It just got to be a lot bigger than we ever thought, a lot quicker. We expected maybe 20 or 30 kids the first year, but we've had around 90 at most of the practices. That's great, though, to see so many people get excited about wrestling. This community is going nuts over wrestling. The Norwayne youths have practiced on Tuesdays and Thursdays since January and recently had an intrasquad tournament.
Most students are between kindergarten and eighth-grade, although there are a few younger ones.
Last weekend's trip to Waynedale was the first big interscholastic experience for the team as 25 schools were represented. Along with Maltarich, eight volunteer coaches instruct the youth team. Our kids are at the ages now where they want to start wrestling and Norwayne hadn't had a youth program since just after we were in school. Watching the enthusiasm of the kids is all the reward the coaches and parents need. This material is copyrighted by The Daily Record, Wooster, Ohio, and may not be republished without permission.