time coaching wrestling.
With that came not much money being made so I eventually ended up losing my apartment and having to live in my car for a long period of time. I did not tell anyone about the situation because I felt like it was all my decision to continue to pursue my passion and dream, which was coaching wrestling. The problem was, I just didn’t know how I was going to make a living only doing what I absolutely loved to do.
After about a year and a half of being in that situation, my parents came down to Texas put a deposit down for an apartment to get me back on my feet. Once that moment happened, everything just started to turn around in such a positive way and for the better, that I ended up being able to make a decent living coaching wrestling and, well now, the rest is history!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
LoftonStyleWrestling is all about helping young athletes (wrestlers) reach their full potential. I try to develop champions on and off the wrestling mat.
My wrestling club is known for the hard work all of our wrestlers put in each and every day in order to achieve the goals each individual sets for themselves. We all hold ourselves accountable for doing what’s right and necessary to be successful.
I’m really proud of the fact that each and every individual involved with LoftonStyleWrestling Club understands what the overall goals are and everyone helps each other as much as they can to achieve greatness. I feel like what sets us apart from others is that what we do is all about and for the kids. Their development, their love for the sport of wrestling, and their goals/dreams are what’s important before anything else!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I feel like Dallas, TX is a perfect place for wrestling for many different reasons. With Texas being such a football dominant sport here, wrestling gives other kids an opportunity to be great at something else if they aren’t football material. Over the years, wrestling has grown a bunch in Texas overall, which is a great thing!
If your just starting out and looking to get your child into wrestling, I would definitely recommend LoftonStyleWrestling Club. As mentioned earlier, we train wrestlers to be champions on the wrestling mat but more importantly, we train wrestlers to be champions off the wrestling mat as well.
Contact Info:
- Address: Mezger’s Martial Arts
13344 Preston Rd.
Dallas, Tx 75240Dallas Studio Fit Performance
13360 Preston Rd.
Dallas, Tx 75240 - Website: LoftonStyleWrestling.com
- Phone: (214) 542-4042
- Email: melvinlamont@hotmail.com
- Instagram: coachloftonstyle
- Facebook: LoftonStyleWrestling
Image Credit:
Photos By: Will Henry
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
