Beach Blog: A day to celebrate the grit and spirit of U.S. Beach wrestlers

Sunday, 22 September 2024…  Happy first day of Autumn!  I have spent my whole day celebrating and I’ll tell you why. 

Young people from a dozen countries have spent their day showing that there’s hope.  The thirteen Americans among them offered a “PowerPoint” presentation on the core values of our beloved sport.

Gary has already informed you that Eliana Bommarito put another championship notch in her belt, as she moved toward the World Series finale in Porec, Croatia.  Kyle Ferriter put on a clinic of ‘Big Guy’ technique and tactic against a 400-pound Ukrainian sumo star.

I can only add their efforts to those of the other 11 Americans who wrestled their hearts out this morning.  Kyle and Eliana got up this morning, hoping to get on the podium.  The other 11 didn’t.  Yet, all 13 got up, made weight, got their “Big-Boy – Big Girl” britches on, and fought like hell to honor their families, their flag and their own intrinsic drive.

Kaylee Anderson, Justin Benjamin, Michael Clark, Ty Loethen, Roderick Love, Mia Macaluso, Rebecca Mathewson, Jamal Morris, Dom Porter, Gabe Rangel, Maura White, along with Kyle and Eliana, wrestled their morning match like it was the third bout of an Olympic qualifier.  Only Eli and Kyle woke up with a real chance at the afternoon.

I woke up wondering.  Many of us are still getting to know each other.  Some of these 11 are still exhausting collegiate eligibility.  Some are coaching high school and college teams, or clubs.  Dom is a senior in high school.

The display of grit, fortitude, competitive integrity stopped my wondering.  These kids get it!  These are people I want my grandkids influenced by.  These are young coaches I want doing camps and clinics, while working their ways to our volunteer coaching pool.  These are corporate leaders deserving to be hired.

They are also simply damn fine humans!  Watching them sing and dance and make silly jokes with tonight, alongside athletes they competed with just hours earlier, honors the spirit of Mount Olympus… under whose shadow they competed.

Man, I needed this!  It’s rejuvenating to find hope, simply by being a part of the wrestling family.  Thanks!

Ciao

Saturday, September 21, 2024: Rough day for USA shows bond among American teammates

Today was a rough go for Americans wrestling in the World Series of Beach Wrestling, Katerini.  We took our lumps.

And, yet, I could not be more proud of anyone than I am of the individuals that make up this U.S. delegation.  These young heroes exemplify every character trait we promise, when a new kid and their parents walk into the room.

We’ve got a high school senior competing with grown men, many of whom carry extensive resumes.  We’ve got a couple of high school coaches, a couple of collegiate coaches, and a couple of club coaches, all walkin’ the walk, so they can better empathize with the kids in their rooms.

We’ve got young adults finishing Masters’ Degrees, and others starting various careers.  We have active collegiate wrestlers and recent graduates.

Stepping back to appreciate, I find a few noteworthy traits they all have in common.  They all love life.  They love the notion of travel… exploring other cultures, appreciating people from a broad spectrum of backgrounds, beliefs, and languages. 

Remember, these young Americans and their families made some pretty severe sacrifices just to be here. Yes, we come from the gamut of backgrounds, but none of us are rich.  Every family gave something up, worked hard at fund-raising, and scraped together enough to get their kid here.

It’s abundantly clear, these young Americans love. They love and support each other before they learn each other’s names.  They love and respect their opponents… to the extent that, often they sit for lunch with someone they wrestled an hour ago.

They love their families, friends, teammates, back home, the people who helped ‘em get here.  They love life, history and opportunity… never missing a chance to experience new things.  They readily give themselves permission to be amazed!

Tomorrow’s our last full day in Katerini.  We’ll wrestle… and win… and lose… cry and laugh… and move on.  This is one old man saying, “Thanks!”  You’ve taught me a lot.  Team USA, you are appreciated and you are loved.

Ciao

Friday, 20 September 2024…  Two trophies in two days!  It’s safe to say, Women’s Age Group Beach Wrestling in the United States is developing at a brisk pace.

You’ve already read Gary’s article. After winning the U17 team championship yesterday, our American women knocked down a Silver trophy today.  Our global peers are asking, “What’s the secret?  How is the U.S. growing so strong, so quickly?”

A few of us, coaches and leaders, had a rather penetrating conversation about this question over lunch. Two terms came up… out of every mouth, from every perspective: ‘Pipeline’ and ‘Factory’.

Both are pretty common terms in a lot of wrestling conversations today.  Wrestling folks describe Japan as a Women’s Wrestling ‘Factory.’ Penn State and the Nittany Lion RTC are widely considered as a ‘Pipeline’ to World and Olympic medals.  Dagestan is viewed as a men’s Freestyle Wrestling ‘Factory’.

