— by Lin McNulty —
Local boys and girls age 5-18 have been wrestling each other on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5-7 p.m, at Camp Orkila since 2011. After hearing from kids who thought a wrestling club would be “awesome,” Orcas Island Wresting Club was founded by Tom Gossett and Jason Dean, under the auspices of USA Wrestling.
With 18 participants last year, the current membership of six is expected to increase as the indoor soccer season comes to a close. Currently, the coaches are Jason Dean who wrestled through high school and at Oregon State, Monty Coffey who wrestled in high school, and Rob Harvey who wrestled during college. USA Wrestling holds coaches’ clinics, but there has been no money for our local coaches to attend. They don’t seem to mind; they just have fun teaching kids a sport.
Although the Orcas Club participates in competition up and down the I-5 corridor, not at all members choose to compete.
“Many of the kids,” explains Dean, “are interested in learning the sport, but not necessarily wanting to compete. And we can help them get there. For them it becomes about discipline, awareness, and body balance, with no pressure to compete.”
There are upwards of 500 kids in a tournament. As the tournament competition is about age, size, weight, a 16 year old who is just beginning may find his/her self going up against someone who has been wrestling for over a decade.
This sport is about performance of the individual, sportsmanship, and honor. Should you beat your opponent, you help him or her up. “We teach our wrestlers to never intentionally try to hurt somebody,” added Dean. “What they do on the mat, they own. No team can take your glory away. What you do on the mat is all you. No one can that away from you.
“You are a winner by merely stepping on the mat in front of 500 wrestlers and 1,000 parents in the stands. If you lose, you learn what you did wrong so you can do it differently next time.”
This is a definite co-ed sport, as 15% of the participants in a tournament are girls. And the competition may be inter-gender, as well. “There are girls who know they have something to prove and they can beat the dickens out of a guy,” notes Dean.
It’s now fund-raising time. An annual raffle begins this Sunday, December 21, and continues the following weekend, December 27-28 at Island Market. Tickets are $2 each, six for $10, $20 for 12. Each contributor gets to decide how tickets are distributed–all in one jar or one in each. The drawing will be on Tuesday, December 30.
Donors have contributed the following items:
- San Juan Propane: 100 gallons propane ($300)
- Rob Harvey: Cord of firewood ($250)
- Auto Tech: Oil change and safety inspection ($90)
- Madrona Bar & Grill: $50 gift certificate.
- Hogstone Pizza: $50 gift certificate
- Orcas Outfitters: $50 gift certificate
- Mia’s Cafe: Breakfast for 2 ($40)
- Orcas Athletic Club: One month trial membership ($65)
- Pawki’s: $25 gift certificate
- Darvills: $25 gift certificate
- Brown Bear Baking: $25 gift certificate
- Wildlife Cycle: Bike tune-up ($40)
OIWC merchandise will also be on hand for sale–t-shirts ($30) and hoodies ($50). Orders can also be taken.
While the raffle is held every year, it is not the sole source of funding and donations. Upwards of 14 businesses and people from the community are also donors. The all volunteer staff falls under the Funhouse Commons umbrella. OICF presented OIWC with a grant last year for $500 for a new mat. The 60×50 practice space is covered in approximately $16,000 worth of mats, including the walls. A 20×20 mat was recently donated from Lopez.
Drop ins are welcome. Parents sign a liability waiver and receive a 30-page handout. Scholarships are available for the $80 fee and for wrestling shoes. For further information drop by the raffle table at Island Market, or call Jason Dean at 360-388-8624 or 376-2816.
