AN INDIVIDUAL SPORTS WITH TEAM SPIRIT

Cody Rouse and Blake Ulrich, both of Jackson, get in starting position during a recent practice.

Because wrestling exercises all parts of a competior's body, conditioning exercises such as wind springs are an important part of each practice.

It is a unique sport with a history that goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It is individually demanding yet has the camaraderie that comes from teamwork.

The sport is wrestling and the boys who take part in Jackson's American Athletic Union/USA Youth Wrestling Program are getting an introduction and a chance to develop their skills in this rigorous sport.

Boys aged 7 to 14 years meet very Monday and Thursday evening for 1 1/2 hours of practice. They are now preparing for an upcoming tournament.

American Athletic Union wrestling is a national program developed for boys too young to participate in the wrestling programs offered by public schools. AAU sponsors and trains many young athletes in a variety of sports. USA Wrestling is a national organization specifically devoted to young wrestlers and sponsors a variety of workshops and tournaments.

Head coach Mike Rouse of Jackson explains that he coaches "for the kids."

"It's all for the kids," said Rouse, who talks enthusiastically about the program, the successes and the personal growth of the boys. His enthusiasm for the team is peppered throughout his comments and stories about all the boys involved.

"We took 23 boys to the Missouri Challenge tournament last week in St. Louis," he said. "There were 1,000 boys from the greater St. Louis area who participated and we took 11 first places."

In Jackson, younger wrestlers learn their first level of skills either in physical education at school or through the Optimists wrestling program sponsored each year.

About 200 boys are active in the Optimist program and many of the Jackson AAU/USA wrestlers were developed from that program, as were some of the coaches.

Rouse began coaching in the Optimist program and from that, began the AAU team which usually competes in eight tournaments from December to April each year.

The team will travel almost weekly for a variety of sponsored tournaments. The younger wrestlers are currently preparing for a junior tournament while the older team members are getting ready for their own tournament in several weeks.

Rouse is particularly enthusiastic about the upcoming Tulsa Nationals in which four Jackson wrestlers will participate. Blake Ulrich, 8, a student at West End Elementary won a third place trophy in last year's nationals tournament. Ulrich will be joined this year by 13-year old Lance Slick of Jackson, 8-year old Cody Rouse of Jackson and 14-year-old Tommy Stidham, a Chaffee native who took fourth place in the 1993 nationals tournament.

The boys are divided into several categories. During the first year, less skilled boys, regardless of their age, are placed in the gold division where they are further divided by age and by weight class. For instance, the class for those aged 7-years-old and younger has weight divisions beginning at 40 pounds and rising in five-pound increments.

More experienced wrestlers are placed in the blue division. The varying experience and weight divisions encourage safety and offer each boy the opportunity to wrestle against competitors of similar size and skill.

All of the parents attending practice agree that their kids like to win and hate to lose.

"He likes to win, but there's a lot of learning in the sport," says Lisa Biri, whose 8-year-old son is a member of the team.

Cherlyn Purham of Fruitland agrees, saying, "It's exciting but nerve wracking. He likes the one-on-one challenge and the mental challenge. He also learnes how to handle it when he gets defeated."

Melissa Rush of Jackson says her 12-year-old is learning valuable life skills through his participation in the league.

"He learns to depend on himself," she said. "Wrestling develops self-esteem. Most important, though, he's spending his time doing a good activity. It's something he's proud of because he's not just sitting around mindlessly in front of the Nintendo.

"They are so excited about their team they wear their shirts to school all the time," she added.

The parents involved with the youth wrestling program add the dynamic quality of family for each boy involved. They quickly build-up each wrestler as well as every coach. The program is powered by the parents who willingly volunteer to drive the boys all over the state of Missouri. The families also enjoy the camaraderie which is fostered through the long tournaments and the overnight stays. The boys all enjoy going different places.

"It's a good experience," said Lisa Biri. "If he wants to keep wrestling, it's good to start young."

In the past few years there has been a rapidly increasing interest in wrestling at the elementary and junior high school levels.

Some of wrestling's popularity can be attributed to the fact that boys in all stages of physical development can participate, most boys have a natural drive to wrestle, it is a safe and fairly inexpensive sport and a large number of boys can participate.

Taking the whole child into consideration, the opportunity to wrestle can contribute to physical, social, mental and emotional growth.

Many experts in the field of physical education feel that wrestling is one of the most strenuous and physically-beneficially sports in our culture today.

Arthur H. Steinhaus recently prepared a report rating all the major team, dual and individual sports, rating them from low to high in their physical fitness value. Wrestling was the only sport to receive a "high" rating in the evaluation areas -- endurance, agility and strength.

Endurance is an important element in preparing for participation in wrestling. Rouse and the coaching staff are diligent with the preparation of each boy for his turn on the mat. They stress safety as well as good sportsmanship.

They typical practice begins with conditioning. This warm-up allows the boys to stretch their muscles and begin to think about the evening's bouts before competition begins.

Then there is a time of teaching techniques. The basic moves and releases taught during this period are the building blocks for every good wrestler. Wrestling is not simply a sport of brawn meeting brawn. The good wrestler is a smart one and the practice of basic techniques is invaluable when the match begins.

After teaching comes a time for running wind sprints followed by a closing period where Rouse talks to the boys and parents giving them information and answering their questions about upcoming tournaments.

Parents and coaches both agree that the boys learn how to wrestle but also learn that winning isn't everything. The coaches stress that wrestlers will win some and lose a few and each win or loss must be taken as a learning experience. The building of character is the greatest victory for each wrestler.