Abbott Blog: The case for donating to Fresno State wrestling now
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by Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
Thursday morning, I got online and donated money to Fresno State wrestling before I headed off to the Scottrade Center for the NCAA Championships. I have nothing really to do with this program, but I did it as my part supporting Div. I wrestling.
I recommend that if you care about college wrestling, and want to make a difference in providing Div. I opportunities to our most deserving wrestlers, that you also take a little time and give a little money to Fresno State.
It’s easy to do. The U.S. Wrestling Foundation has set up a donation site, and it takes just a minute or two. If you did not see the link in the Fresno State story from earlier this week, here it is again.
Click to donate to Fresno State wrestling
I’ll give you my reasons. You may have different reasons. There are a lot of good reasons to step up and help right now.
I am one of the lost wrestling alumni. This past year, my alma mater Boston University dropped wrestling. That makes two lost programs from my family. My older brother Jim, who was fourth in the EIWA back in 1981 for Colgate, is also an alumni without a wrestling program. That college dropped wrestling in the early 1980s.
I know that there are many others like me and my brother out there. I ran into an old wrestling friend from Long Island when I was covering the EIWAs two weeks ago, Bill Sweezey, who wrestled for William and Mary. His college no longer has wrestling either, yet the William and Mary alum still support college wrestling. There are half as many Div. I programs today as there was when Bill Sweezey, my brother Jim and I were college wrestlers. Our country is littered with lost wrestling alumni like us.
Lost alumni can still stay involved in wrestling in so many ways. One way is to select a different college team to support. Another is to help with the creation of a new team, like is going on with the reinstatement of Fresno State. By getting involved, we can make a difference.
Another reason I did this is the importance of Div. I wrestling. I understand the value of Div. I wrestling for our Olympic program as so many of our past Olympic greats have a background in elite college wrestling. In order to keep Team USA strong, we need to have Div. I wrestling. With all of the resources devoted to major college sports, I think we should do everything we can to make sure that wrestling is included in that opportunity.
Here’s another important thing. Fresno State wants some help with startup costs for this program. But once it is established, it has made a commitment to fully fund the wrestling team. There will be no axe placed over the neck of Fresno State wrestling. If we help Fresno now, their athletic department will carry the water completely into the future. This will be a fully funded, well-supported program.
Ever since I moved to Colorado, I have been keenly aware of the fact that there are few Div. I wrestling teams in the West. Right now, we have the Pac-12 and the Western Wrestling Conference as the lone conferences for a huge geographic and population portion of our nation. California itself has more high school wrestlers than any other state, yet limited Div. I options that include Cal-Poly, Cal-State Bakersfield and Stanford. One more program in this region will be a big deal.
I remember Fresno State wrestling, a program which developed one of our Olympic stars, freestyle silver medalist Stephen Abas, and numerous other All-Americans over the years. It will be fun to see new kids emerge from Fresno State in the future, and know that in my small way, I helped make that happen.
You don’t need to do this for any of these reasons. But making a donation to the comeback of Fresno State wrestling is a something you can do that will make you feel good. I know. I did it yesterday.
I recommend that if you care about college wrestling, and want to make a difference in providing Div. I opportunities to our most deserving wrestlers, that you also take a little time and give a little money to Fresno State.
It’s easy to do. The U.S. Wrestling Foundation has set up a donation site, and it takes just a minute or two. If you did not see the link in the Fresno State story from earlier this week, here it is again.
Click to donate to Fresno State wrestling
I’ll give you my reasons. You may have different reasons. There are a lot of good reasons to step up and help right now.
I am one of the lost wrestling alumni. This past year, my alma mater Boston University dropped wrestling. That makes two lost programs from my family. My older brother Jim, who was fourth in the EIWA back in 1981 for Colgate, is also an alumni without a wrestling program. That college dropped wrestling in the early 1980s.
I know that there are many others like me and my brother out there. I ran into an old wrestling friend from Long Island when I was covering the EIWAs two weeks ago, Bill Sweezey, who wrestled for William and Mary. His college no longer has wrestling either, yet the William and Mary alum still support college wrestling. There are half as many Div. I programs today as there was when Bill Sweezey, my brother Jim and I were college wrestlers. Our country is littered with lost wrestling alumni like us.
Lost alumni can still stay involved in wrestling in so many ways. One way is to select a different college team to support. Another is to help with the creation of a new team, like is going on with the reinstatement of Fresno State. By getting involved, we can make a difference.
Another reason I did this is the importance of Div. I wrestling. I understand the value of Div. I wrestling for our Olympic program as so many of our past Olympic greats have a background in elite college wrestling. In order to keep Team USA strong, we need to have Div. I wrestling. With all of the resources devoted to major college sports, I think we should do everything we can to make sure that wrestling is included in that opportunity.
Here’s another important thing. Fresno State wants some help with startup costs for this program. But once it is established, it has made a commitment to fully fund the wrestling team. There will be no axe placed over the neck of Fresno State wrestling. If we help Fresno now, their athletic department will carry the water completely into the future. This will be a fully funded, well-supported program.
Ever since I moved to Colorado, I have been keenly aware of the fact that there are few Div. I wrestling teams in the West. Right now, we have the Pac-12 and the Western Wrestling Conference as the lone conferences for a huge geographic and population portion of our nation. California itself has more high school wrestlers than any other state, yet limited Div. I options that include Cal-Poly, Cal-State Bakersfield and Stanford. One more program in this region will be a big deal.
I remember Fresno State wrestling, a program which developed one of our Olympic stars, freestyle silver medalist Stephen Abas, and numerous other All-Americans over the years. It will be fun to see new kids emerge from Fresno State in the future, and know that in my small way, I helped make that happen.
You don’t need to do this for any of these reasons. But making a donation to the comeback of Fresno State wrestling is a something you can do that will make you feel good. I know. I did it yesterday.
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