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Welcome back to another great season of the Oldest and Greatest Sport in the World.
As we head into this next year we will mourn the loss of our Chief Pairing Master, Ms. Judy Rider. Judy had been a volunteer leader in our organization for the past 20 years as a pairer, a mom and general supporter of wrestling state wide and nationally. She fought cancer for the past year and had many highs and lows while still working at many state championships and local tournaments. Her devotion and dedication is a stellar example of how big and valiant the heart of a volunteer is, all in the name of helping kids enjoy the sport of wrestling. Judy is gone, but her spirit is alive and well.
California USA Wrestling is very much alive and well. We continue to enjoy success on the membership level as the leader in the nation in athletes, officials and coaches. Our athletes excel at all levels, which is a tribute to the time, dedication and sacrifices that many people put toward our athletes. We had many athletes, male and female, make world teams this year and place in World Championships. We had four National Champions in Fargo this past summer. The Kid’s regional team excelled in Oregon, placing many champions and placers.
The state championship series is changing because of the continued success of participation. We are outgrowing facilities. In an effort to accommodate all athletes we will be having Frosh-Soph Folkstyle Championship in San Jose on 20 mats. We are also incorporating our inaugural Kids Folkstyle State Championship with the Frosh Soph Tournament. To qualify for the Kids Folkstyle, please see the state schedule for association qualifiers. The Frosh Soph Tournament is still open and does not require an athlete to qualify.
We are also upgrading the tournament operations by computerizing the pairing systems, providing visual mat side clocks, and better facilities. This of course does not come without a price tag. The Board of Directors decided to raise the entry fees for all state championships to $30. The increase will continue to upgrade our tournaments, provide for quality officiating and put some money away for the future home of California-USA Wrestling.
As a convenience to our membership, we have put on our website CA-USAW.org, a link where a person can sign up to be an athlete or coach. We are also looking into a system where an athlete can pre-register for anyone of our state championships through a Pay Pal system. Keep an eye on the website for the upgrades and conveniences.
Increasing quality competitions is one of our primary goals at the local and state level. We are looking to increase of folkstyle tournament in the September through March months and then swing the focus to freestyle and Greco Roman. Athletes who are versed in all three styles have had better success as the athletes move through high school and college and international wrestling. We do not ever want to limit our athletes’ potential success because a coach or club is not proficient in a particular style of wrestling.
We encourage and challenge our coaches to get involved and educated in all three styles of wrestling and open the doors to their athletes. There are many opportunities for coaches to be ramped up in various styles if they are willing to dedicate the time. This can only help your athletes and eventually the state and nation. We have the best athletes–we need to provide them more opportunities to excel, and it begins with you.
This organization runs on the heart and souls of volunteers. As a parent, find a way to help at local tournaments. Be an official–get on the mat, go into the pairing room–grab a pencil, help pass out bout sheets, help announce. Don’t just sit in the stands and watch–be that volunteer that helps all kids.
It is a pleasure to serve as your State Chairman. We have a great organization and my goal is only to make it better for all athletes and volunteers. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or the office. I hope to see you on the mats. Have a great season.