This is a great article written in the Kentucky Youth Sport Scene Magazine about our middle school State Tournament. It was not posted online, So I wrote and asked for a copy to publish. This article has many action pictures in the Magazine from Middle School State. (Volume 2, Issue 1) http://youthsportscene.com/ Below is the article without the Pictures

By Jan Winter

Editor

Kentucky Youth SportScene

www.youthsportscene.com

For the fourth year, middle school wrestlers from around the state gathered for the state middle school wrestling championships in Elizabethtown.

The events took more than 12 hours to get through 16 weight classes each with 16 regional winners representing more than 40 club and school programs statewide.

Founder of the Kentucky State Wrestling Association Mark Hitchings said the event showcases some amazing talent.

“These kids work out, practice and compete almost year round,” he said. The association uses the National Federation of High School Wrestling format to train the young wrestlers to be ready for high school.

“Our kids, Kentucky kids, were at a disadvantage because they’d come to high school with zero wrestling experience or bad experience. There was no organized youth wrestling. No uniform weight classes, no statewide organization, it was a disaster. We needed structure and rules. We decided to make that happen seven years ago,” said the former Fern Creek High School state champ.

Hitchings served as the organization’s first president and saw participation grow by leaps and bounds.

“There were many a couple of hundred kids wrestling before we started the association. Now we have close to a thousand, with teams popping up everywhere,” Hitchings said.

Clubs and schools are allowed to participate, so if a school doesn’t offer wrestling, interested families can start their own club, like he did. Hitchings affiliated his club with Trinity High School.

“We want kids to develop the right way, learn the skills the right way the first time. This is all developmental at this point. We want them to want to keep wrestling when they get to high school,” he added.

The association’s new president is Pat Lee, head coach of the Conner Middle school team.

Wrestling is great for kids who want a personal challenge, Hitchings said. Although they compete as a team, the competition is one on one, and calls as much self-confidence as it does strength.

“It’s tough to get out there in front of everybody. You see a tremendous emotional outpouring from the kids. It calls on them to use every skill they have.”

The resulting physical fitness is the mark of wrestlers. One young man, a 13-year-old from Louisville gained such fitness he competed against adults in a bodybuilding contest and came in third, Hitchings said.

“It’s a great sport that challenges you mentally and physically. More kids should give it a try,” he said.

The following are existing programs for middle school wrestling. For more information about joining a team or forming your own, contact the association online at www.kyswa.com.