This is a letter from a Graduated Elite Wrestler, The name of the wrestler is not important, the story is.
BOTTOM LINE: Everyone has different goals and thats ok, my role is not to judge your goals but to help you accomplish them. I can remember my third year wrestling when my record was 4-12 for the year. I would go to all these tournaments and just get my ass kicked day in and day out. Then, the next year came and we were getting a new coach my dad said and I really didn't think anything of it, because I never thought that I would amount to anything in the sport. He explained you to me and it just went in one ear and out the other. So then football ends and wrestling comes … time for a new coach. I was also in 7 th grade at the time, and my father always told me that when I get into intermediate school all of the kids would look up to because of my wrestling experience. He was partly correct because I did do better at that time. But that wasn't really what caught my eye. I was really interested in our new wrestling coach because he not only helped me out with wrestling he also like a friend and helped me out with my real life situations. To go along with a great new coach, my record went from 4-12 to 20-10 for the season. A good wrestling year and I told my father that I like our new coach and that he really helped me a lot. He said good because he is gona be with us for a long time. Football now ends again, and another wrestling year is rapidly approaching. I am a little more excited because it is my 8th grade year and I should be the man of the team. I was the captain and my wrestling was improving by the day. Still practicing the Auxiliary Gym with the new coach. Since I was 10 years old, I have been practicing in that gym and every year there are new names that went up on that wall. That was a long term goal that could give me a little inspiration. I figured that I had been in that gym long enough that I had to do something to leave my mark there. That goal was way far away though. 8 th grade year ends, again I do well in school, wrestling, but my record went from 4-12 two years ago, 20-10 the year before, to 32-8. Things were getting better as the years went on. My Freshman year we kind of drifted apart mostly because I was lucky If I made it through my regular practice without passing out because of all of my weight cutting. Freshman year went ok, I made Varsity, placed in Districts and went on to the Quarter Finals of Regions, with a record of 12-17. Sophomore year I jumped up a couple of weight classes, wrestling 125. I did ok again, but nothing great, with a record of 10-11. That summer my father realized that summer wrestlers make winter champions. So he thought about the Edge and spoke to all of us about it. We all agreed that we would rather just stay home in Toms River and have our private lessons with the new coach. So we wrestled all summer in the league and with you at practices, running, and having our good old conversations about our summer and then Frankie and Christy always made it interesting. Junior years comes and I am feeling a little more confident about my wrestling and little more excited for wrestling to come. I wrestle 130 and the beginning of the year goes well. In a tournament that I hadn't ever placed in, I wind up taking a 2 nd losing to my Elite drill partner Jay Adamo in Finals by one point. That was one thing that stuck in the back of my head. I have a good season and get disappointed at districts. I have someone in the semis that had previous lost to 12-3 , and the match came down to the final whistle, with him stalling his ass off and me losing 5-4. That loss carried to my consolation match, and my heart just wasn't in it. Then me and Frankie talked and I had promised him that I would win my Districts my Senior year. The summer into senior year was a tough one, it was fun, but it was tough. I had gotten anew job as a laborer for a mason, which was hard enough, then football practice then wrestling 2 nights a week. But I knew it would all pay off later so I stuck with it. I do great in football, then wrestling comes and I am really excited and I had beaten some really good kids in the summer league, Dave Rogers 3X, Mike Moloski, Charlie Wiggins, and some others. Wrestling comes and I am one of the Captains. I am again at 130. Neptune Classic comes and I am 4 th seed. I go the Neptune Classic taking 1st and pinning my way through it. WOW! I am now 4-0 with 4 pins. I go through the year doing quite well and now districts are coming in one month. I would refuse to be denied this time. So the times that we didn't have practice I was running 4 miles. I get first seed in Districts and wind up winning them one point. Finally my name is on the wall. I couldn't have been happier. My final record for the year was 23-10. I didn't do as well as I anticipated in Regions but I was happy. It was a bumpy road but I went from winning 4 matches in a whole year to being a District Champ. I wrote this letter because I felt this is the elast I can do to Thank You. I usually wouldn't spend this much time on a letter but this something I have been meaning to do. I really appreciate what you have done for me. I wrote so much because I wanted to show you where I started with you and where you brought me. I really look to you as a coach, and as a friend or an older brother type that I could talk to you about anything. Well I guess I wrote enough Ha ha... Thank You, You have really made an impact on my life and I will never forget you. 12/03/07 Mat Rants
SPRAWLS..
