Taking To The Mat

Youth Wrestling Clubs On Mission To Show Sport's Benefits

Brendan Davis, left, 12, and Gavin Goddard, 10, wrestle during practice Jan. 21 inside The Annex in Rogers.
Brendan Davis, left, 12, and Gavin Goddard, 10, wrestle during practice Jan. 21 inside The Annex in Rogers.

With high school wrestling in its toddler years in the state, leaders of the Northwest Arkansas youth wrestling clubs are on a mission to correct misconceptions and prove how beneficial the sport can be for kids.

“I think every young male or female should at least be exposed to it,” said Billy Tilly, coach of the Rogers Youth Wrestling Club. “It’s the greatest sport on earth.”

In 2008, Arkansas became the 49th state to sanction high school wrestling. To put that into perspective, Oklahoma's first high school wrestling champion was crowned in 1922. But even with the sport's youth in Arkansas, Tilly said the state has come a long way.

“Just in the last few years that I've been around it, the depth of talent in the youth programs across the state has gotten a lot deeper,” Tilly said. “It's evolving to where Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri have been for the past 25 years.”

Growing up in Oklahoma, where wrestling was a way of life, Tilly learned about self-accountability and not depending on others.

"Wrestling is very unbiased. You don't have to be fast, you don't have to be super strong. You can't leave a kid out because of physical flaws he might have. If you have determination, anyone can succeed in wrestling."

Julian Farrayos

Fayetteville Youth Wrestling Club president

“If you take a little time off, you pay the price out there on the mat,” Tilly said. “You could be the worst baseball player in the world and win every game. Not in this sport.”

Interestingly, Julian Farrayos, president of the Fayetteville Youth Wrestling Club, has almost identical views.

“In a sport like baseball, if you're going to be lazy, you can hide behind the all-stars,” he said.

While Farroyos agreed wrestling is a sport that forces individual responsibility, he mainly respects the game because of its ability to include everyone.

“Wrestling is very unbiased,” Farroyos said. “You don't have to be fast, you don't have to be super strong. You can't leave a kid out because of physical flaws he might have. If you have determination, anyone can succeed in wrestling.”

Farroyos is looking to increase involvement by showing children and their parents wrestling can be for everyone. Changing false opinions of the sport is also one of his goals.

Encouragement to cut weight drastically and doing so by starving is one common misconception Farroyos hears constantly.

“That is completely false,” Farroyos said. “If you're not working on your health management and being responsible, then that's when kids cut weight, because they think it's an easier way out. But we do not teach that.”

John Visser, president of the Bentonville Youth Wrestling Club, said another misunderstanding has to do with the attire required to compete in the sport.

“People think they have to wear tights or leotards,” Vissar said. “Well, it's neither of those, but a lot of people just don't even realize how grinding and tough this sport is. I think it's one of the hardest sports you can compete in.”

The youth wrestling clubs in Northwest Arkansas typically meet 3-4 nights a week for a few hours. In an era where kids are spending so much time with technology and accruing unhealthy eating habits, Farrayos said being involved in a sport that challenges kids is beneficial.

“It pulls the kids off the computer and off the streets,” Farrayos said. “Here they're able to release their energy instead of sitting in front of a TV all night loaded with popcorn and chips.”

With wrestling, it’s an individualized sport where everything is on display.

“You are forced to compete one-on-one,” Visser said. “And that's a good life lesson, because at the end of the day, it's just you.”

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