USA Wrestling CASE STATEMENT Introduction Mission Statement .....................................................................4 USA Wrestling Overview .....................................................................................6 Programs National Teams ...........................................................................9 Wrestler for Life ........................................................................14 USA Wrestling for Peace .........................................................15 Living the Dream Metal Fund .................................................18 Coaches Education Program ..................................................20 The Opportunity Funding Opportunities ............................................................22 SafeSport ..................................................................................23 Who is Involved Board of Directors - Executive Committee ............................24 Partners & Suppliers ................................................................26 Directors ....................................................................................28 Cover Photo: 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder (97 kg) stands victorious at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France. Snyder defeated “The Russian Tank” Abdulrashid Sadulaev by a score of 6-5 in what was dubbed “The Match of the Century” and earned his second-consecutive World Championship leading Team USA to its first World Championship since 1995. Photo credit: Tony Rotundo Media Group Above Photo: 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs (74 kg) celebrates his fourth World gold medal in Paris, France, at the 2017 World Championships. Photo credit: Tony Rotundo Media Group USA Wrestling: Case Statement | 3 THE MISSION USA Wrestling, guided by the Olympic Spirit, provides quality opportunities for its members to achieve their full human and athletic potential. USA Wrestling strives to be the World’s best Olympic Sports “Wrestling has greatly impacted my Organization. life. The sport has taught me important USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for USA Wrestling has more than 230,000 members. the Sport of Amateur Wrestling in the United These members include athletes of all ages, life lessons. There is nothing easy about States and the sports' representative to the United coaches, officials, parents, and fans striving States Olympic Committee and the international together to strengthen the sport. Each year, USA wrestling. The sport has made me wrestling federation United World Wrestling. USA Wrestling charters over 4,500 wrestling clubs and Wrestling is the central organization that sanctions over 2,100 local, state, regional and stronger and better equipped to set and coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the national competitions. nation and works to create interest and achieve my goals.” participation in these programs. –Joe Russell Manager of Freestyle Programs and National Wrestling Hall of Fame ‘Medal of Courage’ Recipient Robby Smith, Greco-Roman wrestler. Photo credit: Tony Rotundo Media Group. 4 | USA Wrestling: Case Statement USA Wrestling: Case Statement | 5 Colorado Springs, Colorado. National Freestyle Development Coach and Kurt Angle, also captured gold medals. In 1999 the Until recently, the mid 1990s were considered the Women’s Freestyle Team brought home its first Golden Era for USA Wrestling. In 1993 and 1995 and only World Championship on the backs of the United States won its first two Men’s World gold-medal performances by Tricia Saunders, the Championships in freestyle. The 1993 team was first woman to be inducted into the National led by gold medalists Tom and Terry Brands, who Wrestling Hall of Fame and Sandra Bacher. USA are now the coaches at the University of Iowa, Wrestling’s next World Championship came in Bruce Baumgartner, the most decorated athlete in 2007, when the Greco-Roman program won a USA Wrestling history and current President of the World Title. Although there were no individual USA Wrestling Board of Directors, and Melvin Kyle Snyder emotes after being declared World Champion at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France. Photo credit: Tony champions, the team had three medalists. Brad Rotundo Media Group Douglas. Verring earned a silver, while Justin Lester and Based around the nucleus of the 1993 team, the Dremiel Byers both won bronze. