Ricardo “Chichi” Poolaw NM: You Improve by Making the Sacrifice

By Bill X. Barron

“Wrestling helped me not to quit. It’s like life. You have to fight through adversity to succeed,” cites two-time RMN National Champion Ricardo “Chichi” Poolaw of Bernalillo, New Mexico.

This year at Spartan Learning Academy in Bernalillo, New Mexico, Ricardo wrote a poem titled "Wrestling.” His 7th-grade English teacher submitted it for the America Library of Poetry 2024 Student Poetry Contest. Recently, Ricardo learned his poem has been officially registered for posterity. Lines excerpted from his award-winning writing are featured in italics. 

“Winning requires a wrestler to have patience. I like to create my own space and consider where I am in the moment,” Chichi reflects. He believes that his mental toughness comes from first finding his quiet space: “for a split moment, all energy is back, knowing I can do it.”

As Ricardo’s cultural nickname reveals, he has been raised by a single mom, Marcella, who has literally been in his corner when she is not volunteering to work at matside or in any way she can assist the tournament.

Mom has often worked behind the scenes, letting Chichi seize the spotlight. “Ricardo’s father has not been involved until recently,” cites Marcella. “I did my best to raise him right, and he has adapted well. He and I have always worked as a team.”

States Chichi, “In my life, whether I was up against an actual opponent or just myself, I learned that I have the ability and the willpower to push through. Win over rather than give in: knowing I can fight through the pain, all fear is gone.”             

“I had to create my own space and know where I am in the moment. I find that my mental toughness comes when I am at peace knowing that I am as prepared as I can be.”

Since Ricardo travels coast to coast with mom for wrestling, he has learned to be his own coach. Sometimes, another team’s coach offers to coach him. Ultimately at home in the 28-foot circle, regardless of geography, Chichi is every wrestler’s friend and teammate, except for the brief minutes on the mat while he earns a tech or fall.

“I take care of myself. Training is like getting an education: you work daily, you plan ahead, you eat healthily,” states a well-informed 14-year-old, “knowing I am ready, for I am a champion.”

“Every day, I do 100-200 push-ups, work out on the Aerodyne, jump rope, train with a suplex bag, and take my vitamins and minerals like D3, calcium, and glucosamine,” adds Chichi, whose next goal is to become a five-time New Mexico high school state champion beginning this fall in 8th grade.

“Every time I step on the mat, I get better and afterward train that much harder,” Ricardo explains. “I aim to pin everyone, and more often do these days, but it took me years to get there: a champion never gives up without a challenge.”

“Competing in RMN tournaments challenged me to add weight, toughen up mentally, and train more intensely,” Ricardo relates. “Basically, I had to step up my game. Wrestlers improve with age and experience. If you get down by 2-3 points against these guys, it’s a lot harder to come back.”

In the 2022 RMN National Championship finals, Ricardo did just that. Trailing 3-2 in the third period, he earned a reversal to finish with the title. Now, in 2024, Chichi has garnered three Triple Crowns and the same number of Golden Gear awards while winning more than 70 RMN matches and placing in every event.

In addition, Ricardo is a three-time New Mexico junior state champion in folkstyle and freestyle, an Adidas Brute national champ, and a starter on his state’s national elementary and middle school dual teams.

“Everyone at RMN has been so welcoming to my mom and me. At my very first RMN tournament, Erik (Jeong) took the time to fix my award. That made an impression on me.” 

Mom adds, “Ed (Guiterrez), RMN CEO, always stops to talk with us. In the tournament preamble, he always offers a lengthy prayer; there’s not enough of that these days.

“RMN has always been consistently professional, providing immediate support for table workers with water or a break. Josh (Gutierrez) goes out of his way to communicate with each of us and address the workers’ needs.

“Cruz (Crusifixio) is one of our favorites for the personal attention he gives us. Chris and Gina (Oatson) drive the equipment truck but are always there to hand out the awards.”

Ricardo trains with Coach Leroy Adamson, director of the Bad Boyz Club he started in Albuquerque. Its name and emblem are derived from Zeke Jones’ original club. Adamson is the only one authorized to use the original name and spell it with a “z.” 

More than half (eight) of Ricardo’s years have been dedicated to learning from and growing into the sport. For the past four years, Adamson has served as his mentor. “Ricardo is one who grows on and off the mat. He is a communicator who asks knowledgeable questions during instruction. 

“When I give advice, he takes it in and makes the necessary adjustments. He knows the importance of being a learner. It’s not easy to do what he must do to stay ahead of his competition, so I ask him to write down all he did to get to where he is now – and what he will need to do differently and better to succeed at a higher level. 

“It is difficult to get a young person to understand what is required to succeed five years down the road. While only a 7th grader in a room of mostly high school wrestlers, Ricardo is a leader that I can count on. 

“I have worked with Chichi on how to be more intense, aggressive, and focused now that he has recognized what he needs to do to ascend to the next level. That path not only requires additional effort, but it also means making sacrifices others may not be willing to take. 

Coach continues, “I see the talent these kids have, but they needed the opportunity to get ready for the next level. The majority have remained together for years. All share a common goal: attend college. Through proper teaching and consistent guidance, while also keeping them on the edge, we train hard and put in the time to be prepared.”

“You may have the aspiration to wrestle in college,’ he concludes, “but mastering the necessary strategy and technique is a well-thought-out process and a consistent practice ethic that begins with training at least four days a week.”

For national all-star dual teams, Ricardo is one of the first calls coaches make. While his talent and training have led to success in the East and the West, Ricardo is still everyone’s kid brother and a universal teammate who seamlessly connects with wrestlers, coaches, and tournaments across the country. 

Yet Chichi remains a humble learner, a generous friend to all, a reflective life-long learner, and a natural and charismatic leader.