After 30 years as the coach for the West Valley College wrestling team, Jim Root has invested much of his life to the school and its student-athletes. Root is now reaching out to the wrestling community, both in California and across the nation, to stand up and help fight for the program.    California community colleges compete in wrestling during the fall season. Root, who officially retired from his faculty teaching position in 2002, is coaching the team this year for free. He is working with community wrestling leaders and others to help change the decision to cut West Valley College wrestling this season.    For various reasons, many of them financial, the Physical Education Department at the school was told to cut its programs. Four coaching positions were targeted for cuts in the spring of 2003: Wrestling, women's water polo, women's cross country and one football staff position. In stead of dropping the team, Root did not accept his part-time coaching pay for this year to keep it going.    "Now they say that this will be the last year, no matter what, even though we have a high enrollment" said Root. "It is almost like it is a personal decision."    Root explains that the college receives state aid for every enrolled student, and that the wrestling team has always had high roster sizes. According to Root, wrestling brings in over $100,000 in state funds, second only to football at the school. His team now has no budget, except for transportation. Over $4,000 has been raised each year to help support the wrestling team. A new mat, valued at $12,500 was donated to the school in 2001. And yet, the ax remains over the team as the season moves forward.    When Root asked for a reason that wrestling was targeted, he received a strange and disturbing reply.    "The only 'logic" that was conveyed to me originally was the 'When a full-timer retires, we should drop the sport,'" said Root.    One of the tragedies is the long term success of the wrestling team at West Valley College and its impact on the community. Wrestling was started in 1964 as one of the college's first sports programs. The team has placed in the top 10 in the California State Championships 14 times, with a third place finish in 1993. Twice the squad has been Nor Cal champions. Numerous athletes have transferred to compete on the university levels. Six have been national champions and five have competed in the Final Olympic Trials.    Root is most proud of the fact that 50 of his wrestlers have gone on to coach wrestling on the high school and college levels. Others have become attorneys, business leaders, actors, athletic directors and on to other successful careers.    West Valley is the only wrestling program in Santa Clara County, serving 40 high school programs. Root explains that the team roster has been over 35 students annually for the last 14 years. According to Root, the wrestling program has the top Latino enrollment of all of the sports offered at the college.    So, Root is taking his case beyond the athletic director and the college president. He is going right to the top.    "We are going to the Board of Trustees," said Root. "We are going to the top down. I was a faculty member for 30 years and spent eight years as athletic director. I know how it works. I was getting nowhere going up the line."    Root and a number of wrestlers and wrestling parents went to a recent Board of Trustees meeting, telling the story of their plight and the value of wrestling to the campus.    "The Board was interested," he said. "They didn't know about what was happening."    The loss of another California community college program would hurt the sport in the state. At its peak, there were 78 community colleges with wrestling in the stare. It dropped to just 21 in 1985, but has held stable for a number of years. The wrestling community in the state wants to draw a line and keep its community college programs thriving. Saving West Valley College is important to wrestling at all levels.    Root believes that many of the Board of Trustees support keeping wrestling at West Valley College. He has asked for support, not only from California residents, but also from around the nation, to let the Board of Trustees know that wrestling has a strong support.     "The more letters and e-mails they receive, the stronger their case is for keeping wrestling," said Root. "This is not about the coach; it is about a sport that serves many high school graduates."    The supporters of West Valley College wrestling ask you to please contact the Board of Trustees by e-mail or regular mail. Please keep your comments short and positive and pass this information on to other interestedwrestling people.     West Valley-Mission CCD Board of Trustees 2003     Chris Constantin-President  1833 Blossom Hill Road   San Jose, CA 95124   politicscc@earthlink.net     Jack Lucas-Vice President  17171 Zena Avenue   Monte Sereno, CA 95030   jflucas@msn.com     Joy Atkins  79 Salice Way   Campbell, CA 95008   Joya222@mymailstation.com     Frank Jewett   470 West Hacienda Ave.   Campbell, CA 95008   frank_jewett@wvmccd.cc.ca.us     Kevin Moore  2375 Rosita Avenue   Santa Clara, CA 95050   MrKevMoore@aol.com     Bob Owens  2984 Aspen Drive   Santa Clara, CA 95051   RTOwensSr@aol.com     Jeffrey Schwartz   1066 Saratoga Ave., Suite 100   San Jose, CA 95129 (Mailing Address)   jasletra@aol.com