Monroe coach bringing freestyle wrestling to the mat

Freestyle wrestling kicks off in Monroe next week, and all youth are invited to participate.

Practices will be held 5-6:30 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday, starting March 7, at the Sky Valley Education Center, in the practice facility on West Hill Street. Youth of all ages may participate. The freestyle wrestling program is being coordinated by Monroe High School wrestling coach Mark Dalbeck, and practices are free to attend.

"We just want to have kids come down and experience wrestling,GÇ¥ Dalbeck said.

Freestyle wrestling is different than collegiate wrestling typically used in school competitions. Freestyle is much faster-paced, with wrestlers focused on staying in motion the entire time. If the action stalls on the mat, the match restarts with both wrestlers returning to a standing position. The goal is to stay vigorously engaged; passive wrestlers are penalized for stalling, which causes their opponents to receive a point.-á -á

Dalbeck and other Monroe coaches are volunteering their time to run the freestyle program, which will include weekend tournaments available to athletes who have purchased their USA Athlete Cards. Tournament participation is not mandatory, Dalbeck said. It's mostly about giving kids the opportunity to stay in shape and have a great time in a slightly more relaxed setting than the regular season. -á -á

"It's a little more laid back,GÇ¥ Dalbeck said. "We kind of want it to be fun, but at the same time you're getting some practice in.GÇ¥

To find out more about the freestyle wrestling program, contact Dalbeck at mdalbeck@hotmail.com or 360-421-4629.