IWU to Sponsor Freestyle Wrestling Program

The Heads Up Wrestling Club will sponsor an informational meeting for its freestyle wrestling program at 7 p.m., Feb. 19, in the Globe Theater, which is located in the Indiana Wesleyan University Student Center.

The freestyle wrestling program, which will begin March 4, is open to elementary, middle school and high school boys in all Grant County schools. Elementary and middle school wrestlers will practice every Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. High school students will practice the same days from 6 to 7 p.m. Practices will be in the intramural gym in IWU’s Wellness and Recreation Center.

Heads Up Wrestling, which is designed to teach character along with athletic skills, is sponsored by IWU. Dr. Rob Thompson, an IWU administrator, is the coordinator of the program.

The coaching staff for the freestyle program will include area high school coaches as well as former high school and college wrestlers and coaches from IWU.

The Heads Up wrestling program began in November 2002 with folk wrestling for boys in grades 4 through 8. About 20 youths participated in the program. The Character Counts! Six Pillars of Character curriculum will be integrated into each practice session.

The cost to participate in the freestyle program is $40, which includes a $30 membership fee for USA Wrestling. Each boy will receive a team shirt and will have an opportunity to participate in USA Wrestling-sanctioned tourneys. Thompson hopes to have a wrestling tourney at IWU next year.