Wylie Wrestling

Q. What is your history in amateur wrestling? Aren't you executive director for the National Collegiate Wrestling Association?

Wrestled in HS in Western PA. then Wrestled in College at Penn State transferred to Texas A&M where there was no wrestling. We started a club there in 1974. I coached at Richardson HS We had 7 State champions and 26 all State Wrestlers over my 7 years of coaching. I founded and was the Executive director of the TIWA (Texas.Interscholastic Wrestling Association ) for 12 years as we worked to get the UIL to adopt Texas Wrestling.. After the successful UIL project I changed the TIWA into the NCWA and began working to revive College Wrestling that had lost 400 programs since 1980 through Title IX legislation.in five years we have developed 76 new college programs around the country. The Goal is 500 by
2010.

Q. You spend a lot of your time involved somehow with wrestling. What is it about wrestling that you enjoy so much?

Don't really know, but it's one of my passions. My Dad died when I was 11 and Wrestling was the thing that gave me confidence, My Wrestling coaches became my role models, Tough, Disciplined, great work ethics, and Real Sportsmen. I guess I just want others to have the great experiences that I had with wrestling. It made me a Man. and taught me what it took to be
successful. Those things I saw in my coaches and the other successful wrestlers.

Q. What some good things that you've seen happen with the Wylie wrestling team recently?

Our Growth and interest in the wrestling team is fantastic. 16 first year, 28 last year and 52 this year. Coach Blankinship has worked hard to muster up support and to encourage athletes to participate.

Q. Have you seen any new wrestlers this year that have really caught your eye?

I've been really impressed with freshman Nick Seaton at 103 lbs. Lots of heart and some real natural ability. He'll be something special if he stays with the program. Soph Charlie Milhoan at 135 lbs looks like a natural as well, but he has only been on the mat 2 weeks and is making all the beginner mistakes. He could be a real key addition to the line up with a years experience.

Q. What areas do the wrestlers need to improve in?

1. Wrestling Condition. Our guys still can't go a full 6 minute match and we're 1/2 way through the season.
2. Mat time. Nothing teaches wrestling like Wrestling... We need lots of practice time with a young team like this
3. Full Participating ( 15 ) JV squad. we need 2 wrestlers in each weight, and the JV's must get matches.

Q. What can we as parents do to help promote wrestling at Wylie High School?

I think the parents have been great.
1.   Continued support at events. The Guys really want their folks watching.
2.   Let the Athletic Dept know how important the program is to their Son.
3.   Push for :
             a) an Athletic period
             b) an Assistant Coach
             c) more Mat Space for practice.

Q. Wylie is a 4A school competing frequently against 5A schools. Can 4A schools successfully compete against 5A schools?

Absolutely.

Highland Park a 3x state champ in 1998, 1999, and 2000 is the most recent proof of a 4A school successfully competing against 5A schools.

But schools with tiny enrollments like St Marks of Dallas have had runs against Public schools before UIL took over 3 years ago. They were State Champs in 1994, 1995 and1996.

So in the last 10 years only 4 of those years produced 5A state champs. The rest were smaller schools that got committed to doing something special with their programs, and showed that Size really doesn't matter