Tournament @ Liberty HS 4/3

Hey guys, we will be heading out to Liberty HS in Brentwood this Saturday, April 3rd.  Info on the tournament is available in the mat room.  Stop by practice on Wednesday and pick up a flyer. 

"You can make tremendous improvements by training during the off season.  What you do between now and November will make a tremendous difference in your performance next season.  I encourage you to make the most of your time this summer!"

Ken Chertow - NCAA All-American and US Olympian

Freestyle/Greco @ CYC

LISTEN UP!! The team will be heading up to CYC in Concord THIS Saturday, March 27th to get some matches in.  ALL returning wrestlers are expected to compete this weekend.  If you cannot go, or still do not have a USA Wrestling card, you need to let me know why ASAP so we can work something out.

Information on the tournament can be found here.  Flyers are also available in the mat room.  CYC will REQUIRE all participating wrestlers to print and sign their waiver in order to compete in their facility.  Please make sure that you all do this!  Everyone is strongly encouraged to sign up for BOTH freestyle and greco divisions.  Carpool and other details will be discussed at practice tonight at 530pm.  See you there!!

Tournament @ Castro Valley HS

IMPORTANT reminder to all wrestlers expecting to compete in the freestyle/greco tournament hosted by Castro Valley HS this Saturday, March 13th.

ALL WRESTLERS MUST BE PRE-REGISTERED FOR THE TOURNAMENT PRIOR TO SATURDAY MORNING!!  To pre-register, log on to trackwrestling.com, then follow these directions:

1) On the homepage, scroll down and highlight '2010 BAWA Junior/Open Castro Valley on 3/13', then click on the 'Enter Tournament' button. (It is very important that you find the 3/13 tournament and NOT 3/12)
2) Then click the link that reads 'Pre-Register Now'
3) A window will pop up that will require you to register.  You will find instructions that will walk you through the rest of the registration process.

Awards Banquet Reminder

Just throwing out a reminder that all guest forms for the awards banquet should be returned to Coach Thomsen AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  We need to get an accurate head count submitted to Sunol Valley Golf Club to make sure that they will accommodate enough seating and food for everyone.  Please DO NOT wait until the last minute to get this taken care of.

All wrestlers are expected to be there, and your family members are STRONGLY encouraged to attend as well to share this experience with the wrestling team and staff.  It is a fun time for all, as we will reflect on the season, present several awards and will unveil the 2009-2010 highlight video.

Make sure that your name (with guests) are included on the guest list on the team website.  If you need a guest form, please click here.  See you all there!!

"Every Wrestler's Last Match"

Here is a good read for you guys, it's an article written by James Emig that appeared in the tournament program of the 1993 Ohio State Wrestling Championships (slightly tweaked for us CA wrestlers):

"There comes a time when every wrestler realizes his competitive career is over. Exactly when that moment occurs varies for every wrestler. For some, that realization takes place in advance of their last match; those wrestlers walk out onto the mat knowing it ends after that match. Others get caught up in the race for the top and don’t really want to think about what may be their last match. It is difficult to put an end to something to which you have given so much of yourself. However, sooner or later, every wrestler grasps the reality that he has wrestled his last match, and for many, it will happen this weekend.

Looking through the stands and in the corridors of the arena at the state championships each year, you will see wrestlers whose careers are over. Sometimes you’ll see a mother, sister, wrestlerette or girlfriend crying while holding him; a father looking out onto the arena floor, silently thinking about what could have been. Behind every wrestler are many others who quietly, deep within themselves, wrestle right along side him. They feel the joy of victory and the pain of defeat as if it was their own. When his career ends, much of the anguish they feel is because it is also the end of something that has meant very much to them.

It is a long, difficult road from those very first matches, marked by many defeats, to the state championships. Somewhere in between, childhood ends. Games are no longer important and boys become men. Fortunate parents witness this beautiful transition. It is not without a great deal of pain and sacrifice for the wrestlers and families alike. For most wrestler, qualifying for the California State Championships represents the single greatest achievement in their young lives. For all wrestlers, qualifying represents an experience they will never forget.

No one knows what drives these young men and coaches to work so hard and sacrifice so much. The rewards come from within. This sport of wrestling brings winning and losing together such that the combination means self-improvement. This is the real reward. One wrestler can’t improve without the efforts of another. The champions owe a debt to the wrestlers they have wrestled and beaten. All wrestler who finish behind the champions owe a debt to the champs because they have improved from the experience. Collectively, we all owe a debt to this great sport because we have all been touched by our involvement.

Five hundred and sixty wrestlers enter the CA state tournament each year with the dream of winning that final match. A dream, however, only fourteen will realize. To those wrestlers who wrestle their last match this weekend, congratulations to you, no matter where you place. THE REALITY IS, THERE ARE NO LOSERS IN THE SPORT OF WRESTLING; THERE ARE ONLY THOSE WHO DID NOT WRESTLE."

Warrior Wrestling Club

Hey guys, just a reminder that our freestyle/greco club practices will start TONIGHT at 530pm.  You do not need a USA Wrestling card to practice, but you will be required to have one BEFORE the tournament this Saturday at Castro Valley.  We will talk about details at practice, including how to sign up for a USA Wrestling card and how to pre-register online for the tournament (every MUST be pre-registered and can NOT just show up Saturday and expect to wrestle.)

Corbin Lee Completes Breakout Season

Corbin fell short of bringing home a medal from the CIF State Championships, but he is still all smiles after completing his amazing breakout season, and one of the most successful in MSJ wrestling history.  Corbin finished his first year of varsity competition with an overall 44-10 record while becoming the first sophomore to qualify to the state meet for MSJ since 1998. 
Check our Season Results page on the team website for a full write-up from the CIF State Championships.

Takedown of the Week

With an NCS medal on the line, Elliot had to wrestle Griffith Gates (Foothill) for the fourth time of the '09-'10 season. Behind 2-0 with about 30 seconds left in the third period, Elliot was forced to let Gates go to force the action on his feet. Now down 3-0, Elliot was awarded 1 point from the second stall warning against Gates with about 10 seconds remaining. The following clip starts with about 6 seconds left in the match...

CIF State Brackets are Posted

The brackets have been released and can be downloaded/printed here.  Corbin will face SD1 from Poway HS in the opening round of the tournament.  Good luck to Corbin and all NCS wrestlers down in Bakersfield!!