The quality and depth of high school wrestling keeps improving with every season. Teams are stronger than ever top to bottom, and winning a state championship becomes more and more difficult each year.
Wrestling is no longer a part-time sport and those most aware of that fact are former scholastic stars. They know wrestling, know how far wrestling has come, and know that if wrestlers in this area are to keep up with the progress in the sport, they must be exposed to quality wrestling year round.
A group of Manalapan High School’s wrestling greats have decided to do something about it. They have formed the Matrat Inc. wrestling club, a nonprofit program designed to provide young wrestlers with the chance to extend their seasons beyond high school, and to provide opportunities to learn the sport from those who know it best — champions.
"We want to provide a foundation for top quality wrestling over the year," said Tom Fasano, Manalapan’s very first state place-winner who is one of the Matrat club’s founders. "The sport is so competitive. They’ve raised the level of technical skills. Like most sports, you have to remain active most of the year to compete.
"We want the program to be a foundation for top quality wrestling over the course of the year," he added. "To be competitive kids have to have a basic foundation and the tools."
To do that, wrestlers need a place to go. Starting Tuesday, that place will be Manalapan High School. The Matrat club will begin its spring program, which will run Monday and Thursday evenings through June this Monday starting at 6 p.m. Classes will be split into two sessions, the first for first through sixth grade, and the second for seventh through 12th grades.
The list of ex-Braves in the club is led by state champions Steve Rivera (who is the director of coaching) and Cary Broad, plus Fasano. Also on the staff is a former Madison Central state champion, Tim Jacoutot, who now lives in Manalapan.
"We want to enhance the quality of wrestling by exposing kids to different styles of wrestling," said Fasano. "Our doors are open to anyone who wants to help or participate. It’s not about money, it’s about quality wrestlers getting together and working hard."
Fasano and all of Manalapan’s greats know the value of a feeder program. They came up through the town’s recreation program, which is still intact and which the Matrats will work with. That program was enough back then, but with the changes in the sport, more mat time is required and that is the goal of the club.
"To remain competitive these days you have to keep kids on the mat," said Fasano. "The kids who love it deserve to have it."
The Matrat club isn’t just about providing quality coaching for quality high school wrestlers.
"We want to increase the exposure of the sport to our town and the area," noted Fasano. "We want to expose all ages to the sport and let them find their own level of competition and commitment."
This isn’t going to be a club for champions only. After the spring season, the club plans on starting up again for a fall season that will lead into the start of the scholastic campaign. Anyone who is interested in participating in the spring session should call (732) 683-0842 for additional information.