The 2019/2020 wrestling season is now underway at École Olds High School (EOHS).
The first practice was held the morning of Nov. 5.
“We’ve got 16 people who are out – a mixture of boys and girls; a lot of newbies out of Grade 9, so it’s looking really good,” head coach George Grant said during an interview with the Albertan.
“They looked really eager and anxious to get going this morning, so hopefully that continues on. We’re still going be looking obviously for any new wrestlers who want to come out.”
He says a tournament is looming on Nov. 22.
Only two wrestlers graduated from last year. Six are back for another season.
“They’re going to be great leaders for all these newbies that have come in,” Grant said.
He’s confident the rookies will adapt quickly.
“Once these guys get into their first tournament and realize what it’s going to take, they lose that status of being newbies and they’re just wrestlers like everybody else,” Grant said.
“We’re striving to improve and have some fun along the way. If they’re not having fun, what are they coming out for? So we try to make practices fun.”
Several assistant coaches are back, including local wrestler Amber Maschke.
Also, Jeremy Winters, a guy from Chicago who now lives in Innisfail has volunteered to come out and help. He wrestled at the university level in the U.S.
He’s moved up to this area and he’s eager to come out and learn the freestyle game of wrestling but also to impart some of his wisdom he’s had along the way,” Grant said.
“We’re looking forward to what he can bring and see if we can get these young men and women prepared as best we can for each and every tournament that they come to.”
Grant says he hasn’t had to explain to the new wrestlers that this sport is not WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), where combatants sometimes utilize chairs or barbed wire and stomp on each other.
He says That’s because they know that Olympic wrestler Danielle Lappage wrestled at ÉOHS and École Deer Meadow School before that.
Grant notes this year, the nationals will be held in Edmonton “so it’s nice and close,” he says. “We’re hoping to get lots of representation from Olds here, from our community, going on to the nationals.”
