Three leading organizations dedicated to the sport of wrestling – USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum – have agreed to initiate a national “Wrestling Alliance.”

This new cooperative effort was announced at a State of the Wrestling Forum, which was held at National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. on June 8. 

Participating in the announcement were Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling, Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.

The mission of the Wrestling Alliance is to protect, promote, and strengthen wrestling in the United States, with particular focus on high school and collegiate wrestling opportunities for young men and women.

Each organization will continue to function independently, with its own mission, vision and strategic plan, and will fulfill its specialized responsibilities within the sport.

However, the organizations in the Wrestling Alliance recognize the value of collaboration in the promotion and development of the sport, as well as the importance of communication with broad constituencies of wrestling participants, including athletes, coaches, volunteers, and fans. 

Working together, the sport will benefit from the collective vision, dedication, and leadership of the organizations.

High school and collegiate wrestling plays an integral role in the success of the sport. For that reason, the three organizations have dedicated their initial cooperative efforts in this area. 

“USA Wrestling stands proud and committed to join forces with these outstanding organizations to strengthen our planet’s greatest sport. We all have a significant responsibility to work together for the greater good of wrestling. We are confident that this Alliance will serve our sport well and we work hard to eliminate duplication of efforts and create efficiencies to move wrestling forward,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director.

“The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum is proud to be a contributing partner in the Wrestling Alliance. The mission of our organization aligns well with the purpose for what the Alliance will attempt to achieve. We look forward to working with USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Coaches Association in developing a plan that will grow and sustain the sport for future generations,” said Lee Roy Smith, Lee Roy Smith, National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Executive Director.

“There has never been a more important time in the history of wrestling to be united. Some of our challenges are formidable and will take considerable effort to address. We look forward to working with the other two members of the Alliance, and any other entities within wrestling, to strengthen our sport and work towards common goals,” said Mike Moyer, National Wrestling Coaches Association Executive Director.

In the future, additional organizations with a shared vision and commitment may be invited to participate in the Wrestling Alliance, and the scope of its interests may expand accordingly. 

The efforts of the Wrestling Alliance are focused on sport development and promotion, with full recognition that there are many organizations that have provided great support to the sport for a long time, and with full intent to encourage their continued participation.