Howdy folks🤠,
Since our last email, the number of interested wrestlers has grown considerably — doubled, in fact! Welcome to our many new faces. When we set out to build this club, we did so with a hunch (more of a hope, really) that there was a sizable population of folks in the DC area who were interested in the sport of wrestling. And based on early interest, that hunch has proven correct!
We’ve unfortunately also been proven right on another hunch we had: that securing a compatible space would be difficult. While we obviously hoped to be on the mats by now, we do have some exciting updates on that front. As we mentioned in our last newsletter, we’ve been working closely with Beat the Streets DC on their mission to secure a long-term practice facility within the city limits. As of this past week, they have secured a sub-lease for a new space!
The facility is right by L’Enfant Plaza, conveniently located on several metro lines and with plenty of parking nearby. We’ll have more to share — including a more concrete timeline — in the coming days. We’ve also filed the necessary paperwork to secure 501(c)3 status, which will give us greater flexibility to raise money from sponsors and keep costs low for club members.
So how about the actual wrestling? While we await a start date here, we wanted to share a few opportunities in the area for those itching to get on the mats. The Bald and Fat Classic (yes, really) is a fundraising tournament primarily for adults who have been out of the sport for a few years, or are entirely new to it. They are sponsored by local high schools up and down the East Coast, including right in our backyard out in Sterling, VA. Your humble newsletter writer participated in a B&F event back in 2019 (see above), and can confirm they are a good time for anyone looking to wrestle.
Along similar lines, Mat Return, an adult club in Allentown, PA, has their annual tournament coming up on April 27. It’s a bit of a drive, but their events are very well organized and designed for adults looking to…well, return to the mat.
Are you thinking about attending or competing in either event? Any other ones you’re considering? Let us know! Tournaments like these are aspirational goals of ours, and we can’t wait to start laying the foundation for wrestling in the DC area soon.
Match of the Day: Jesse Mendez
It's not every day that college wrestling breaks into the mainstream sports world, but Jesse Mendez caused a stir by hitting this spladle on the sport's biggest stage, the NCAA tournament.
Comments