Uniforms for Walters Middle School Wrestling
Donation protected
Competition Uniforms for Walters Middle School Wrestling
Last year, we were lucky to get permission to start a wrestling club at Walters Junior High (now Walters Middle School) in Fremont, CA. The club is free to any 6th-8th grade girls and boys in the area (we cater to Walters students but anyone is welcome - several of our athletes go to Horner Junior High who does not have a program). For competitions, we do ask for donations from individual competitors; but we will find a way for all athletes to compete. This year, the PTSA is graciously supporting us for one of our competitions which definitely helps with the financial burden.
The purpose of the club is to make better young men and women through the sport of wrestling. A major component to the program is character-building which is applied to wrestling and every other area of their life. In our inaugural year last season, we competed very well, which was fantastic. More importantly, however, our athletes were grateful and gracious competitors who showed a lot of grit on the mat. As I coach, I was blessed to start with a group of respectful and hard-working young women and men who set the tone for the ongoing culture of the program. We had 29 wrestlers last season; however, with the welcoming and supportive attitude of the team members and the addition of a sixth grade to the school, I'm expecting that number to swell.
We have great kids and have had a wonderful start, but we are lacking one thing: Uniforms. At competitions last year, Walters athletes wore personal shorts and t-shirts. While this is acceptable under tournament rules and I kind of liked the "Bad News Bears" feel of it all, I do think it would mean a lot to our athletes to appear at tournaments wearing the same uniform. Frankly, it would take our modest program to a different level.
As wrestling is new to this school's culture and Spandex scares some potential athletes away, I'm leaning towards shorts and rash guards; however, I will go with singlets if that's all I can afford. Regardless, I'm expecting to use these uniforms for the next several years as the program builds.
The club starts in January and runs through the end of March, which coincides with the local junior high/middle school season. Competitions start in late February, so I'll be after this soon. I can't imagine how excited our kids will be if we can unveil new uniforms before the first tournament. It would be a wonderful gift for our athletes to recognize their hard work.
If you have any questions or advice, please contact me through GoFundMe.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Jay Jackson
Last year, we were lucky to get permission to start a wrestling club at Walters Junior High (now Walters Middle School) in Fremont, CA. The club is free to any 6th-8th grade girls and boys in the area (we cater to Walters students but anyone is welcome - several of our athletes go to Horner Junior High who does not have a program). For competitions, we do ask for donations from individual competitors; but we will find a way for all athletes to compete. This year, the PTSA is graciously supporting us for one of our competitions which definitely helps with the financial burden.
The purpose of the club is to make better young men and women through the sport of wrestling. A major component to the program is character-building which is applied to wrestling and every other area of their life. In our inaugural year last season, we competed very well, which was fantastic. More importantly, however, our athletes were grateful and gracious competitors who showed a lot of grit on the mat. As I coach, I was blessed to start with a group of respectful and hard-working young women and men who set the tone for the ongoing culture of the program. We had 29 wrestlers last season; however, with the welcoming and supportive attitude of the team members and the addition of a sixth grade to the school, I'm expecting that number to swell.
We have great kids and have had a wonderful start, but we are lacking one thing: Uniforms. At competitions last year, Walters athletes wore personal shorts and t-shirts. While this is acceptable under tournament rules and I kind of liked the "Bad News Bears" feel of it all, I do think it would mean a lot to our athletes to appear at tournaments wearing the same uniform. Frankly, it would take our modest program to a different level.
As wrestling is new to this school's culture and Spandex scares some potential athletes away, I'm leaning towards shorts and rash guards; however, I will go with singlets if that's all I can afford. Regardless, I'm expecting to use these uniforms for the next several years as the program builds.
The club starts in January and runs through the end of March, which coincides with the local junior high/middle school season. Competitions start in late February, so I'll be after this soon. I can't imagine how excited our kids will be if we can unveil new uniforms before the first tournament. It would be a wonderful gift for our athletes to recognize their hard work.
If you have any questions or advice, please contact me through GoFundMe.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Jay Jackson
Organizer
Jay Jackson
Organizer
Fremont, CA