By Cutter’b Pritchard, sports editor
Young Guns Wrestling is a club organization for the offseason allowing athletes to fine tune their skills and gain individual recognition. It’s a Pennsylvania exclusive club with grapplers from schools all over the state. With such a widespread range of talent and kids having to wrestle off for spots, only the best in the state are on the team. Junior Cody Mulligan, who won a state medal for the weight class of 182, said of his experience with the team: “I have learned a lot. The coaches are the best in the country.”
According to the organization’s website, “The coaching staff has decorated resumes along with training some of the greatest names in wrestling history. They look forward to passing that knowledge to willing wrestlers who are seeking more from their lives… like the opportunity to be GREAT!”
With the participation of a club sport, there is less stress than the regular season, but with such an elite group, the wrestlers work on skills only the top college teams work on.
“Young Guns practices are designed with the purpose of improving wrestling skills. Proper and precise technique is taught to eliminate bad habits. In addition, coaches work to teach relentless attack and response to key situations in wrestling,”their site said.
With this high demand of only the greatest, there comes a desire from the athletes. Their website says, “This desire becomes contagious among kids dedicated to achieving success at a higher level.”
When asked how this dedication would translate closer to home, Mulligan said, “I have learned so much from the experience, and it has really helped me bring what I have learned to Saegertown.”
Mulligan will travel to Virginia Beach on Friday to compete all Memorial Day Weekend at The Virginia Beach Convention Center. The club will be going toe-to-toe against ten of the top clubs in the country, facing off for the title. Young Guns achieved second place at the event last year.