Many New Faces Highlight Jamboree

Posted: November 17, 2015

November 18, 2015  |  For many of our girls and boys, the BTSLA Youth and Middle School Jamboree was the first time they’d taken to the mat in a true competition.  Nervousness, anxiousness and great anticipation could be seen on their faces, but they persevered through the day with the confidence of a seasoned wrestler.  In the end, parents, coaches, and the wrestlers stood with smiling faces and reveled in the accomplishments achieved in a great day of wrestling for all of our BTSLA competitors.

The format was two-fold, an attack bands tournament for beginners and a wrestling tournament for the more experienced   Attack Bandz, developed by Olympians Jake Herbert and Andy Hrovat, are developmental tools used to introduce new wrestlers to the sport.  It requires them to simply remove the band from their opponents ankle.  These simplified rules have been a great way to ease the nerves of our wrestlers, introduce them to the sport and allow for more focus on fun and basic skills.  “I really enjoyed seeing this format.  It was different for me as a referee, but you could see the kids were really enjoying themselves”  said veteran referee Jose Zuniga.

The competition had over 125 wrestlers, with our BTSLA girls accounting for over 32% of the participants.  This was the largest percent of girl wresters we’ve had at our Jamborees.  San Pedro High School and BTSLA coach Roman Hernandez, hosted the event.   With a commitment to giving back to their community, the coaches, wrestles and parent volunteers, helped to ensure the jamboree was a great success.

Our next competition, The Middle School Championships, will be held on December 19.  This competition will determine individual and team champions for our Middle School season.

Boys Attack Bandz – 150