The Olympics may have dropped wrestling from its future Summer Games, but the sport is alive and growing at Fort Meade.
Beginning in December, Child, Youth and School Services' new youth wrestling program introduced more than 30 youngsters to the combative sport of grappling. The team wrapped up its inaugural season Sunday with an end-of-the-year tournament at Meade High School.
CYSS Youth Sports director Matthew Sagartz added wrestling to the winter sports lineup this year after introducing the sport at a variety of installations over the years.
"Everywhere I've gone I started a wrestling program," he said. "Military communities support wrestling just as much as any other sport. It's always been a huge success."
When registration began for the season, openings on the wrestling team filled up so quickly that organizers had to limit the team to roughly 30 spots. The Cougars consists of wrestlers ages 3 to 13, but the majority of the group are 4 to 6 years old, said head coach D.J. Reedy.
Wrestler Chris Fonseca joined the team as a training regiment in the football offseason.
"I heard it helps with football," the 13-year-old said. "It helps for pushing people around and getting off the line."
As with his teammates, this was Chris' first attempt at competitive wrestling. He adapted to the new sport quickly, earning first-place finishes in three meets.
For coaches, the season has been about teaching the fundamentals of the sport and putting in place the cornerstones for a growing program.
"We're working on the very basics, just the positions -- neutral, top and bottom -- a few pinning combinations, takedowns, escapes and reversals," Reedy said. "We have the ability to maintain a very good, growing program."
Despite bringing new competitors to the large meets that featured wrestlers from throughout the county, Reedy said his team has competed strongly. Throughout the season, half the athletes finished meets in the top two.
"They're been doing very well," he said. "All of our kids seem to have a good time. We haven't had any complaints."
Chris said he plans on extending his wrestling career into high school next year at Glen Burnie High School.
Fort Meade's new sport provides a feeder program into the area high school wrestling teams by preparing the youngsters before ninth grade.
"They learn the basic skills and attitude to go on to more competitive wrestling," Sagartz said.
Wrestling also introduces a new style of athletics to the Youth Sports program, said Sagartz, and has a lot to offer to youngsters.
"Wrestling is unique," he said. "It's an individual sport, and you learn life lessons at an early age."
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