Star Valley Braves Wrestling Coach Eddie Clark called into First Bank of Wyoming Sports Friday to discuss the upcoming season of Braves Wrestling.

(0:00) Speaking with head coach Eddie Clark coach Clark head coach of the Star Valley Braves wrestling program coach Clark (0:05) Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule and getting us updated on the Braves (0:10) Absolutely. It’s my pleasure. Well, first things first year 27 for you.

Is that correct coach? That is correct (0:17) You’re 37 overall. Is that correct? (0:21) Yes. Yes, 30 to 37 years.

Wow, that makes me feel old (0:26) Well, I was just thinking that’s a lot of weigh-ins (0:29) Over (0:30) It’s a dang good thing. I’m not the one making weight all the time. Well, I think you’d probably be pretty good at that (0:37) Well getting it down (0:39) Well coach, let’s talk about that a little bit because you know, maybe some folks who’ve been a little more casual (0:45) Following wrestling over the last a couple of decades (0:47) maybe they’re still thinking it’s wild and woolly with the cut and weight and this and that and (0:51) obviously the the certification is a big part of your preseason if you want to call it that as to (0:57) Where your kids can can cut to and then they have a certain amount of weight they can they can lose per week kind of (1:03) Explain that to us (1:04) Maybe refresh some of our listeners or even (1:06) Kind of explain some of the details that you as a staff have to deal with over the course of a season (1:11) well, so what happens is is the at the very beginning of the season they take all the kids and they and they they (1:18) Check their their their body fat.

And so it’ll it the wrestlers aren’t allowed to go below (1:25) 7% body fat, which is that what they’ve determined is a safe for boys now girls. It’s 12% (1:33) Boys can go to 7% girls can go to 12% that (1:36) That they figure is a safe body fat percentage for kids to participate in sports at now (1:43) We have some kids in our school that are walking around at four and five percent this they’re super lean kids (1:48) You know, we all we all know we all know who some of those kids are and and so those kids (1:53) You know a lot of them run for tie (1:57) You know and and the thing is is those kids so they would get on a scale and that they would be told hey (2:03) You’re below 7% body fat (2:05) So you aren’t allowed to lose any weight to wrestling in any weight classes (2:10) But kids who let’s say a kid gets on the scale and and he’s 15% body fat. Well, then he’s allowed to lose (2:18) 8% of his body fat (2:22) And I percent of his body weight that also that that depends on what you weigh and all that stuff (2:27) But 8% of his body fat till he would be at 7% body fat (2:32) And so they’re allowed to lose (2:35) One and a half percent of their body weight per week (2:39) So, you know, you’re looking at most kids about one and a half to two pounds of weight per week, which you know (2:46) That’s not anything unhealthy (2:48) And you can do that with you know (2:51) Well disciplined diet and a lot of exercise and and those types of things the days of kids sitting in the classroom (3:00) Spitting in a can or kind of over with so and thank you and thank you for that.

That was just silly (3:08) Yeah for sure. Well, let’s let’s let’s talk about your your Braves this year. You’ve (3:15) Like let’s start with the number of you typically have a very healthy number of guys out for this season (3:20) Tell us what you’ve been dealing with so far here in the first couple weeks of practice (3:24) So this year we’re sitting at about (3:27) 38 (3:28) There are not and and and 38 to 40 (3:31) it’s we’ve you know, we have to our senior class is real small and (3:37) Our sophomore class is real small and they were they were small when they came to us (3:42) You know, the freshman class was small last year that that senior class was a small class when they when they came to us as (3:49) Freshmen so, you know, there’s you know, you and you lose a few kids over the years and some of that stuff (3:54) So we’re sitting about 40 as compared to our usual (3:59) 50 to 52 but lots of kids wrestling down at the middle school (4:03) So our numbers will come back, you know a year from now real easily.

So (4:09) Anyhow, so that’s about where we’re at (4:11) You know, we’ve so we’re excited about those kids being in there and and actually the number being smaller this year with our (4:20) Lack of space to wrestle in this is actually a good year to have less numbers (4:25) Yeah, we were let’s kind of touch on that this whole last year (4:28) Of course (4:28) That was the plan was to maybe try and get some construction going even started last spring break right after the end of last wrestling (4:35) season to maybe add another level and some more space and (4:38) bids came in (4:40) Much higher than the school district anticipated and so now they’re kind of back to the drawing board and that that requires a lot of creativity (4:48) on the part of the winter sports and in particular (4:51) Wrestling programs where you’re doing such a physical sport, but also with the addition of the girls as well (4:55) This is the fourth season for them. There’s there’s just a lot of obstacles (4:59) Tell us how you try and overcome those over the course of a season (5:02) Well right now, you know, so it was the first year wasn’t so the when the girls joined us (5:07) It wasn’t so bad because at that point we just had we could go over to the middle school (5:11) It’s after Christmas when the middle school season finished up (5:14) But now we have and this is a great thing. We it’s it.

