Carson Valley Wildcat wrestling club returns to the valley

After spending some time considering if he was ready to start a business, Douglas High wrestling coach Jake Fair has revamped the Carson Valley Wildcat wrestling club.

The club used to be run by Lamont McCann in the early 2000s, but fizzled out over the years.

Following the return of the middle school wrestling program, led by Dave Singer and Steve Deaton, Fair started to get the wheels turning in his head about bringing the club back in the Carson Valley.

“The valley has just been in desperate need of having a year-round wrestling program,” said Fair, who has been coaching in the valley two decades. “We are trying to get back to building up the roots of wrestling in the Carson Valley. It’s long overdue”

Building blocks

Coaching alongside Fair will be his wife as well as other coaches Mike McBroom, Stephanie Kavanagh, Adam Kavanagh and Sergio Lopez.

The first club practices saw 25-30 wrestlers turn out and Fair is hoping to continue to see those numbers grow as word gets out about the program.

“I’m super excited. I started talking to people in 2017 about how we could put this together,” said Fair.

The practices are currently held at Douglas High on Mondays and Fridays, but the coaching staff is still looking for a permanent home, especially as interest grows.

Practices run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For Fair starting his own business, or in this case a non-profit, was stepping out of his comfort zone.

“It’s a little scary starting a business … but the younger we can start them, the younger we can get them on the mat, the better,” said Fair. “We’ve seen a strong turnout in young ladies, too.”

The club welcomes all ages, but Fair said he is targeting ages 5 to 18.

Joining the club will cost each participating member $50 per month.

There is a $50 annual fee to become a member of USA wrestling, which is a required fee.

For information, visit the CV Wildcat Club website at www.carsonvalleywildcats.teamapp.com or visit the Facebook page “Carson Valley Wildcats.”