Coalition to Keep Wrestling In the Olympics grows to over 100 groups after the first few weeks

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
03/19/2013


The Coalition to Keep Wrestling In the Olympics, a coalition of organizations that support the effort to retain wrestling on the Olympic program, has grown to over 100 groups in just its first few weeks.

All of USA Wrestling's state associations  have joined the Coalition and made the commitment to fully support the effort to Keep Olympic Wrestling. Each state association is working to help spread the message and provide leadership for the cause within their state.

The Central Iowa Wrestling Officials Association became the first referee’s association to join the coalition.

The Boston University Wrestling Alumni joined the coalition, becoming the first college wrestling alumni group to step up for the effort.

Takedown Wrestling Media, which produces weekly national television and radio shows about wrestling, is also a coalition member. Another member of the wrestling media, The BEAST, the wrestling fanatics guidebook, has also stepped up to support the coalition.

The Dapper Dan Classic, an annual high school All-Star wrestling event in Pennsylvania, became a coalition member. 

Beat the Streets USA, the organization which works to organize numerous Beat the Streets youth organizations all across the nation, recently became a coalition member. 

Save Oregon Wrestling, a group working to bring back varsity wrestling at the University of Oregon, has joined the coalition recently.

A wrestling product company, Wrestling Shoe Skins, has also joined as a coalition member.

A number of local wrestling organizations have become coalition members in the past week. They include: Butler Wrestling of Butler, Pa.; Danmar Wrestling of Ann Arbor, Mich.; the Humphrey Wrestling Club of Indianapolis, Ind.; the Lehigh Wrestling Club of Bethlehem, Pa.; Laveen Wrestling of Laveen, Ariz.; the Matsu Matmen Wrestling Club of Palmer, Alaska, the Omaha Metro Area Wrestling Association (OMAWA) of Omaha, Neb., the River Falls Wrestling Boosters, Inc. of River Falls, Wis., the Victory School of Wrestling in River Falls, Wis. and the Warwick Wrestling Club of Lititz, Pa.

Among the companies which have been added to the coalition in recent days are Brumar Films, Fresh Tracks Management; H.J. Einsig, MD, ATC; KEBCO Precision Fabricators, Inc. and West Penn Appraisers.

The number of coalition members has now grown to 102 and is increasing daily.

Four wrestling organizations came together to launch the the coalition: USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association, the Amateur Athletic Union and the National United Wrestling Association for Youth Wrestling.

This new coalition will include any and all organizations who are willing to stand up and work together for a common goal, which is to insure that wrestling remains on the program of the Olympic Games.

This is not an organization of individuals. There are other ways that private citizens can support this cause. This is geared entirely to organized groups willing to publically add  themselves to the coalition.

This will be a collection of groups of all sizes, including both non-profit and for-profit organizations, basically any organization which stands behind the effort to keep wrestling in the Olympics.

In order to join the coalition, a group must provide a contact name, email address and phone number, which will allow us to network together and execute the strategy. 

The donation can be made online:
http://www.KeepWrestlingInTheOlympics.com

The donation can be made by check, made payable to USA Wrestling and mailed to:
USA Wrestling
c/o Coalition to Keep Wrestling in the Olympics
6155 Lehman Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918

The financial support will help fund all of the actions which together makes for a successful campaign. It will be used directly on projects such as public relations, international communication, research, education, promotional materials, networking and international travel for meetings with the IOC and members of national federations and national Olympic Committees. Additional projects will be developed by the leadership committee for this effort. Coalition membership will help keep this issue in the forefront and allow wrestling to make its case to the world. It will only be used for this project, not other wrestling programs.

COALITION TO KEEP WRESTLING IN THE OLYMPICS MEMBERS
(102 members listed alphabetically as of March 18, 2013)
3D Wrestling Club, Auburn, Wash.
Alaska USA Wrestling
All-American Wrestling Supply
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
Amateur Wrestling News
Appalachian State Regional Training Center
Arizona USA Wrestling
Arkansas Wrestling Association
Baldwin Athletics, Kissimmee, Fla.
Beat the Streets New York
Beat the Streets USA
Boston University Wrestling Alumni
Brumar Films
Butler Wrestling, Butler, Pa.
California USA Wrestling
Central Iowa Wrestling Officials Association, Bondurant, Iowa
Cliff Keen Athletic
Colorado USA Wrestling
Cory Camdens Birthday
Danmar Wrestling, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic
DC USA Wrestling
Delaware USA Wrestling
Florida Amateur Wrestling Association
Fresh Tracks Management
Friends of Section IV Wrestling
Hawaii Federation of USA Wrestling
H.J. Einsig, MD, ATC
Humphrey Wrestling Club, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.
Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation
Indiana State Wrestling Association
Iowa/USA Wrestling
Kebco Precision Fabricators, Inc.
Ken Chertow Wrestling
Kentucky USA Wrestling
Kemp by Forza
Laveen Wrestling, Laveen, Ariz.
Lehigh Valley Athletic Club
Louisiana USA Wrestling
Maine USA Wrestling
Maryland State Wrestling Association
Massachusetts USA Wrestling
Matsu Matmen Wrestling Club, Palmer, Alaska
Michigan Wrestling Federation
Minnesota USA Wrestling
Mississippi USA Wrestling
Missouri USA Wrestling
Montana USA Wrestling
National United Wrestling Association for Youth (NUWAY)
National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)
National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
Nebraska USA Wrestling
Nevada USA Wrestling
New Hampshire USA Wrestling
New Jersey USA Wrestling
New Mexico Highlands Wrestling
New Mexico Wrestling
New York USA Wrestling
Norse Force Youth Wrestling Club, Story City, Iowa
North Carolina USA Wrestling
Omaha Metro Area Wrestling Association (OMAWA), Omaha, Neb.
Oregon Wrestling Association
Pennsylvania Amateur Wrestling Federation
Pikes Peak Wrestling League, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Prodigy Elite Sports
Rhode Island Wrestling Association
River Falls Wrestling Boosters, Inc. of River Falls, Wis.
Save Oregon Wrestling
South Carolina USA Wrestling
South Dakota USA Wrestling
South Suburban Wrestling League, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Summit Wrestling Club, Summit, N.J.
Takedown Wrestling Media
Team Alabama Wrestling Inc.
Team Georgia Wrestling
Tennessee Wrestling Federation
Texas USA Wrestling Inc.
The BEAST, The Wrestling Fanatics Guidebook
Trackwrestling
TW Promotions
United States Youth Wrestling (USYW.org)
USA Idaho Wrestling
USA Oklahoma Wrestling
USA-Utah Wrestling
USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling-Connecticut
USA Wrestling Kansas
USA Wrestling-North Dakota
USA Wrestling Ohio
U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Cup Team
Vermont USA Wrestling
Victory School of Wrestling in River Falls, Wis.
Virginia Wrestling Association
Warwick Wrestling Club, Lititz, Pa.
Washington State Wrestling Association
West Penn Appraisers
West Virginia USA Wrestling
Wisconsin Wrestling Federation 
Wrestlers Are Warriors
WrestlingGear.com, Ltd.
Wrestling Shoe Skins
Wyoming Amateur Wrestling Association