Cascade Youth Wrestling provides wrestling, life lessons

The Cascade High School wrestling team is having one of the most successful seasons in program history, winning both the Caribou Trail League and District 6 championships and sending 14 wrestlers to state competition.

Some of the wrestlers on this year’s Kodiak mat squad were once a part of the Cascade Youth Wrestling program, which recently began its 2019 season.

Cascade Youth Wrestling practices every Tuesday and Thursday night throughout the winter months. Like their high school counterparts, the young wrestlers started the season in the commons of Icicle River Middle School, tben moved practice to the new wrestling room after it was finished. The program is open for kindergarten through fifth-graders. Some of the young athletes will transition to IRMS’ wrestling team and later Cascade’s team when they reach high school.

During practice, volunteer coaches lead athletes in running, hops, crab walks and other manuevers to stretch their muscles. They transition into practicing wrestling stances, takedowns, takedown defense, technique and pinning maneuvers. Athletes will practice live-match scenarios.

“It takes a village,” said Coach Gary Waunch, referring to the coaches and volunteers who help with the program, which has 35 kids,

Waunch, who has coached in the program for several years, said athletes wrestle for 6-7 weeks, which is shorter than other youth programs. He explained the goal of the youth program is to teach athletes the foundation of wrestling and fundamentals, while not risking burnout. An athlete can participate in the program, not matter how much wrestling experience they have.

“What’s kept me going is we’ll have a kid who knows nothing about wrestling,” Waunch said. “When they get to the first match, they’re doing what we told them in practice.”

Through wrestling, athletes also learn character traits like self-discipline, work ethic, mental and physical toughness and teamwork.

In addition to teaching wrestling to young athletes the program also supports the other wrestling programs. Waunch said the youth program has helped pay for a couple of high school wrestlers to attend state camps.

During the Feb. 13 practice, held a day early because of Valentine’s day, Waunch created gift bags for Kodiak wrestling team to take with them on their trip to the Tacoma for the Mat Classic XXXI. Among the items was a card congratulating the Cascade wrestlers going to state, signed by all of the athletes who attended practice that night.

The young wrestlers are about to compete in their first set of tournaments, including a Mix and Match on Feb. 21 at Cascade High School and a tournament in Cashmere on Feb. 23.

For more information about Cascade Youth Wrestling, email cascadeyouthwrestling@gmail.com.