Jupiter High School’s wrestling coach, Doug Rasmusson, was inducted into the Florida Chapter’s National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Aug. 17 in Orlando, Fla.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is an organization dedicated to the recognition of excellence and the preservation of wrestling.

Seven of Florida’s top wrestling coaches made up the organization’s class of 2019.

Rasmusson was informed of his induction on Christmas Eve and later said it was a very nice Christmas present.

“I started wrestling when I was five years old and my dad was a coach. I didn’t have a choice. It was you’re going to go and wrestle,” Rasmusson said when asked about a specific person who encouraged his passion for wrestling.

As head coach, Rasmusson has worked with several hundred student athletes from different backgrounds and experience levels during his 25 years at Jupiter High. Two of his wrestlers have won FHSAA state championships, and two others placed second at the state level.

Rasmusson’s favorite thing about being a mentor and coach to young men and women is “teaching about life.” His standard piece of advice is, “In anything that you do, do what you love, and do it with all you’ve got. Or don’t do it at all.”

Rasmusson teaches Social Studies and is a member of the Exceptional Student Education department at Jupiter High.