As I sit on the side of the mats weekend to weekend, I often see the same mistakes through all levels of wrestling. The SPRAWL, as simple as it sounds, not many are executing them properly ultimately costing takedown points. A SPRAWL IS a down and away action that requires full body involvement. Chest on back, burying the opponents head in the process. Adding a crossface in a downward action. A SPRAWL IS NOT a knee to the ground and a cross face lifting his head in the process.
Initiate a good action to sprawl, legs straight, on toes, body down away, working to stay square, posting on knees or double overs-hooks, so no angle advantages are exposed until front head position is in your advantage.
Youth Rave...Will to Win
Congratulations to Tim Hamann and Sebastian Rivera for demonstrating the will to win that Elite wrestlers are known for. Sebastian sufferred a first round lost to kid who eventually won the weight class. During the loss he was behind for most of the match but continued to work hard and created a strong opportunity to pin the kid. Unfortuntely he was not able to close the deal and lost that match. After that he came back with 5 straight wins to capture a 3rd place finish. Tim had a similar situation in his quest for third place. Tim was losing in his match 9-2 at one point, working through the adversity Tim kept his poise and will to win and check and put together THE COMEBACK OF THE DAY. Closing the point gap point by point, Tim was able to tie up the score 9-9 in regulation time. Winning in overtime with a takedown. Congratulations to both of you. I am positive you've learned something new about yourself. BELIEVE and you will ACHIEVE
NOVEMBER 7, 2007
Fund Raiser Dinner
NHSCA Pictures
 05/13/07
Thanks to Rob & Sunkist WC for the great practice
Pictures HERE
THANKS TO BEN WISSEL FOR THE CLINIC WEDS NIGHT
Fellow teamate of Duey Withstandley at Purdue,
2x NCAA All-American
THANKS TO DAMION HAHN FOR THE CLINIC TUES NIGHT
Best of Luck on your Olympic Dreams
2x National Champ at Univ Minn, 3x NJ State Champ
USA WRESTLING RANK #3
High School Post-Season Pictures
Elite's Pineland Wrestlers Article in APP. Beisel, Simek & Lippai show great improvement
Tom Brands & Doug Schwab "Elite Spring Clinic 2006"
Elite Apparrel
Elite Wrestler Journal
Rising to the Occassion
Elite Pictures
October 29
Ring of Combat - RESULTS
Asbury Park Convention Center
BOTH WIN BY TKO
Elite's Frank Edgar TKO
Elite's Jay Coleman
Cooperman's Alma Mater
 
CLINICIAN SPOTLIGHT
Cory Cooperman
College: EIWA Conference Champ, Two-time Div I All-American, finished 4th in 2003 and 3rd in NCAA Div.I Nationals.
High School: 3x Iron Man Champion, 2x Beast of the East Champion, 4x National Prep Champion (Blair), 2nd in Junior Freestyle Nationals, 3rd in Cadet Freestyle Nationals, Ranked 1st in the country as a senior, member of the Dream Team.
Edgar's Alma Mater
May 2005
Since its initial episode in 1998, MTV's award-winning True Life documentary series has told remarkable real-life stories of young people. MTV True LIfe will Highlight Cory Cooperman in his quest to make weight for Lehigh University Wrestling competition. NOTE the ELITE APPAREL while watching :)
Articles on State Champion Vin Salek
2004 Jersey Shore League Results
COLLEGE ELITE WRESTLERS
Frank Edgar EWL Champion
Senior - Frank Edgar (TRE) Ranked #4 Atalntic Reg. 141lbs - Clarion
Senior - Frank Edgar (TRE) #9 National Division 1 rank
2004-2005 season- 1st West VA Open, 1st East Stroudsburg Classic,
3rd MatTown Classic, 5th Las Vegas Open, 1st PSAC, 1st EWL
Senior - *Matt Hartigan (Manalapan) #24 Atalntic Reg. 157lbs - Wagner
*First wrestler in Wagner history to make ranking listSenior - Pat Laven (Howell) - 184lbs - TCNJ
This Season - Ithaca College Invitational - 5th, Central Jersey Open 2nd
ELITE COLLEGE NEWCOMERS
Fred Pontoriero (TRE) - Wagner
Anthony Pontoriero (TRE) - Wagner (picture)
Bill Carolan (TRN) - Sentenary |
