[SLICES f VAS, MEE ARR NG it Masel FIANNA WIV ANNE IX 12-- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, April 22, 1981 with Danny Millar 0 Port Perry coach confident in the future ofsport | | Ji ite I CORREIA | y Ii | L opulari} Amateur wrest ing gaining in pop i i At the mention of the wrestling is constantly | 3 words "professional fighting a . bad image wrestling," Don Westlake problem created by the- shudders, grimaces and shakes his head all at the same time. Mr. Westlake is one of four coaches of the Port Perry Community Wrestling Club,- an organization which has been going for about a year and has 35 active members, "professional" variety because those who don't know about the sport equate the two. There are about 2500 amateur wrestlers in clubs across Ontario right now, a number which has increased about 1000 over the past four years. However, the sport some as young as ten years x old. does have something of a low no The club meets twice each profile. But that is i week for practise and changing as more clubs like NT instruction sessions, and the the one in Port Perry start #5] Olympic or free-style Up, and more people are { wrestling has absolutely no exposed to the sport through Ft "3 AAA by foe ne 3S 2 et Om Tag 3 LEAS SEER a, = va, ' 4 ; Id jx &! § ay resemblance to the so-called "pros" who invade Saturday afternoon television with their grunt and groan show- biz antics. Free-style wrestling is anything but show-biz. It is a sport which demands a variety of attributes from its "enthusiasts: strength, agility, quickness, flexibility, and a ' certain degree of inner toughness. It is the national sport in countries like Bulgaria and 'Hungary 'and anyone who has watched the Olympic Games knows that wrestlers from East European countries and the Soviet Union routinely place high in the medals. But Mr. Westlake says here in Canada, amateur pound gy of the media, by attending meets and competitions, and by joining local clubs. With fellow coaches Phil - "or = Bertrand, Gord Taylor and Keith Moxley, Mr. Westlake 'puts. the young wrestlers through a half-hour series of conditioning exercises designed to build strength and stamina. The rest of the twice weekly sessions are taken up with individual instruction in technique for 'the almost infinite number of holds, take-downs defensive tactics. In competitions, the idea is to pin your opponents' and shoulders to the mat for two seconds, but points are awarded throughout a match by the referee which decide the outcome if neither is © Wrestling couch Don Westiake; a formes \¢ Zac Cohoon, who 'his Back. "Indiv program, says Mr. Westlake. Rob Taylor, has a pretty good grip on his aad Gord, who is one of the Club coaches. pinned. During . competitions, injuries are not un-common, but they are usually not of a Cansdian. "champion AY % os 3 > Tes Loar Cited Shimon glfes idusl instruction 1s'an Tmpriant part of the Club's * Ontario Mr. Taylor, a serious nature. Bloodied noses, strains and sprains are most common, but conditioning and stringent regulations help to keep "more serious ones to a minimum. Mr. Westlake, who also coaches the Port Perry High School teams, 'is a former and Canadian wrestling champion, and his involvement with the sport goes back to high school and university days. He is currently technical chair- man of the Ontario Olympic . Wrestling: Federation, - and has coached Canadian teams at the national and inter- national level. He says that at the club level, competitions are important. "The kids want the competition, they want to compete," he says. He says the enthusiasm of "The "Resident's Licence to Hunt from March 1st to August . 31st" has been discontinued. Sometimes . referred to as the "Ground- hog Licence," this licence was required to hurt certain small game species in the - Southern Region of Ontario during the spring and summer months. The "Resident's Summer Small Game Tag" has replaced the discontinued licence. A 1980-81 "Licence to Hunt Small Game" which expired March 31, 1981 can be + validated to cover the period Apri} 1st to. August 31st, 1981 by affixing a "Resident's 'OK Dad, about wey allowance' vice principal at Cartwright Elementary School, also coaches the school teams at Cartwright and R.H. Cornish Schools. the members of the Port Perry Club is exceptional with some showing out- standing talent - and potential. In fact, Mr. Westlake is confident when he says the Port Perry Club could produce two or three Canadian champions within the next three years. The public school club members are now preparing for the Durham Elementary School championships which will be held at the Scugog Arena on April 31st and May 1st this year. And on May 10th. Pat Bertrand will be part of an Ontario team travelling to Buffalo for a dual meet Pat will be. competing in the 14 and 15. year old division. Perry Club took a marked turn for the better recently Summer Small Game Tag" to the licence. This valida- tion authorizes the licence holder to hunt in the Southern Region during the opend season within that April to August period. There is a five dollar fee for the "Resident's Summer Small Game Tag. i A hunter not possessing a 1980-81 "Licence to -Hunt "Small Game," must obtain one prior to purchasing 'a "Resident's Summer Small Game Tag." A "Resident's Summer Small Game Tag" may be issued to residents of v. Ontario onl when it received a Wintario grant for $7,840 which bought two regulation size wrestling mats. The thick mats will allow the club to host inter- club competitions. Because the Wintario grants have to be matched, the Club has fund-raising activities lined up and is seeking donations for such things as uniforms and time clocks. In the meantime, the coaches and members of the Port Perry: Community Wrestling Club are working towards their own personal goals and to help change the - public perception of what wrestling is really all about; not show-biz, but a sport in .. the purist se f d The fortunes of the Port = qb pr sense of the wor demanding a high level of skill, - endurance amd physical conditioning. 'Summer hunting rule change Another change in the - licence regulations for 1981, was the moving of the Southern Region boundary to a more northerly position. The enlarged Southern Region includes that part of Ontario south of the grey line shown on the "Small Game Seasons' map of the 1980-81 "Summary of Hunting Regulations." In the Lindsay area the entire counties of Victoria, Peterborough, Northumberland, Hali- burton, Hastings, Simcoé and the onal .Munici- ie of inn are in¢luded in the new Southern Region. LR SRT . rk Po