I’m super excited (5:19) Now we have middle school girls wrestling and that’s super so so the girls can build their program (5:24) but that (5:26) occupies the space where (5:27) We could have overflowed to with some nights of girls going over the practice some nights of boys going over the practice or whatever the (5:34) case may be (5:35) That having that extra wrestling space is no longer there for us. So (5:41) So that it’s when we when we found out whether this the bids came in way too high (5:47) Which actually I in my opinion was a good thing (5:52) because if you would have built to (5:55) With what they had done to our the wrestling room that exists and adding the floor up above (5:59) we had a loss of square footage in the in the wrestling room down below and (6:03) The wrestling room up above wouldn’t have been quite two full wrestling mats and (6:09) that’s less than four wrestling mats to practice on and (6:13) When are you on our normal years when we’re 50 to 60 boys and the girls program will grow to where I see (6:20) I see them growing to where they’re anywhere from 40 to 50 girls (6:24) We need six (6:27) Wrestling mats. We don’t need four.

We need six (6:29) You know, you look at a you look at a school the size of Douglas which is way smaller than us than us (6:36) They have they have I think it’s eight wrestling mats available to practice on every day (6:45) And so places like Natrona have six Kelly Walsh has six I mean (6:50) We need space (6:51) Desperately need space (6:53) And so the the fact that this didn’t come in might be a blessing in the long run (6:59) It’s just really inconvenient right now. Yeah, sure a lot of challenges there (7:02) Yeah, they’re they trying to sort through that and figure out the best thing moving forward (7:07) Let’s talk about some of your guys returning back because you’ve got some some stellar standout some placers coming back (7:12) And of course headlining that is is the Perry brothers (7:15) You’ve got tell of course coming back with the chance to become Star Valley’s first ever four-time state champ. He’s won three (7:23) He’s coming back for his senior year and then he’s younger brother Kimball (7:26) Who’s one to coming back for his third and then the guys like Ryan Talbot and Eliah Mattatia? (7:32) Those are placers as well.

But what’s gonna talk about some of you guys coming back? (7:36) Yeah, well, you know, obviously you have tell going for number four and I I try I don’t want to put any more pressure (7:43) On him then he’s already putting on himself (7:46) Because no one expects more out of tell Perry than tell Perry (7:51) But that’s super exciting. I’ve never I’ve never coached a kid who was a four-timer (7:57) So this this is pretty exciting for me personally (8:01) But it’s I’m super excited for tell to be kept and no one’s worked harder. I mean no one’s put in more time (8:08) Then then tell has and and you know, it’s a lot.

It’s a lot of people say this came easy to him (8:13) No, none of this comes easy (8:16) you know when you’re when you’re (8:18) Wrestling is physical just like football. There’s times you’re wrestling hurts. You don’t feel well (8:22) there’s all those things and and tell has been a champion through all of that and and (8:28) We’re excited for his opportunity to to to run the table.

So that that’s super cool. Just super cool (8:35) I can’t even begin to explain to you how cool that’ll be to (8:38) Finally get a four-timer for you think back to Star Valley’s wrestling history if he can pull this off (8:45) I mean that would be pretty outstanding because that’s about the only thing we haven’t done here is is that (8:52) So that would be that would be nice. Yeah, it’s a great point (8:56) A lot of a lot of great three-timers on that list or a few anyway (9:00) But yeah, I’ve never never had a four-timer.

So yeah, that would be really quite neat looking at some of your guys (9:06) You know, it’s easy for a guy like me to go back and look at you know, returning placers and things like that (9:11) But it’s kind of the those those kids that maybe were a match away from placing things like that (9:18) And and start all you had a few of those maybe kind of talk about some of those kids and and and what some of your (9:23) Expectations are about where they might fit in this season (9:27) Okay. Well, I’m super, you know, I mean I’ve got to Kimball Kimball’s doing you know (9:31) Kimball going for his going for his third and then you know, we’re super stoked about that (9:37) You having two state champions in the room is really nice (9:39) super nice and (9:42) then and then obviously (9:44) so (9:44) It’ll Aliyah (9:47) Aliyah, I always screw it up. So I call him.

