Valley youth wrestling built on family, community

Valley youth wrestling had meek beginnings when Moe Quin started the program in 1968 at a local YMCA.

Today, the growth of the program has led it to be a feeder system for Valley’s middle school and high school wrestling teams.

“Consistency and communication have helped drive our increase in enrollment,” head coordinator Raye Thomas said. “Last year, we ended with over 70 kids, and this year we have over 90.”

Thomas, who is a nurse at the elementary school, has been the program’s head coordinator for the last five years. Her four sons have gone through the program, with the oldest two having aged out.

“The position has been passed down to parents of kids in the program,” Thomas said. “The love of the sport compelled me to take over when other parents left.”

The Valley wrestling program is for wrestlers ages 5-13 and is part of the Keystone Wrestling League, comprising more than 45 schools throughout Western Pennsylvania.

“We hold six tournaments over three weeks in December and three weeks in January,” Thomas said. “Then we hold a final and a tournament of champions, and we’re running sometimes into March.”

Thomas’ responsibilities range from attending meetings to making sure the program is up to code to checking that every wrestler is attending weigh-ins.

“Raye does a tremendous job. She deserves the world for how hard she works for these kids,” said Chuck Perkins, the program’s head coach.

Perkins’ love for wrestling began in high school when he attended the team’s practices under Quin.

“My dad never let me wrestle,” Perkins said. “I was always allowed to go to practice, and Moe never had a problem with me being there. I was always around it, just never got to compete.”

Perkins began coaching in the program in 2010, around the same time his oldest son enrolled.

“A couple of people asked me if my son wanted to wrestle, I said let him give it a try,” Perkins said. “We went to a camp, and the second I was in the gym, saw how it worked, I was floored.”

Perkins’ fire for wrestling was reignited. He realized he was missing the wrestling atmosphere in his life and now all of his kids are entrenched in the sport, and they can be seen at program events.

His eldest, Chuck Jr., is a senior wrestler for Valley. He finished fifth in the WPIAL Class 2A tournament as a sophomore and was runner-up at 160 pounds last year. The senior helps referee some of the youth matches.

Perkins’ second oldest, Antonio, is in middle school and made it to the podium in states last year and is hoping to earn the top spot this season. He tends the youth wrestling scorer’s tables.

Auveonna, Perkins’ daughter, also helps at the scorer’s tables and takes pictures and videos for the program.

Coach Perkins’ 8-year-old twin sons are still in the program, and one was a state runner-up last year.

Perkins’ and Thomas’ oldest sons are just a few of the high school and middle school wrestlers who graduated from the program who come back to lend a hand.

“They’ll even show up at practice and help the kids with training,” Thomas said. “Last year, two varsity wrestlers came to speak at our end-of-the-year banquet.”

The program stands out most for its 17 girl wrestlers, six of whom made the state tournament in their age group and two were ranked nationally.

One of the young girls in the program, 8-year-old Danika Clemons, was a state runner-up last year in her age group and won the state tournament the year prior.

“I think the growth of girls wrestling is family-tied, because they’re at meets and practice all day watching brothers or cousins,” Thomas said. “We have three girls graduating this year who will be on the varsity wrestling team in a few short years.

“We’re even looking for a female wrestling coach. There are girls on the varsity team, but it’s co-ed. With our increasing number of girls, I would love to see a boys and girls wrestling team.”

Added Perkins: “We have girls who are so dynamic on the mat that it doesn’t matter if they’re wrestling girls or boys. They just get after it. They’re very tough and resilient with the process and training.”

Thomas and Perkins want to see the program continue growing and provide another sports outlet for youths in the New-Ken Arnold School District.

“I think it’s so important to get the kids out there and teach them it’s more than sports-related,” Thomas said.

“I want to see more kids find wrestling,” Perkins added. “I tell these kids and their parents that this is just another avenue to get educated for free, another chance at a college scholarship. The quicker the kids understand that, the better off they’ll be.”

One would not know about the program’s humble beginnings walking into the Valley High School gym on Dec. 3 for the season’s opening tournament as Valley hosted youth teams from Franklin Regional, Gateway, Kiski Area, Penn Hills, Westinghouse and Woodland Hills.