Last March, Muldrow Public Schools Board of Education voted to create a wrestling program that would begin this school year.
Former Vian assistant wrestling coach Bryce Brown was hired to lead the inaugural season of wrestling, which to this point is a middle school program. He said that in the early going that it was tough to get the program going as there was the need to find wrestlers to participate.
“First off, I just want to thank (Muldrow Public Schools) Board (of Education), the superintendent (Angela Williams) and the school for allowing me to coach this program,” Brown said. “These first couple of months, it’s been trying to find kids to get them interested in the sport and build that confidence that makes them say, ‘Maybe I can go out there and wrestle somebody one-on-one. I don’t have to rely on anyone else to pick up the slack, and go out there and prove what I have.’ It’s just been finding kids and getting them interested in the sport.”
Now, that process has ended, with nearly 20 wrestlers, both boys and girls, hitting the mat.
“It’s just seventh- and eighth-graders,” Brown said. “I’ve got 19 on the roster, and 18 of them are eighth-graders. I will have some who will roll into high school next year. I share a few with weightlifting and some with basketball, so I’m even getting those kids less than what I should. I’ve got eight girls and 11 boys. They’re pretty spread out throughout the weight classes, so that helps me even more. I was thrilled to get what I have out so far — especially with no (wrestling) experience in some of these kids.”
The team has been to two tournaments so far this season, the Warner Eagle Classic on Nov. 24 at Warner Event Center and last weekend’s Cherokee County Classic at Sequoyah-Tahlequah High School.
“That was a good little opener for them,” Brown said about last month’s tournament in Warner. “It was good for them to go in there and get their feet wet, and get the feel for what tournaments and wrestling are like.”
Brown is now finding out that the wrestlers are loving the sport and are asking him what they can do to make themselves even better.
“I’ve already noticed that I’ve got a few who are pretty dedicated,” he said. “They’re asking me, ‘What can I do during the summer so I don’t lose all my wrestling (knowledge)?’ They’re asking me, ‘What can I go home and practice and do to make myself better?’ I feel that I’ve got a lot of kids who will be committed.”
Brown could not be more pleased with how the program is starting to evolve into something even bigger.
“I’m thrilled,” the new Muldrow wrestling coach said. “I’m proud of these kids and the time they’re putting in. They’re showing up after school when they don’t have to. Day in and day out, they’re putting in some pretty good work. The future looks very bright.