Ooh, so he (9:51) He’s coming bail. He hasn’t back into the wrestling room wrestling yet. He’s pretty beat up after football season (9:57) so we’re giving him some some time to heal up and and (10:01) Ryan Talbot’s kind of got some things going on.

We’re hoping to have him back after Christmas, too. And (10:06) So, you know, we’re we’re you know, we’re hoping we get those two guys on the mat real soon (10:12) You talk about you know, Colby Merritt a senior that was a match out, you know two years in a row (10:18) He’s just been so close and we want to like to see him get over the hump his senior year (10:24) you’ve got (10:26) Some kids that have put in so much time (10:29) You know (10:29) Max Jarak has put in a ton of time and and case in (10:33) Mezzarini’s put in a lot of time and and we’ve in Carson claps down a little wrestling in the offseason and and (10:40) You know, we’ve we’ve had a lot of kids that have put some effort into this and and and want to be good and and (10:47) You know, we’re we’re excited for him (10:50) Well coach Clark one other thing just one more question as we talk about the wrestling season, of course (10:55) To go out and find the best you gotta you got to get out of the area a lot of times and you guys do (10:59) That which means home matches you really want everybody to show up and show out (11:04) For the Braves at home and you have a chance to do that at the beginning of every season with the Braves brawl (11:08) That’s coming up next weekend (11:10) Let’s talk about that just a little bit who’s coming and and and how important is it to have a bunch of people in the stands (11:17) For you guys (11:18) Yeah, it’s it’s nice. It’s it’s nice for the kids to know that the the hard work they put in is appreciated (11:24) It’s nice to have everyone show up and it’s kind of I don’t know wrestling the wrestling community is kind of pretty tight-knit (11:30) So it’s kind of fun to have a homecoming.

There’s some of some of these people that come back to town (11:37) Once a year just you know about Christmastime and for the Braves brawl and and then after Braves brawl is over there (11:44) They’re down to st. George for the rest of the winter (11:47) And and some of that stuff so that that’s super nice and it’s nice to have those people come around (11:53) You know and and it’s it’s super important to get get people there and and it makes kids make kids feel good (12:00) and and they can show out the hard work they’ve done and and (12:03) You know that that’s always fun, you know, we have the same teams coming we’ve always said we’re not we haven’t got anyone new coming (12:10) in, you know, we’ve got (12:13) Teton Shelly Sugar Salem from Idaho we have (12:19) Skyview and Logan (12:21) from Utah and then we have us in (12:24) Cokeville from Wyoming and so it’s a you know (12:29) So we we get to get to get our feet wet with you know, and and just get just get a start (12:35) That’s the important thing. You know, it’s it’s just fun to get a start and the environment’s nice.

It’s a duel (12:40) So when you come watch you can watch (12:42) Star Valley kids wrestle all day and so that that’s fun (12:47) Yeah, the the dual format makes it a a lot of fun (12:50) You can show up and watch some matches anytime you’re there coach Clark in in in conclusion anything (12:56) We haven’t touched on that you might want to mention as you you head into another year wrestling (13:01) No, I I just you know, it’s it’s really fun to work with these kids and I really appreciate their families and and (13:07) letting them come come wrestle for us and (13:10) We get to enjoy the time we spend with them. It’s it’s it’s always fun to watch these kids grow as the season goes (13:18) Not just as wrestlers, but as people I (13:21) Think that’s the most important thing in this is that we somehow we talk a lot about winning wrestling matches, but I think (13:29) Wrestling it helps helps turn out some fine young men (13:33) I think that some of the difficult things that they the discipline things and all those things that these these young men do (13:39) Helps them become better men. I’m I had a I had one of the bishops from the church talked to me about how (13:47) I (13:48) The kid one of the kids had come back from his mission and said that he was really glad he had wrestled (13:54) Before he went on his mission because there were some tough things that he encountered on his mission (13:58) He said I can handle this.

This is not near as tough as some of the things I’ve done at wrestling practice. So (14:06) it’s good that the kids can leave us and (14:09) Have things that they can reflect back and realize that they’ve done difficult things so they can do difficult things (14:16) Well said head coach Eddie Clark with the Star Valley Braves coach Clark. Thank you again for your time and and good luck (14:22) We will we’ll see you next week.

All right. We’ll see you