No Rest for the Best

For some central Indiana high school wrestlers, wrestling season never ends. It doesn't begin with the first team practice in November. It doesn't end with February's Indiana High School Athletic Association Wrestling State Finals. In fact, the end of the high school season starts another. Since March 2005, Ed Pendoski has been a part of that continual trend, heading the Central Indiana Academy (CIA) for high school wrestlers focused on getting better before and after their high school season. "Kids who come to us are surrounded by other competitive kids, who are doing the same thing and wanting to become a better wrestler," said Pendoski, who added that he has instructed as many as 120 wrestlers depending on the time of the year. "This isn't like a camp where you go there for a couple of days and then are sent out on your own. It takes a special athlete to train year round, and it isn't for everyone. We pay close attention to their emotional health as well. Sometimes, we stop their training because they are emotionally tired. We tell them instead of doing this, go run cross country or do another sport." Since returning to Indiana from coaching The Ohio State University Buckeye's freestyle wrestling club, Jim Humphrey has operated a similar outlet, the Team Champion School of Wrestling out of Lawrence North High School. Members pay $100 monthly to practice three times a week; a practice that leads to better all-around wrestlers, not only for themselves, but also for their high-school teams. "What they learn here, they can take back to their teams and what techniques they learn there, they can bring back here," said Humphrey, whose son, Reece, was a three-time Indiana wrestling state champion at Lawrence North. "This sport isn't like basketball or football. You have to continue to workout with other good wrestlers to get better. We have some wrestlers who come here from near the Michigan border who want to get better. We are not getting rich with this. We are helping kids." However, Humphrey added, not everyone is thrilled about their wrestlers being coached by others. "First of all, the state won't allow wrestlers to workout with us until after their season is over. That's detrimental to a wrestler who wants to get better. It hinders their development," said Humphrey, who in his 20-year career has coached on the high school, national and international level. "Some (high school) coaches don't like clubs like ours and are opposed to them. We are here to work with them on technique. We look at the best way to train each kid so they can perform at their peak ability. The day I think I know everything about wrestling is the day I have to quit. "Wrestling, on any level, is only going to get better on the strength of our coaches. We coaches need to become students of the sport, learn from one another, so that everyone gets better." Zionville High School head coach Bob Brennan appreciates the wrestling instructions his wrestlers receive from Pendoski's CIA. "I have been very impressed with CIA and the foundation it gives kids in learning life lessons," said Brennan, who works with Humphrey at a wrestling camp. "With CIA and Team Champion, they get to see other wrestlers. I think that is good for the sport. It gives the kids an outlet on getting better."   Humphrey believes and teaches that part of getting better is working more on training and technique rather than participating in actual matches - a lesson he emphasizes at the Team Champion School of Wrestling along with his son, Jordin. "With our club, we go to tournaments, but not that many," Humphrey said. "I know of some kids who wrestle 250 matches in a year. That's way too many. When do they train? It takes time to develop good technique. You acquire good technique by doing drills, that's the wrestler who gets better." Nevertheless, getting better by attending a wrestling academy doesn't translate into a wrestler becoming a state champion and receiving a college scholarship. But it can happen. "We tell them high school is the most fun you can have in life and college is a good time," said Pendoski, who in addition to leading CIA, travels several times a week throughout the state to coach wrestlers.   "What they get out of this is life lessons. They learn how to persevere. They learn a work ethic they can carry forever. There is not a lot of scholarship money in this. But the kids and parents who do this have a crazy level of commitment. That's why it isn't for everyone." But for those, who decide to put in the effort, the experience can be rewarding on the mat while building their confidence. "We teach them how to be proficient on both sides. But ultimately, it is your job to do the work, get better and get stronger. Not every kid who comes in here is going to win a state title, but if they learn a work ethic, get the job done, then those are the ones who make this special." Anderson Highland senior Camden Eppert is one obvious example of this, said Pendoski. Eppert has trained with CIA since he was an eighth-grader. All of his training has netted state tournament success for Eppert, who won a state title at 103 pounds as a sophomore, finished fourth in the state as a freshman and was runner-up at 112 pounds last season. In addition, Eppert recently participated in a national tournament, the Super 32 Challenge in North Carolina, where he was joined by Highland teammate Sammy Bennett, who placed runner-up at 145-pounds in last season's state tournament, and Martinsville's Briar Runyan, a state runner-up at 152 pounds. While at the Super 32, Eppert earned national recognition by defeating three of the nation's best 119-pound wrestlers. He said he owes it all to his training at both Highland and CIA. "What I've gotten out of wrestling with CIA is I travel and see wrestlers from all over the state and not just the wrestlers here in Anderson," said Eppert, who has committed to Purdue on a wrestling scholarship. "It is a lot of sacrifices, but this is really a great way to get better. You train, you travel and you wrestle. I love that."  And what Eppert's high-school coach, Kyle Poyer, loves about the additional training Eppert and his other wrestlers have received is "they come into the season in top shape, and they are ready for the right now."  "The schools refine what we do, and they find new ways to be competitive," Poyer said. "We have about three students who do this, and it has worked well for us. Any time you have a chance to do something extra where you can improve is good. They come in here ready for the season, and they bring good leadership skills with them."