There are levels to success for Hopkins Varsity Wrestling
NEW HAVEN- The rumble of wrestling shoes against mats and cement floors blend with wrestler’s heavy breathing as Hopkins Varsity Wrestling coach Adam Sperling yells, “levels.”
The word is followed by a clap in unison and the wrestlers then lower their wrestling stance and turn to the opposite direction every time it’s said. These series of actions are part of new techniques that Sperling and the 16 wrestlers are getting used to as they prepare to start the 2015–16 Hopkins Varsity wrestling season. The conditioning for the season began Nov. 16 while the season opener is on Dec. 5 away at Williston Northampton School.
The “levels” training helps the wrestlers protect themselves on the mat, Sperling said.
With four seniors graduating the past school year, Sperling is using the technique to prepare the inexperienced wrestlers.
“We’re going to be pretty good this season,” said Sperling to the team, “but we don’t have the experience. We are going to out work everyone.”
The wrestling team competes in the Western New England Independent School Wrestling Association(WNEISA), which is considered state level, against college preparatory schools like Canterbury School and Choate Rosemary Hall.
Based on their results throughout the season and at the WNEIS Championship, winners then compete at the New England Prep School Championship in hopes of making it to the highest level of competition, the National Prep School Championship.
The wrestling team is now preparing mentally, but mostly physically for the season in hopes of challenging the other 20 college prep high schools that compete in the division and proceeding to the higher level competitions.
Hopkins, a private school located in New Haven, serves students in grades 7–12.
For Mack Reiferson, a freshman at Hopkins and a new addition to the wrestling team and wrestling in general, it has been a challenging start. He says, “Time management will be a big challenge as well.”
“Coming into wrestling I didn’t 100 percent know what I was getting myself into,” said Reiferson. “For the past few days, especially mentally, the warm-up is extremely challenging. Time seems like it goes by very slowly but pushing through that I’m going to see a lot of growth with perseverance and hardwork.”
Sperling, a math teacher at Hopkins, expects academics to be first on his athletes’ priorities list whether they are conditioning and prepping for the season or if the season is underway.
“Academics is priority number one,” said Sperling. “We tell the guys all the time, yeah wrestling is fun and playing sports is great but if you can’t pull your weight in the classroom then you can’t be here pulling your weight on the mat.”
Grant Hill, a senior wrestler from Easton, said he agrees with the coach.
“It’s really about priorities,” said Hill who mentioned he doesn’t have a Facebook in order to avoid more distractions.
The conditioning or prep for the season lasts about two and a half hours per day and consists of cardio and acrobatic workouts followed by going over various wrestling techniques.
Not only does the coach expect the wrestlers to keep up with academics but he also expects them to stay healthy and clean.
At the end of a recent conditioning session Sperling gathered in a huddle with the team. “I should see fresh clothes tomorrow,” Sperling said as he reminded the wrestlers to eat, shower and do their homework.
“A big stigma with wrestling is there’s skin diseases that can go around and a lot of that comes from bacteria being tracked onto the mats,” said Sperling.
He sets up a mop schedule where the upperclassmen rotate and properly clean the mats before the practice even begins to avoid health issues. The coach even has a blood cleaning station set up in case any accident does occur.
Sperling along with Hill and Reiferson, expect a season full of hard work. Hill is working hard to reach the state level tournament, the WNEIS Championship, as he did last season. He also plans on making his first appearance in the New England and National Prep School championships as well.
“I think these guys can be pretty successful,” said Sperling.
The team placed sixth out of 21 teams last season at the WNEIS Championship with 120 points and this year they plan on being in the top three. The team has 10 matches lined up for the season and two tournaments before going to the WNEIS Championship on Feb. 13, 2016.
“As long as we build on that,” said the coach referring to last season’s results, “and the boys are happy and enjoying it then that means I’m doing a good job.”