I’d like to give credit where it’s due. When I think of USA Beach Wrestling’s recent climb to international success, three entities jump off the page.  In no particular order, those three are North Carolina, Fargo, and Stanford University.

A majority of our U17 and U20 World Team members are native to North Carolina.  In addition to hosting our Beach National Championship/World Team Trials for a decade, North Carolina schedules multiple Beach events throughout the year.

North Carolina – USA State Chair, Ed Duncan directs that symphony.  But the High School and Club Coaches, like Randall and Cheryl Baynard and Rebecca Mathewson play the featured solos. 

The simple fact that Beach Wrestling is a consistent option has allowed North Carolina athletes and parents a consistent choice in spring and summer.  Many choose Outside, On the Sand, In the Sun, With a Cookout.  Can it be a big surprise that a bunch of North Carolina kids are in Katerini this week?

The bulk of our U17 World Championship Team qualified for open spots during the 2024 Fargo Beach Events.  These are really good high school wrestlers who, like most, were done early at our July marathon event.

Many of the kids who really didn’t belong in a National Championship spent the rest of their stay trading singlets and finding/dodging ways to get into trouble.  A percentage of the ‘Few’, who did belong but fell short (on the mat), went down the street.  They poured into another chance to get some kind of medal in Fargo.  Some are forever members of a very first American World Championship Team.  Are you surprised to discover that our U17 team is loaded with talent?

Thor and Lars Michaelson both attend Stanford. Both are returning World Medalists.  Lars added a U20 Silver this afternoon.  The Washington natives join three Cardinal teammates competing in World Level Beach events this summer.

The Stanford collegiate staff and their RTC make it easy for their wrestlers to compete internationally over the summer.  Thor and Lars join Nick Stemmet and All-Americans Daniel Cardenas and Hunter Garvin in competing on the sand in 2024.

For a collegiate room and staff, along with their RTC, boosters and alum to support talented collegians, in using wrestling to see and study the world sets a high bar.  Think what our U20 Beach Team can become, should a few more collegiate coaches reward the risk their student athletes are willing to take, using wrestling to become more complete Global Citizens?

Congrats to this crop of young American superstars for scratching their mark on the international Beach Wrestling tree.  Congrats to North Carolina for providing fertile soil.  Congrats to State Leaders and Coaches in Fargo, who challenged great kids with “Are you done yet?”

Congrats the Stanford University and RTC for encouraging student athletes to allow Wrestling to “Make their World Small.”  Congrats to Team USA Beach Wrestling for an historic performance in Katerini.

Two trophies in two days… Wow !

Ciao

Thursday, September 19, 2024: The USA U17 women are WORLD CHAMPIONS!

WORLD CHAMPIONS !  I’ve been waiting 18 years to say that.  Is it ironic that the U.S. women who won the team title were born a year or two after Beach Wrestling really began?

Truthfully, our four men wrestled really well today, and Ben Graham put himself in a medal match.  But it was the eight American women who dominated the attention of Beach Wrestling powers… Georgia, Ukraine, Greece, France… today.

By now, you’ve read Gary’s article, summarizing our individual performances.  I want to share the emotional release I got to watch, in some key adults, today.

Many of our U17s athletes have family members in Greece with them.  Obviously, the sacrifices those families have made to be here facilitated some pretty sassy celebration.

I kept my eye on Cheryl and Randall Baynard of North Carolina, National Coach Timmy Box, and Team Leader Ed Duncan.  Randall and Cheryl have spent a small fortune in helping American age group athletes tackle the world stage.  What a joy it is to witness their celebratory tears, during the photo frenzy following the trophy presentation.

Coach Tim is giving time from his own college room at Palomar in California, which is his day job, and from Amanda and their two daughters.  He’s jet-lagged and exhausted, having been going non-stop, to advise and prepare 32 athletes in three age groups, since his arrival on Tuesday.

Ed has been equally consumed, overcoming a slew of obstacles instigated by travel confusion, hotel accommodation and delays.  Ed relies on his unrivalled sense of humor, to keep greasing the wheels of bureaucratic nonsense.

Having been eye-witness to the sacrifices Ed and Timmy have made, for the sake of individual athletes and for our national presence, my heart was warmed in seeing them hoist that first-ever Championship trophy.  This is me saying, “Thank You and Congratulations” to every kid and every adult who added their particular something to today’s success.  You are all loved !

