Being the coach's son has its advantages and disadvantages, all of which Port Byron sophomore Caleb Green is realizing as he wrestles under father Tom Green's supervision.

“It is both good and bad to have my dad as my coach,” Caleb said. “He helps me out but sometimes it feels like he is tougher on me. I guess it equals out though, he pushes me to the level I want to reach even if sometimes I may not want to hear about it from my dad.”

Caleb said his father was and still is his inspiration for becoming a wrestler. Tom wrestled in college, first at Cayuga Community College and then at SUNY Cortland. Thus, Caleb wrestled at a young age.

“He started wrestling and got really into it,” Tom said. “So we just decided to take it further and see how well he can do. He is doing a pretty good job this year.”

With a 17-1 record, Caleb is having a strong season with the Panthers. His most recent success came at the Port Byron Invitational where he took first place in the 125-pound weight class. With his first win in the invitational a pin, Caleb went on to win an 8-3 decision in the semifinals and a 7-0 decision in the finals. He also won the invitational as a freshman.

“It felt really good to win it again,” Caleb said. “I am really trying to do better this season than last season and I feel like I am really improving.”

Caleb said that he'd also like to go undefeated for the rest of the season, but Tom said there's plenty of room for improvement.

“As a parent, he is doing great,” Tom said. “As a coach, you always want to see them do even better. He is doing really well so far this season but there are still a lot of things that he needs to work on. I'm trying to make him a better wrestler.”

Working nearly every day in the weight room is just one of the tactics that Caleb is using to improve on the mat, along with constantly focusing on the basic skills. His main individual goal this season is to place in the top three in Section III, Class D, hopefully moving up from his fifth-place achievement last season. On top of that and other personal goals, Caleb said that his real focus is on the team goals, especially with such a young squad.

“We are doing really well together as a team,” Caleb said. “We don't have a lot of experience out there but we are getting better every day.”

Caleb said that among the goals of the team, the main is to beat their seven total wins they earned last year. Close to that goal already, Port Byron has recorded six victories.

“We are trying to get more solid, not just as individuals but as a team,” Tom said.

Tom said that one of the most exciting things for him as both a father and coach would be if Caleb got a wild card shot to compete in the NYSPHSAA championships, something that no Panther wrestler has ever done.

That pressure he puts on Caleb is exactly why it's challenging for the two to be father and son, wrestler and coach.

“It's tough,” Tom said. “He doesn't get a break from his coach like other kids do, that's the hardest part for both of us. We try not to talk about it at the dinner table but you can't avoid the subject at home.”

Despite the pressure, Caleb said he looks up to his father and hopes to someday wrestle at the collegiate level, just as he once did.

Both father and son do see eye to eye when it comes to most wrestling matters, especially when it comes to the team as a whole.

“As a father, it is a great thing to see your son doing so well,” Tom said. “As a coach, you want to see more of them winning.”

“I am really happy with how I am doing so far this season,” Caleb added. “But mostly I am excited to see the team coming together. I know that we can be successful if we can get the team going.”

Caleb and the Panthers compete again today at Onondaga.