The Roland Rangers will not only see its athletes on the field at Ranger Stadium, on the basketball court at the Ranger Dome, on the baseball field or running track come this next school year.
Roland Public Schools will begin a wrestling program this next late fall/winter, and the program’s first-ever coach will be Brian Foster.
“I’m super excited — not just for myself, but for all the kids in the community,” Foster said.
Foster is an experienced mixed martial arts competitor as well as being a coach on the side.
“I’ve been training and fighting Mixed Martial Arts for the last 18 years,” he said. “I’ve been coaching for the last five or six years at my own gym in Fort Smith, Ark. I’ve been coaching youth sports for like 15 years or so — ever since my sons were little. I coached the Roland Youth League (Wrestling) this (past) year.”
It was one of the Roland Youth League Wrestling member’s father which made Foster intrigued with being a part of Roland High School’s first-ever wrestling program. “The fathers of the (Roland) Youth League (Wrestling) League wrestling kids asked me to start coaching the youth league,” Foster said. “One thing led to another. Some of the higher ups at Roland (Public Schools) saw how it (Roland Youth League Wrestling) was going, and they really thought it would be nice to get a (wrestling) program in the school. They asked me if I would like to fill the role. Some of the higher ups at Roland saw how it (Roland Youth League Wrestling) was going, and they really thought it would be nice to get a (wrestling) program in the school. That’s how it all came together.”
Foster is very happy that now the youth from the Roland Youth League Wrestling will be able to filter right into the newly-formed RHS wrestling program.
“That’s huge,” he said. “It starts when they’re young. A lot of kids need wrestling more than wrestling needs those kids. It’s one of those things for me that I’ve always loved to be able to provide a way for them. I was one of those kids who could have been really good, but I didn’t have a way. Ever since, I’ve always looked for a way to provide one. That’s why I started my own gym so I could train them outside of the season and continue their progress. Even though I’m the (new) high school coach, the (Roland) Youth League (Wrestling) is still something I’m going to do — I’ll never quit. I’m here for the kids.”
Foster said he has already been working with some of the wrestlers who will be representing the Rangers on the mat for this upcoming inaugural RHS wrestling season.
“During wrestling season last year I had the (Roland) Youth League (Wrestling), but I was still able to do some off-season with the high school,” Foster said. “I got acquainted with well over 20 of those guys who were off-season football players that were looking forward to getting into wrestling and giving it their all to try to make a statement and make history themselves to be the first group of guys to try to make something happen for Roland (wrestling).”
Foster is just glad that he will be able to keep the wrestling prowess of Sequoyah County going while spearheading the newly-formed Roland wrestling program.
“Being in this part of Oklahoma, we’ve always had wrestling around here,” Foster said. “We have some super tough kids. This will be a really good opportunity for a lot of kids to not have to travel so far to find wrestling. That gives all the parents a closer option to incorporate their kids and give them the opportunity to partake in (wrestling) — especially for a dad, like me. I’m from Muldrow, and Muldrow doesn’t have wrestling — but Roland now does. I’m super excited to be a part of it.”
