It’s no secret that wrestling is one of the fastest-growing high school sports in Georgia. Area schools like Bryan County High School and Richmond Hill High School, for example, boast sizable teams that see boys and girls compete for the highest honors every year.
The sport’s growth largely stems from the rise of local wrestling clubs such as Richmond Hill Wrestling Club, which most recently competed in both the Team Georgia Kids State Championships in Perry, Georgia and the Georgia AAU Championship hosted at Valdosta High School, achieving high ranks in both tournaments.
“My son wanted a sport to play, but it didn’t really work out with team sports,” said Alessandro Vitello, head coach at Richmond Hill Wrestling Club, a year-round wrestling club that trains three days a week at the Richmond Hill High School gym.
Originally from Ohio, Vitello himself did wrestling in school, so he decided to send his son Alex to wrestle at Richmond Hill Wrestling Club, where he ultimately took to the sport like a fish to water. An eighth-grader at Richmond Hill Middle School, Alex has been wrestling for nine years now and is currently a three-time state champion. He recently competed at a National Youth Duals tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Vitello took over the program when his son was nine years old, and during his time with the club he has seen record numbers of kids joining in.
“My first year, we had about 30 kids,” said Vitello. “Now…we’re upwards of [about] 117 registered kids at the club.”
Vitello believes that children and families are drawn to wrestling because of the sport’s unique challenges which might make it more exciting for kids when compared to traditional team sports.
“There’s no easy way to go about being successful at it,” said Vitello. “There’s no shortcuts. Athleticism will take you a certain distance, but at some point you have to be able to work and learn the techniques.
“A lot of people think that kids, they’re not willing to work…but in my experience, when you give them the ability or option to do it, to work towards something they usually will.”
In terms of promotion, Richmond Hill Wrestling Club is a very low-key operation: Vitello says he usually relies on word of mouth or the occasional Facebook post to garner attention.
Despite this, Vitello is proud of the club’s retention rate and the many kids that grow to love wrestling and wind up coming back year after year.
“The kids just come in, year after year. They keep getting better, they keep working harder,” said Vitello.
Assistant coach Randy Rodriguez agrees. An Illinois native, Rodriguez is an active duty serviceman who moved to Fort Stewart from Fort Benning with his family.
“We have all types of wrestlers. From first-year wrestlers…to kids competing at a national level,” said Rodriguez, whose son Kalob is currently wrestling at the club as well.
“It’s just a great opportunity.” For more information on Richmond Hill Wrestling Club, follow their Facebook page or contact Alessandro Vitali at avitello@tectaamerica.com.
Team Georgia USA Wrestling State Championship Placers:
Delilah Dawson - Girl K-2nd Grade 45 LB Champion & 6U (Open Division) 37 LB Runner Up Jude English - 6U 49 LB 3rd Place Luca Vitello - 10U 76 LB 3rd Place Alex Icaza - 12U 65 LB 3rd Place Parker Jones - 14U 80 LB Runner Up Alex Vitello - 14U 115 LB Champion (3x State Champ) Kalob Rodriguez - Freshman 106 LB Champ
Georgia AAU Championship Placers:
Delilah Dawson - K-1st Grade 40 LB Champ Conrad McGuire - K-1st Grade 45 LB 4th Place Branson Toms - K-1st Grade 50 LB 3rd Place Jack Field - K-1st Grade 55 LB 3rd Jude English - K-1st Grade 55 LB Champ Eli Johnson - 2nd - 3rd Grade 70 LB Runner Up Luke Waters - 4th - 5th Grade 60 LB Runner Up Luca Vitello - 4th - 5th Grade 80 LB Champ Jameson English - 4th-5th Grade 100 LB 3rd Place Alex Icaza - Middle School 75 LB Champ Josiah Drawdy - Middle School 108 LB Champ Shaianna Bates - Girls Middle School 160 LB 4th Place.
