By Staff
NILES - The Niles Wrestling Club invites all boys Kindergarten through 12th grade to join them for training and competition in freestyle wrestling.
The first practice will be held on Thursday, March 1 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Niles High School wrestling room. No wrestlers younger than 5-years-old please.
Freestyle wrestling is a terrific sport which promotes competition between kids of similar size and age. Wrestling helps kids develop agility, self-confidence, strength and good physical conditioning. It is nothing like pro wrestling as seen on television. It is safe, well supervised and, in fact, is the only sport which limits kids to competing only against others of their own weight. Last year, over 75 kids participated in the wrestling club.
Practices are held every Monday and Thursday night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Niles High School wrestling room for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. Seventh and eighth grade students may join after the school season concludes. High school students are welcome. The wrestling club focuses on teaching fundamentals, conditioning and competitive practice. If you have not been involved in wrestling before, you are welcome to come to a practice and try it out before joining. This is not babysitting - very young wrestlers may require parent attendance at practice.
There are tournaments every Saturday throughout Western Michigan and Northern Indiana. The wrestling club will have a designated tournament each week, but you are free to go whenever you like. Participation in tournaments is strictly up to each family - there are no requirements about when or where you go. The wrestling tournament season begins March 16 and the club will continue to practice until it ends in May.
No special equipment is required for wrestling. For practice, shorts or sweats and T-shirts are fine. Any gym shoes are okay, but wrestlers need to bring a separate pair to practice and change as the club tries to avoid dragging street dirt onto the mats. Many wrestlers choose to wear wrestling shoes and singlets, but these aren't required.
Club membership us $25 per wrestler. This pays for your club t-shirt and for minor club expenses. All wrestlers who go to the tournaments must purchase a competition card at the tournament site. These are $35. The club will give families all the tournament details before the first weekend. All athletes are required to be club members after the first practice. Membership fees are not refundable.
Sign up forms will be available at each practice and you can sign up and pay there.
Any questions may be directed to club manager Fritz Findeisen at (269) 684-0869 or (269) 782-9476. You may also contact Niles varsity wrestling coach Bob Galvin at (574) 273-0160 or (269) 683-2894.