DOTHAN, Ala. — Tuesday afternoon, Northside Methodist Academy held a press conference announcing the initiation of a wrestling program.
Following that, the school also has brought in a head tennis coach for the next season.
In the Wiregrass, Northside Methodist becomes just the fifth school to start up a wrestling program.
Assistant Coach, Travis Robinson is a main contributor to the team’s origin as he has been an “ambassador” for the sport throughout the Wiregrass.
“We look forward to getting out and competing with teams in our area…we hope to bring to some more competitors for our sport. It is a first year program so our expectations need to stay in a realistic realm but we are excited,” Robinson said in his initial statement today.
For a sport that is growing in the area, the first opponent will be the numbers in which the program can put out on the mat. But, the team can look to other sports for athletes.
“I know we have support from Coach Hurst and the football team, Coach Mordecai from the baseball team… we are going to take everybody in and give them a spot at the starting roster,” Robinson said.
The coach also is the owner of a wrestling club in the area. Patriot Wrestling Club is a youth club that coaches kids from five years old to 18 and looks to enhance their love and knowledge on the sport of wrestling.
The plan to establish wrestling at Northside dates back a few years, Robinson has already helped start programs at other schools in Dothan.
One wrestler the Knights will look to build a team around is Reilly Harvin, a rising senior who has wrestled already for five years. He is aiming to fill the 220 weightclass.
“I am gonna help them and teach them the proper ways to do stuff. Hopefully, they will keep wrestling throughout high school,” Harvin said in perspective of being a leader of a new team.
Coach Robinson believes wrestling is a sport that teaches life lessons whether that be as an athlete, a spouse, or in the case of Northside Methodist, a Christian.
“I like to be an ambassador for the sport, to me it brings so many life skills, maybe not at 18 (years old) but at 28, 38 and 48,” Robinson said as to how wrestling will carry on with these athletes for the rest of their lives.
The Knights still have logistics to work out as to when it comes to scheduling, team gear like singlets, but for now the team will practice at Robinson’s Patriot Wrestling Club.
Moving into the 2020-2021, the Knights also announced today that Erik Slaick will take over the tennis program.
Last season, Slaick was on staff as an assistant coach but now with the head gig vacant, he has taken the reigns of the team.
