The wrestling journey for Mike Leonard  began over 45 years ago at Woodland Junior High School in East Meadow, starting as a seventh grader. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Donald, the sport captured his heart from the first moment stepping onto the mat. Wrestling swiftly became a significant part of his life, a passion he never anticipated would endure for his entire life

 During his time at Woodland Junior High School, Mike Leonard wrestled under coaches Dave Markfield and Jerry Scheer, both not only skilled wrestling mentors but also exceptional individuals who ensured wrestling was a positive and enjoyable experience during middle school. The journey continued at East Meadow High School, where he was fortunate to have both brothers as teammates. Mike and his brother Dennis traveled anywhere they could find a wrestling mat. Wrestling became a year-round commitment, participating in freestyle and Greco during the spring and summer months. Throughout high school, he qualified for the Nassau County Championships

in both 10th and 11th grades, achieving 3rd place in Nassau County during his junior year. His senior year marked a move to Long Beach, offering the opportunity to wrestle under the guidance of legendary coaches Paul Gillespie and Reggie Jones Jr. It was a memorable experience, culminating in being part of the school's inaugural New York State Wrestling Championship team, clinching the Nassau County Championships, and securing 2nd place in New York State. High school wrestling concluded with an impressive record of 89 wins and 9 losses.

Transitioning to college, Mike initially wrestled at West Chester State College in PA for one year before transferring to Nassau Community College under the mentorship of renowned coach Chuck Hanke. And the time spent under Coach Hanke was one of the most memorable of wrestling career.  Despite facing a series of injuries necessitating surgery, his dedication to wrestling persisted while working as an ironworker, eventually transitioning into coaching.

His coaching journey commenced as a volunteer at East Meadow High School under the tutelage of legendary coach John Hamilton, a tenure marked by helping coach his brother Edward Leonard and contributing to East Meadow High School's Nassau County Dual Meet Wrestling Championships victory. Later, a return to Nassau Community College reignited his desire to wrestle, at the age of 35! Once again under Coach Hanke's guidance for one more year of wrestling. .

Focused on coaching thereafter, Mike joined Holy Trinity under Mike Savello's leadership for two years before returning to East Meadow High School, this time under coach Tom Reynolds, alongside a bunch of outstanding wrestlers including Ray Downey and Sam Joseph. His coaching tenure at East Meadow High School experienced a Nassau County Dual Meet Championship in 2000 and saw the revitalization of the Jets Youth wrestling club, where he served for five years before transitioning to Clarke High School where his son was attending school and wrestling on the School’s team. It was a difficult decision to leave his alma mater, East Meadow but a terrific opportunity to build a program and mostly coach his son

At Clarke High School, he initiated the Rams Wrestling Club (RWC), for youth wrestling and an outlet for our wrestlers to train and compete during the off seasons. Mike developed a wrestling community marked by an open door policy welcoming wrestlers from all clubs, experience level, and backgrounds. His coaching philosophy, shared with a dedicated team of coaches, emphasized hard work and imparting valuable life lessons. Together, they achieved remarkable success, producing numerous county and state champions, including their first New York State Champion in 2022, Jordan Soriano.

Mike Leonard had the privilege of coaching alongside a group of like-minded individuals who shared a common vision at Clarke High School. Their collective goal was to outwork opponents and impart valuable life lessons to all wrestlers.

Among the esteemed coaches were Bret Milgrim, Adam Welt, Chris Mergurian, John Hamilton, Jordan Spirou, Bill Lehman, Josh Friedman, and Rick Aragona. Additionally, Mike's son, Mike Jr., joined the coaching staff eight years ago. Together, they achieved remarkable success at Clarke, producing 47 all-county wrestlers, 28 state qualifiers, 25 county champions, and 10 All-State wrestlers, including their first New York State Champion, Jordan Soriano, in 2022. Their team garnered numerous awards, winning over 220 dual meets with an average team size of 18 wrestlers. Notable achievements include winning the Nassau County Division 2 Dual Meet and Individual Tournament in 2020 and 2024, as well as placing 5th in the New York State tournament in 2022.

At Clarke High School, wrestling activities continued year-round, ranging from open mats to hosting tournaments. During the fall season, the Rams assisted in training new referee classes in their wrestling room, while also hosting Nassau County Wrestling weight certifications. Throughout the season, they organized a Dual Meet tournament with 10 teams and concluded with hosting Nassau County Dual Meet Division 1 and Division 2 wrestling championships. In the spring and summer months, the Rams hosted freestyle, Greco-Roman, and beach tournaments, striving to provide ample wrestling opportunities for athletes.

Mike Leonard's coaching journey was made possible by the unwavering support of his family. Whether it was his father, daughters (Rachael), brother, sisters, or nieces, family members were always present to assist during tournaments. However, one individual stood out for their consistent support: Mike's wife, Barbara. As his best assistant coach and partner, Barbara played an integral role behind the scenes, for which Mike is immensely grateful. At Clarke High School, they fostered a sense of family among the team, emphasizing the importance of unity and support in their wrestling community.