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1995 team won another World Championship with 2017 could be considered the most successful year repeat gold performances by Terry Brands and in USA Wrestling’s History. The Men’s Freestyle WRESTLING ASSOCIATION Bruce Baumgartner. Kevin Jackson, the current OVERVIEW AAU. Even then it took until 1983 to gain official The precursor to USA Wrestling was the United recognition. Winning in arbitration can be largely States Wrestling Federation (USWF). Founded in credited to USWF executive director, Steve 1968 in response to the lack of funding and Combs. Combs had been the State Chairman for resources provided by the Amateur Athletic Union the Illinois Wrestling Federation, the largest and (AAU), which governed all amateur sports in the most successful state organization in USWF. United States, USWF created a support system USA Wrestling implemented many new programs and governing body specifically for wrestling. The to promote wrestling growth across the country first executive committee consisted of University of including an innovative new sports medicine Minnesota head coach Wally Johnson as program and the creation of extensive President, Athletic Director of Rochester College instructional materials for wrestling technique, Joseph Rockenback as First Vice President, 1960 coaching and officiating. The USWF grew from Olympic Champion Terry McCann as Second Vice 18,000 members in 1975 to nearly 50,000 in 1978. President, and Richard Schafer of the National All of these were major factors in the arbiter’s Federation of State High School Athletic ruling to allow the USWF to replace the AAU as Associations as Secretary-Treasurer. The first wrestling’s NGB. In March 1983, USWF adopted Executive Director was Hall of Fame Coach and the new name the “United States of America Olympian Myron Roderick. Wrestling Association”, “USA Wrestling” for short. However, it wasn’t until 1978, after going through This is the moniker we still go by today. In 1987 lengthy arbitration that USWF was able to assume USA Wrestling voted to move its headquarters the mantle of National Governing Body from the Helen Maroulis (58 kg) dominated the 2017 World Championships in Paris earning a 5-0 record at the tournament and outscoring from Stillwater, Oklahoma to its current location in her opponents 52-0. Photo credit: Tony Rotundo Media Group 6 | USA Wrestling: Case Statement USA Wrestling: Case Statement | 7 "It is a tough sport, but it continues to show us new horizons and in USA Wrestling has been a catalyst for women’s in age-group World Teams, the current crop of its own way…it keeps things real. It has a way of humbling you on a wrestling in the country. Our efforts have directly Cadets and Juniors in all three styles are the best contributed to the growth of wrestling at the USA Wrestling has seen. This clearly represents a daily basis. I am forever grateful for the sport in my life." youth, high school and college levels. In 1998, trend from earlier development successes, as well – Terry Steiner, Women’s National Team Coach; NCAA Div. I Champion and All- there was only one state to sanction women’s high as a major reason why the Accelerator Program American school wrestling. Since that date, eight states holds so much promise for USA Wrestling have sanctioned the sport with multiple states in programs overall. the process of pursuing sanction. The mid-1990s saw the start of women’s wrestling at the college WHERE THE PROGRAM HAS COME FROM and university levels, and today there are almost The national clubs, such as Sunkist Kids, Titan 50 schools with women’s wrestling. Mercury Wrestling Club, and the New York Athletic Team won its third World Championship with women’s side, Maya Nelson became our first Club, provide training facilities, access to elite- Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder taking home Junior World Champion women's freestyle since level coaching, and additional resources that gold medals. The Women’s Team finished second, 2010, and in Greco-Roman Cohlton Schultz and enable our athletes to pursue their dreams and and Helen Maroulis cemented herself as the best Kamal Bey became the first Cadet and Junior accomplish their goals. female wrestler on the planet after outscoring her Champions, respectively since 1997 and 1999. USA opponents 52-0 on her way to a gold medal. The Wrestling also secured an individual title at the Regional Training Centers (RTC) - USA Wrestling youth programs had tremendous success as well inaugural U23 World Championships where Richie has made a significant shift in the American with the Junior Men’s Freestyle Team winning a Lewis earned a gold medal in men’s freestyle. In wrestling pipeline by supporting and World Championship on the strength of four total, USA Wrestling brought home 32 World strengthening the Regional Training Center (RTC) individual gold medalists. The Men’s Cadet medals: the largest haul in history. NATIONAL TEAMS Program. Since 2008, 33 RTCs have added millions Freestyle Team finished in second. On the in new funding to the National Team Program and provided opportunity for hundreds of Senior-level The National Teams Program is structured