EXECUTIVE NOTES By Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director
Busy time in wrestling brings many positive activities and numerous exciting opportunities to come Spring is a busy season within USA Wrestling, as much of our
annual schedule of major events is being held across the nation. It is a time that wrestlers of all ages are very involved in USA Wrestling programs, by training in our clubs, attending our clinics and wrestling in our competitions. It takes tremendous effort and commitment for USA Wrestling
to meet the needs of its membership, while working to help improve and grow the sport we love. I can’t say enough about the thousands of volunteers who donate massive amounts of time and effort on behalf of young people everyday. It would not be possible for USA Wrestling to achieve its mission without these remarkable people who selflessly devote themselves to the sport. We come off some very successful and exciting events which
we can be very proud of, the 2014 Open Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, as well as the 2014 Beat the Streets Team USA vs. the World dual in New York City. This year in Las Vegas, there was a commitment to expand
“The Open” to include many more athletes. The youth portion of the event featured competition in freestyle, Greco-Roman and folkstyle, and over 1,000 athletes participated in the event. Along with the popular Senior Open, the FILA Junior Nationals and the Veterans Nationals, it was the largest field of competi- tors in history. In addition, a special competition arena with two raised mats
was created, called the Golden Circles. The championship finals of each age group was held there, giving a true showcase for the finalists of every division. The finals included exciting pro- duction elements, including lighting and music. This was well received by athletes, coaches and fans. For the first time, both the semifinals and the finals of the
Senior Open was broadcast live on Universal Sports Network, allowing many more fans to enjoy the action, as well as reach others who were watching our nation’s best wrestlers for the first time.
We also celebrate the success of the
Beat the Streets event, which returned to historic Times Square for the third time. The new format, where top U.S. stars bat- tled a team of World All-Stars, proved to be very entertaining and Team USA had a memorable performance. The action was broadcast by NBC Sports Network with same-day coverage, seen in nearly 200,000 households across the USA. Special credit goes to Beat the Streets chair Mike Novogratz,
its Executive Director Jim Fallis, its outstanding staff, and the many volunteers who made it all happen. Most importantly, $1.6 million was raised to support youth wrestling in New York City, a truly worthy cause that helps change lives. We have much to look forward to in the coming months. This summer, alongside the ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet Nationals in Fargo, N.D., USA Wrestling will host the World Team Trials in the non-Olympic weight classes. On three differ- ent days, the U.S. World Team member will be determined in two weight classes, showcasing all three Olympic styles. This will allow the wrestlers, coaches, families and fans in Fargo a unique opportunity to see many of America’s best wrestlers in action as they compete for a spot on the World Team. This will make an already outstanding event even better this year. In just over a year, USA Wrestling will host the 2015 World
Wrestling Championships at the Orleans Arena next September in Las Vegas. Our nation has not had the chance to host a World Championships since 2003 in New York City. The great- est wrestlers in the world will come to Las Vegas, in the major qualifying event for the 2016 Olympic Games. Tickets will soon be on sale for this event, and fans are encouraged to purchase them right away, as the demand will be very high. Check
TheMat.com and USA Wrestling’s social media platforms for more details. Few people get the opportuni- ty to attend an Olympic Games, so the chance to see the same amazing athletes at the World Championships comes along very rarely. Our goal is to host the best World Championships ever, and you are encouraged to make plans to attend.
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