Roughly 250 kids ages 4-14 from the Four Corners competed in the Durango Youth Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at Durango High School.
With the tournament falling on Durango’s spring break, it was a little smaller than in past years, which have drawn as many as 450 wrestlers. With last year’s season canceled due to COVID, however, it marked a return. And with eight matches going on simultaneously, there was still a lot of action Saturday.
“It went really good,” said Kenny Schwettman, head coach of the Durango Wrestling Club. “The kids are starting to pick it up. We have a lot of first-year kids, and the moves are starting to click. ... The team is looking pretty good for how inexperienced they are.”
Wrestlers from Bayfield, Ignacio, Cortez, Farmington, Kirtland, Monticello, Utah and other clubs also competed at DHS.
Schwettman said the Durango club has close to 80 kids out this year, with varying levels of skill.
With the younger wrestlers, Schwettman said the main focus is body awareness, helping the kids learn to control their movements and help them find their strength.
“We want to teach them body awareness and positioning to set the foundation for the rest of their career,” Schwettman said.
With the older wrestlers, the coaches work with them on goal-setting and the process of accomplishing them.
“The main thing we want is to figure out what their goals are how to achieve them,” Schwettman said, pointing to hard work, determination and also respect.
In general, he said he views wrestlers as protectors in society and wants to teach the kids how to stand up for themselves and also stand up for other kids.
The Durango Wrestling Club also has three girls, but it seemed like there was a girl wrestling in almost every weight class competing on Saturday.
“It’s unbelievable how many girls have started wrestling,” Schwettman said, noting that it gives more representation for wrestling while expanding the sport.“
The Durango Wrestling Club is part of the Four Corners Wrestling Association. It is focused on folkstyle wrestling, which is the discipline high school and college teams compete in, opposed to international styles freestyle and Greco Roman.
The club mostly competes in the Four Corners, but some of the wrestlers also travel to competitions in Grand Junction, Denver, Pueblo and Albuquerque.
The team’s season, which is about halfway complete, will conclude at a tournament at Piedra Vista High School in Farmington. Some of the club’s members also will complete the following weekend in Farmington at the Aztec Warrior, a Rocky Mountain National level event.
Schwettman said he was thankful to the approximately 50 volunteers who helped out with Saturday’s tournament. He also thanked the La Plata County Fairgrounds for letting the team practice at its facility twice a week at no charge, which helps the club keep its cost down.
“We only charge $70 per kid, so it’s about the cheapest sport a kid can do,” Schwettman said, adding that scholarships are also available.
