|
 Landers stressed that the purpose of the
program was to introduce youngsters to the sport and teach them
some basic skills, but most important, to get some healthy exercise
in a fun atmosphere.
The program offers wrestling to youngsters from
kindergarten through eighth grade. Landers said that at the
sixth-grade level the Lincoln Junior High School takes over
for those last years.
Landers stressed that a child's safety is most
important to all the coaches and said that in tournaments, young
wrestlers are blocked into groups according to age and weight, with
careful consideration of experience also included in determining
matches.
There is a fee of $65 to join, and that fee will
include special T-shirts and shorts for each child in the program.
Headgear is provided.
The first tournament, called the Railer Rumble,
brings young wrestlers from all over central Illinois. Landers said
last year's event had 400 participants.
It was stressed that the youngsters could do as
much as they wanted but that the choice of which tournaments they
participated in -- and there are 13 altogether -- is left up to
the child and family.
"If a child wants to wrestle in just two
tournaments, that's fine," said the coach.
To make sure young wrestlers don't feel any
unwarranted pressure to excel, Landers said that all participants in a
tournament receive an award for their efforts.
For more information, you can call Walt Landers
at 217-519-3619.
[By
MIKE FAK]
|