Ciao

Wednesday, 18 September 18 – Greece and Ukraine team up to host the world

A dozen young Americans step into the ring tomorrow to vie for individual and team World Championship honors.  The 2024 U17 Beach Wrestling World Championship on Paralia Beach in Katerini, Greece.

Resilience in the face of adversity, has always been one of wrestling’s core values.  This event poignantly drives that message home.  Both the U17 and U20 Championships, this week, are being co-hosted. 

We’re in Greece, so that part of the equation is obvious.  The maybe not so obvious co-host is Ukraine.  The nation’s current situation, with closed borders and incoming missiles, deters the nation from hosting physically, but not emotionally or financially.

One American parent, previewing entry lists and potential bracketing, asked me straight up, “Why does Ukraine have some many entries?”  My tongue-in-cheek reply, “Because all of them got on the bus.”

There are other new faces here.  Japan has a strong contingent.  Vietnam is in the mix.  Athletes from all levels of national support are making some sacrifice to travel and compete.  Romanians are driving through flood waters just to get out of their country on the 14- hour drive.

My point is simple and consistent.  Wrestling always favors resilience.  Congratulations to Greece for being an open-minded co-host on their own sand.  Congrats to Ukraine for finding a way. 

Congrats to traditional powers, like Japan, for jumping into an emerging style.  Congrats to developing federations like Vietnam for seeing the benefit of simplicity inherent to Beach Wrestling.

Congratulations to 12 American teenagers, their families, their schools, their communities, for their resilience in finding a way for good kids to do great things !  I’m feel so fortunate to be here and witness this.

Ciao

Tuesday, September 17, 2024: World Beach event where Alexander the Great wrestled

Alexander the Great wrestled here throughout his childhood.  In 340BC, he would have been in the U17 age group.  Alex went on to conquer the world as he knew it.

Nearly 2,400 years later, there will some other ‘Greats’ on the same sand.  We are in Katerini, Greece for the World Championship of Beach Wrestling in both the U17 and U20 age groups.  Later in the week, we’ll see the fourth installment of the 2024 Beach Wrestling World Series for Senior Athletes.

The United States entered 32 individuals, many of whom will compete in multiple events.  Eliana ‘The Great’ Bommarito will defend her 2023 World Championship in the U20s this Friday.  Then, Saturday and Sunday, she will march toward her second consecutive Word Championship at the Senior level.

Kennedie ‘The Great’ Snow seeks to also seeks to repeat, having been World Champion, in the U17’s, in ’23.  Ty Loethen returns, having recovered from injury, and will work towards his second World Series medal.  Ty was a Bronze medalist in the 2023 World Series.

Tuesday was our first big travel day.  We got our Referees and Leaders into Katerini, in preparation for mandatory clinics and conferences on Wednesday.

All of our air travel was pretty seamless.  Anymore, that’s labeled as a win!  Our Greek hosts, operating on spotty information and arrival schedule, did all they could on the hour-and-a-half commute from Thessaloniki to Katerini.

The last three of us, Eliana, Rod Love, and yours truly rolled into Katerini at straight up 2:00 a.m.  Our largest group, the U17s and U20s arrive, throughout the day, on Wednesday.

I am particularly proud of five U.S. ‘Greats’ that arrived Tuesday.  Those include three referees,  Tod Blank; Scott Cutbirth; and Paul Krugel.  The other two are our designated National Coach Timmy Box and Team Leader Ed Duncan.

With a few exceptions, the United States has been represented by one referee per international beach competition.  Throughout the early years, we refereed as volunteers… completely at personal expense.

In recent years, United World Wrestling instituted a requirement that any nation fielded three or more athletes supply a referee.  With this, USWOA, the officiating body of USA Wrestling ,has begun assigning and financing a single referee for each event.

This week we have three.  Tod, Scott, and Paul, working within USWOA’s framework, cooperated to have all three here without unfairly taxing the budget.  This shows simply, but vividly, their dedication to the development of the Beach discipline. Bravo!

Then, there are Ed and Timmy.  Coach Box finished a stellar collegiate career at Northern Colorado before beginning his coaching career at Palomar in San Diego.  Along the way, Tim became a World Silver Medalist in Beach Wrestling.  In a word, Coach Timmy is “Committed”.

After Gary Abbott and I sort of got the Beach ball (pun intended) rolling in the century’s first decade, Ed Duncan picked it up and ran with it.  Ed has a creative streak a mile wide and a mile long.  His efforts in revealing Beach Wrestling’s giant benefit to USA Wrestling’s overall menu as our sport’s National Governing Body.

Wednesday, the majority of our American athletes and family members arrive.  We’ll get them settled in, get a few practice goes at the venue, and check the scales.  I’ll introduce you to a few of these courageous souls along the way.

Ciao