Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
Parkway school to establish wrestling club
By Amy Kronenberger
ROCKFORD - Parkway High School has started a boys wrestling club, hoping to have a varsity sport in three years.
High school business teacher Kevin Browning has been working with athletic director Doug Hughes to develop the club and find a location for practices.
"As a club, students would pay to play," Browning told board members during their Tuesday meeting. "Part of their dues would go to membership into the U.S. Wrestling Association to cover liability insurance."
Browning said he's already spoken with interested students.
"They know this is competitive olympic-style wrestling and not the WWE," he said. "I was hoping for five students; I was praying for 10 students, and 40 kids showed up for the first meeting."
Thirty returned membership paperwork, and 28 are committed to practices this summer.
Browning said all expenses will be funded through dues and fundraisers. They already have purchased used mats from Celina City Schools.
"It's that perfect color green that I love ... but somehow, we'll get them black and gold," he said.
The club is selling beef sticks to raise money for head gear for the wrestlers.
"By the end of the three-year club process, we hope to make this a varsity sport," Browning said.
Anyone interested in donating to the club can contact the school.
