April 7, 2014 at 2:18 p.m.
Success starts before high school for Hodag wrestlers
Success starts before high school for Hodag wrestlers
Behind the scenes the youth program is quietly fueling the varsity success by providing the program with athletes who are passionate about the sport and prepared for the grind.
Coach Mark Steinmetz heads up the youth effort and said the younger kids have already put together quite the resume themselves.
"The junior high program started off with a win at the Wausau tournament," he said. "There were 20 teams there and we ended up taking first place there. From there, they went on to the conference meet. There were 16 teams there. It's the Wisconsin Valley Conference and the Great Northern Conference combined. We were able to win that one for the first time in school history. It was a good year."
After the middle school season ended, focus turned to the wrestling club. Seven members of that group qualified for the state tournament. Five placed in the top six at state.
Steinmetz said those numbers bode well for the future. He's seen some remarkable athletes come through the youth program already so he knows what succes at this level means in the long run.
"You want the kids to be experienced going into high school and make sure they know what to expect," he said. "They've put a lot of work in by the time they get to high school. Some of my guys, by the time they get to high school, they already have nine years of wrestling under their belt. They're invested in the sport and they're prepared. They can pick it up at a higher level and reach an elite level when they get to high school. (Senior standout) Connor Johnson started in first grade. (Senior standout) Bryce Bilogan started early. They were six years old when they started. We've been fortunate to get great athletes, but if they start at a young age and stick with it, they're dominant by the time they get to high school."
Head varsity coach Paul Ellenbecker said he's taken notice and is excited to see some of the young athletes make their high school debuts.
"It makes it exciting as a head coach, knowing you have kids coming up with a lot of potential," he said. "It makes my job a lot easier, knowing how much hard work everyone involved puts in. We're going to be pretty tough, that's for sure."
Building a strong youth program is no easy task though. Steinmetz said the club's strength in recent years has stemmed from quality volunteers, but maintaining those numbers is always important.
"The challenge we have now is a lack of coaching," he said. "We really built this youth program on coaching. We need to be able to meet the needs of a kindergartner and also meet the needs of a eighth grader. They're vastly different and we need coaches who can teach those different moves for everyone interested all the way up. The biggest key is getting enough help coaching. In the past, we've had several guys who volunteer their time to coach. That's definitely been a huge benefit. Having more coaches per athlete is key. The parents have been really great and involved. Once the parents get involved, they stay involved throughout."
This year's varsity success is a testament to the youth program's dedication, but it's also due to a unifying effort between the high school program and the younger athletes. The health of a program has to be measured from the top down, Steinmetz said.
"It's a huge reflection on us," he said. "We've had most of their guys who won conference this year in our youth program. I think only one of them didn't come up through the youth program. It's a benefit. We've been giving them a lot of talent for a few years now and it's really starting to click. Coach Ellenbecker is doing a great job of keeping them motivated and keeping them working hard. The youth, the junior high and the high school programs are more bonded now. We're working together as one, and you can really get a lot more done that way, so that's been great."
This season, both varsity and below, represents an encouraging trend for the wrestling program. From top to bottom, Rhinelander wrestlers achieved conference dominance this year. Ellenbecker said that's no coincidence.
"(The coaches) have put a lot of work into that program for a lot of years," he said. "Now we're keeping the kids in the high school level and the middle school level. It's a cycle. If the high school program is doing well, it's good for our youth program, and if our youth program is doing well, it's good for our high school program. It rotates like that. Everyone needs everyone and I'm just trying to be a part of the puzzle. I let people do their work and I don't muddle in what's working."
While he stays plenty busy with the high school program, Ellenbecker said when he started he made sure the youth program would continue to be a priority.
"When I took over, I knew we had a good youth program already started, and I didn't want to get too hands-on," he said. "I wanted to make sure I was available, and I wanted to make sure I could talk to the parents, talk to the kids and talk to the coaches. I wanted to be visible all the time. I wanted to be a big time supporter of the kids and the community."
It's been a recipe for success at both levels and continues to trend in the right direction.
Don't bring it up in Tomahawk, but just ask Steinmetz. The future is bright.
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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