lpd096 Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 The best of luck, fellas! http://sites.google.com/site/regionwrestlingacademy/staff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Hawkins Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 Thanks Coach Tuck, the web site is being worked on now but some info is up and running now on the site. Should be more finalized in a few weeks. As info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Wadkins Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 WOW!!! What a tough room on opening night at CHS!! There were 29 wrestlers at RWA's opening session in their new location at Calumet HS last night. Among the coaches and participants there were no fewer than 19 IHSAA medalists and a few state qualifiers in the room (some with multiple medals) going at it. (19 medalists, 5 runnersup, & 9 State Championships). The list of names reads like a Calumet Region "Who's who" of Wrestling: Tsirtsis, Roach, Quiroz, Petrov, Medina...just to name a few medalists. Great place to get better and have great workout partners to prep for the upcoming high school season. Check out the website for more details: http://sites.google.com/site/regionwrestlingacademy/staff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Wadkins Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 Wrestling star power New Region Wrestling Academy has impressive list of teachers Comments September 22, 2010 BY ANTHONY D. ALONZO, POST-TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT GARY -- Their wrestling academy lacks any signage. Gear with logos is not yet available. And they just got a website up and running. The Region Wrestling Academy's name is new, yet the group's faculty roster seems to spell out "we mean business." Three renowned Northwest Indiana wrestlers have dozens of area grapplers clamoring for instruction. ? Click to enlarge image Not letting go: Tyler Joseph, 12, of Portage (front) struggles to break free from the hold of Matthew James, 13, of Crown Point during Monday's Region Wrestling Academy camp at Calumet High school. charles mitchell -- for the post-tribune "There are kids who come here from all over," said RWA founder Bill Hawkins, former wrestling standout at Crown Point and NJCAA All-American. "We've got students from Highland to Rensselaer." RWA was formed in the summer when Hawkins separated from the Central Indiana Wrestling Academy of NWI at Hanover Central and brought his coaching experience to the wrestling gym at Calumet High School. Former Lake Central assistant Vince Sessa, a 1997 state champion for LC and NJCAA All-American, jumped on board. The RWA staff was complete when a former Griffith wrestler brought his 236-0 IHSAA record to the mat. "When Alex Tsirtsis became available, we changed our name and location," Hawkins said. "I think what (the students) benefit from is not only the (instruction), but competing with some of the better kids in the area." A scan of the room at a recent RWA session showed no fewer than 22 IHSAA state medalists working up a sweat while honing their skills. Classes are divided into two groups: about 30 high school students and as many middle and elementary school pupils. "Wrestle!" shouted Tsirtsis, as he patrolled the floor in his oversized shirt and University of Iowa shorts. The four-time state champ and NCAA Division-I All-American offered suggestions for a better single-leg takedown. "We're trying to build a system," said Tsirtsis, who is a financial trader in Chicago by day. "With the high school kids, we only get two months with them before the actual season starts. If they have a couple guys on their team coming in, to where they are used to going through specific drills, they can work on it throughout the whole season. "Instead of just going out there and just kind of throwing everything, (we want them) to believe in what they're doing." The 90-minute sessions are hosted three times a week and provide what RWA coaches believe to be a nexus of talent and value unmatched in the Chicagoland area. Bob Schurg, who last wrestled for Lew Wallace in 1980, said he could appreciate Hawkins, Sessa and Tsirtsis not throwing young wrestlers into a one-size-fits-all situation. The Crown Point resident and father of five boys and one girl brought four of his kids to RWA's inaugural camp. "When I played the sport, when the season was over you took your shoes off and waited till next season," Schurg said. "But this is the real deal. Here they are training to be champions." The Schurg boys include Daylan, 12, Darden, 13, Denny, 14, and Dustin, 15. Dallas Schurg is a freshman wrestler at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Graduated by size and weight like stair steps, Daylan, is the smallest, weighing in at 90 pounds. Yet the boy held his own, wrestling up to the high school level at a recent RWA session. He said he's always had a unique home schooling in the sport, dominated by (mostly) playful wrestling with his four brothers. "They show me what I'm doing wrong and catch all my mistakes," he graciously said about his siblings. "I have eight eyes watching me." Daylan's dad couldn't help but think of the time when the extra practice will pay off. In 2012, the Bulldogs team could be stocked with four Schurgs. Sessa said he also sees growth and maturity in his younger teaching partner, Tsirtsis. He said the former Griffith star has begun to tailor his approach as an educator, having transitioned from the highest levels of competition. "I see what sports gave to me: opportunities and life-long lessons," Sessa said. "You would not believe the mental battles these kids go through just in practice. Life can seem easy when you think back at some of the stuff you've been through." for more information, visit http://sites.google.com/site/regionwrestlingacademy/home or Call Bill Hawkins at 308-0603. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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