At 6 a.m., most LASA students are still asleep, but not the wrestling club. They are already rigorously training under a single tent, fighting the cold air and dim morning light. No matter what, the club is always practicing with the same intensity that they bring to the wrestling mat during competitions.
Even though LASA wrestling lacks a dedicated room, class period, or indoor space, LASA’s wrestling club has begun the season with more preparation and momentum than ever. Early club competitions, offseason training, and a growing group of committed wrestlers have pushed the program forward. Coach Matt Gochberg and the athletes view that the club’s work ethic and results show what the program can achieve, even though they do not get the same recognition as other sports.
Senior wrestler Jade Friedman is very familiar with the early morning practices. They show the dedication required to improve in a physically demanding sport.
“Wrestling is the only sport at LASA that doesn’t have its own class or room,” Friedman said. “We set up a tent to practice in brutal weather at 6 a.m., because that’s what wrestling is–gritty.”
Coach Matt Gochberg is a coach of the 3F wrestling program, an Austin-based practice facility. After being asked by one of his 3F athletes to help start the LASA club, he accepted and has been coaching LASA wrestling for two years.
“The freshmen wrestled spring club events after last season ended, so their preparation coming into this year has been tremendous compared to past seasons,” Gochberg said. “We started competing right at the beginning of the school year in club events, which gave the kids competition before the school season even started.”
All the additional practice that wrestlers have endured has paid off well for the club. According to Gochberg, each wrestler has shown extreme dedication to their sport andreaped the rewards of it.
“Several wrestlers have had extraordinary improvement both technically and physically,” Gochberg said. “There are plenty of schools in the country that have academic excellence and athletic excellence, and in general, I’d love to see that in LASA wrestling.”
Some wrestlers have been competing their whole life, but others are just picking up the sport. Freshman wrestler Philip Stanton, for example, joined the club this year for a new challenge.
“I joined because I wanted to try something new and get in better shape,” Stanton said.
Coach Gochberg explains a drill. Gochberg runs his own
training program outside of LASA as well as coaching the
club. (Lily Antony)
Stanton believes the club is very welcoming to newcomers, and they have bonded during their grueling practices. Stanton highlighted how the community within the wrestling club has created an encouraging environment.
“Being a part of the wrestling team is like a family,” Stanton said. “Everyone is super friendly and supportive on the team.” Even with the environment of the club, it has been difficult to train properly with the little equipment they are allotted. Throughout its time as a club, Stanton noted that the group has struggled with a lack of resources and acknowledgement from the school.
“Wrestling gets way too little recognition by the administration and by the student body,” Stanton said.
Even without recognition from the LASA students and staff, Coach Gochberg is confident that the wrestlers will be competitive beyond the regular season. He recognized how his team is showing great promise of being able to compete in the postseason.
“We have two, maybe three, wrestlers who have a very good chance [in competition],” Gochberg said.
However, Coach Gochberg realizes not all of his wrestlers are ready to compete at the state level. Despite their shortcomings at the moment, he believes all wrestlers are vital to the team.
“For the newer kids, I just want to see improvement every day so they’re ready to have success down the line,” Gochberg said.
Throughout the next few years, Gochberg hopes to encourage new faces to join the wrestling club. The coach has said that he wishes to build a community where wrestling thrives and finds its admiration.
“Over time, I’d love to help turn LASA into a program with a real wrestling tradition,” Gochberg said.
