When Hall of Fame inductees are asked about their Lifetime Service to the sport of wrestling, it is natural to ask what contri­butions they have made. With Steven Valdez, it's easier to ask what he hasn't done. Valdez has done just about everything possible connected to the sport, and after recently working his 36th straight Colorado State Tournament, he has no intentions of slowing down. "Wrestling is a way of life," he said. "All the years I coached, all the years I wrestled, all the years I've helped with wrestling, it continues to give back. I truly believe it's an honor to be around the sport." Valdez has certainly given his share of life to wrestling. He competed in high school and in the military, coached at six different high schools (including three state champion teams and numerous individual state champions and placers) and has served as a wres­tling athletic trainer at virtually every level of the sport, from youth wrestling to international competition. He has also been a mainstay at the Colorado State Tournament for nearly four decades, including serving as the Tournament Manager for the last 13 years. He was instrumental in helping the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) make the move from bout sheet scoring to Track wrestling computer scoring and continues to serve as an Injury Prevention Specialist at meets around the nation. Why? Easy! Valdez said wrestling cultivates a dedication and devotion like few other sports. "People who are around it want to give back," he said. "They compete, then they become coaches or officials and they continue to give to the sport. It's not for money or glory. It's because they love the sport because it gave something to them, and they want to give it back. You see it at tournaments, where guys who were great wrestlers are helping that next generation. The sport just breeds that kind of dedication and commitment." Valdez fell in love with the sport as a youngster, and his passion never waned. When he was stationed in Europe with the U.S. Army, he had the opportunity to watch top-flight international competition. When he returned home, he began taking sports medicine classes in college, then began working as a trainer and coach with area high schools. He also began working the state tournament scorer's table and learned the ins and outs of organizing the tournament from legendary coach and administrator Bob Foster. When Foster asked him to take over as tournament manager, he couldn't say no. "It's just such a special sport," Valdez said. "Once you get on that mat, it's you against the other guy. It's just like life "” your mistakes are your mistakes; your wins are your wins. Those are lessons that you carry with you the rest of your life. The sense of ac­complishment is huge, and the ability to always learn, always get better, always try to improve never goes away. When you see that kid win his first match ever "” you can see the joy. There's nothing else like it."