Kenny Monday of Garland, Texas, a 1988 Olympic Champion and 1989 World Champion, was the first person to sign up as a USA Wrestling Partner member through the online registration process on TheMat.com.    Monday, a businessman in the Dallas area, registered the first day that the program was posted on the internet. He chose the convenience of online registration as his method of becoming a USA Wrestling Partner member.    "This is my way of staying involved," said Monday. "Wrestling has been good to me. It has made me the person I am today. I want to support USA Wrestling, and help the future Olympians and heroes of our sport."    USA Wrestling has created the new Partner membership program to encourage individuals interested in amateur wrestling to stay active and involved, year after year.  Those who appreciate wrestling can now become card-carrying members of the National Governing Body for the sport.    Monday works as a sales manager for the Steve Silver Company, a wholesale furniture company that sells on a national basis. He makes time in his busy schedule to stay involved in wrestling. He coaches a youth wrestling club in the Dallas community, and helped coach a U.S. Senior team that competed in Iran. Monday also served as an event director for a USA vs. Iran World Dual meet in his hometown of Tulsa, Okla.    "There are many wrestlers that I meet out in the business world," said Monday. "Whether they were involved as kids, in high school or in college, they always want to talk about what they received from wrestling. It's refreshing to see so many people who have been involved in wrestling."    Monday was one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers in American history. He won the Olympic gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, then captured an Olympic silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Monday made his third Olympic team in 1996, when he placed sixth in the Atlanta Olympic Games.     He also captured a World gold medal in 1989 and a World silver medal in 1991. Among Monday's other achievements were gold medals at the Pan American Games and the World Cup, as well as two Grand Masters titles. He was also a four-time U.S. Nationals champion.    Monday  was a 1984 NCAA Champion as a senior at Oklahoma State, and placed second in the 1982 and 1983 NCAA Championships. He won four Oklahoma state high school titles for Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, and was a 1977 Junior Nationals champion in freestyle.    "What I talk to people about are the many things I received from wrestling - the work ethic, the discipline, the character, the humbleness of being a champion," said Monday. "It is invaluable to me. I use it every day in my business. I also have children now, and I want to give my kids every opportunity to be successful. Most people can relate to that. The more that we can give back to youth, and reinvest in their future, the better our country will be."    The second person to use the internet to purchase a Partner membership was long-time wrestling leader Al Bevilacqua of Port Jervis, N.Y.     Bevilacqua has been involved with the sport his entire life, and first became involved with USA Wrestling in its early days in 1970. He has been a state leader, a coach, a member of the Board of Directors and a USA Wrestling staff member. Bevilacqua is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Wrestling Association, which is taking a leadership role in the promotion and operation of the 2001 World Championships of Wrestling in New York City.    "We need to create more opportunities for people who are not coaches or athletes," said Bevilacqua. "There are millions of people who are out there who want to help. This membership level allows them to give back to the sport. We can broaden our base. This is a great opportunity for us to mainstream our sport."    Both Monday and Bevilacqua will be recognized as Founding Partner members. Anybody who signs up as a Partner by December 31, 2001 will be enrolled as a founding member of the new partner program.    The cost of a USA Wrestling Partner Membership is just $30. A portion of each membership dues goes directly to youth programs, and assists our national teams.    Among the benefits of joining as a Partner are:  * USA Wrestler newspaper subscription (6 issues)  * Official USA Wrestling partner gift  * USA Wrestling decal  * USA Wrestling membership card, entitling person to 5% discount off all USAW merchandise  * Pride in supporting the world's greatest sport    This program is not for those who are currently active as athletes, coaches or officials with USA Wrestling. Those people will continue to sign up as members through their state associations.    There are many ways to join as a USA Wrestling Partner, including using the online registration form posted on TheMat.com, the official web page of the Amateur Wrestling Alliance (http://www.themat.com). An application will also be included in future issues of USA Wrestler.  USA Wrestling will also distribute application forms to the general public at major wrestling events and activities across the nation.    "If other people see me getting involved as a member, and they see how they can give back to the sport, maybe they will also decide to join USA Wrestling as a Partner member," said Monday.