School board members threw their support to a youth wrestling program on Monday night.
The USD 257 board agreed to spend $14,197.40 for a custom-made wrestling mat that will allow the Iola Youth Wrestling Club to practice year-round at Iola High School.
Youth wrestling coaches John Taylor and Jason Bates explained the need to board members. The youth program funnels wrestlers into the middle and high school programs. Bates is the school wrestling coach.
Currently, the youth wrestlers practice in the mezzanine of the IHS gymnasium. That area is filled with storage for other activities, including baseball batting cages. During baseball and softball season, teams use the batting cages and the mezzanine is not available for the wrestlers.
“As soon as the high school wrestling season is over, we get kicked out of the room,” Taylor said. “The youth wrestling season is about three weeks longer.”
This year, eight of the youth wrestling team members qualified for state. Without a dedicated practice space, participants must make other accommodations, and roll and unroll the heavy mats before and after each practice. That takes time away from their preparation.
The mats used by the youth program are also a safety concern, Taylor and Bates said. They were already used when the district bought them about 15 years ago and had to be cut to fit the space available in the mezzanine area. The mats are less than an inch thick, compared to 1 ⅝ inches for a new mat. They’re also hard and cracked, leaving places where water can soak into the foam and create an environment for bacteria to grow.
The district is looking at solutions. One possibility is to move the batting cages to another location, though that plan has not been finalized. Superintendent Stacey Fager said plans are underway to improve the mezzanine by raising the railings and adding safety features.
A custom mat would be designed to fit perfectly in the space and could be left in place throughout the year. It would include 18 practice rings and one competition ring that could be used by the high school during events. Removing the batting cages and storage would give the team another 360 square feet for practice space.
The youth wrestling team caps participation at 40, and having more space could help the program grow, Taylor said.
The wrestling club typically raises money to pay for the cost of wrestlers and their families to attend state competitions, as well as equipment needed for the program. The club raised extra money this year to contribute to the purchase, but Taylor also asked the board to consider paying the entire cost of the mat and allowing the club to use the money for other things.
Fager suggested the club contribute $5,000 toward the cost, considering the district is paying for other improvements to the mezzanine.
Board member Tony Leavitt, though, said he wanted the district to pay for the entire cost.
“We don’t make the football team go out and have a fundraiser,” Leavitt said. “I’d hate to see this program slow down.”
The board approved paying for the entire cost.
