This week I talked briefly to Ray Pigott,  one of the teachers at West Side Wrestling (they have a nice site,  check it out).  Ray is busy with his electrician business but still finds time to grapple 6-7 times a WEEK!

KMA-Talk about yourself and your training.

I started wrestling in 1966, when I was in 8th grade. One of the members of Westside Wrestling said it best. Jojo Utrillo walked into our wrestling room one day; he said he saw an article in the paper about us. Jojo told me he had graduated from high school on Maui n 1992, where he was a successful wrestler. He looked at me and said: "Once a wrestler, always a wrestler" That sums it up for me! I sill love to get out on the mat and wrestle. Yes I was training 7 days a week the last few weeks, 3 nights at Ka-mole and 4 with Westside Wrestling. However,  as I said, this week I have scaled back my training as I prepare my team for the
trip to the ASG tourny.

KMA-What are your plans for wrestling on the West Side?

My plans for wrestling on the west side: First of all and most important is
what I say in the web site in the section "about us":
" As a USA Wrestling charter club, Westside Wrestling adopts the USAW
vision statement: "The vision of USA Wrestling is to be the preeminent and
most highly regarded sport organization in the world using Olympic ideals to
assist all in achieving their maximum human potential."

My specific goals for the westside, and all of Kauai, is to promote the
sport of wrestling. Westside Wrestling club is for all ages and both
genders. Of course the future belongs to the youth, so my emphasis is on
recruiting and training young wrestlers. I am doing what I can to encourage
and support the KIF to adopt wrestling as a high school sport. I want the
youth of Kauai to have the opportunity to learn and compete in the sport at
school. Kauai is the only County without High School Wrestling. I have 2
mats 40'X40'. The mats are traditional style, manufactured by Resilite Corp.
in Pennsylvania. Both top and bottom can be used, they are reversible. One
side has the markings, ( starting circle, passive zone, out of bounds, etc),
in compliance with International Freestyle/Greco Roman regulation. The other
side has the markings in compliance with National High School regulation.
Therefore my mats can be used for USAW sanctioned tournaments, or High
School competition depending on the side used. It has been my intention all
along to let Waimea High School use my mats, I even did my best to have them
manufactured with their blue and white school colors. I share the goal of
establishing wrestling as a High School sport on Kauai with the good folks
at K-PAL Wrestling. K-PAL is doing great things for Kauai and the sport of
wrestling! It is also my intention to let K-Pal use my mats, I would like to
see us all work together in promoting the sport of wrestling on Kauai. I am
trying hard to coordinate a USAW sanctioned tournament at Waimea High on
August 27. I do have the gymnasium reserved. I did receive the approved
application for use of facility from the DOE. I am still working with the
Chairman and members of Hawaii USA Amateur Wrestling Association on their
commitment to come over and run the tournament for us. August 27 is late in
the season for HUAWA Officials and the other USAW charter clubs in Hawaii.
However since I do have the gym and the mats, we will have a tournament even
if it is just a practice tournament with only Kauai wrestlers. I will keep
you posted!