Lynn students get a grip on wrestling

LYNN – Indy Rodriguez and Leakhena La are best friends, but, on Thursday, the sixth-graders were opponents grappling and grabbing at one another under the watchful eye of trained wrestlers as their Marshall Middle School classmates screamed and cheered.Their contest ended in smiles with the girls interested in learning more about the sport of wrestling.”It’s so interesting. I want to try it. It’s not competition; you’re challenging yourself,” Rodriguez said.That is exactly the impression former Division 1 college wrestler and School Committee candidate Jared Nicholson wanted to make on sixth- and eighth-graders after more than 200 Marshall students spent part of their school day learning wrestling basics from Nicholson, fellow Lynn attorney and former wrestler Clint Muche and Boston Youth Wrestling representatives.Working with groups of two dozen students, the attorneys and the wrestlers taught the students stances and basic techniques as La and her friends shouted and laughed their way through the lessons.Nicholson said his high school and Princeton University wrestling experiences taught him teamwork, discipline and gave him a sense of accomplishment.”There is a strong connection between what you put into something and what you take out of it,” he said.Wrestling is not offered as a sport or as a physical education experience in Lynn Public Schools, but Boston Youth Wrestling wants to start a Marshall program next winter. Founded in 2012, the organization has helped bring wrestling programs to nine Boston and Chelsea middle schools and helped support new high school and community center programs.Mixed martial artist and Boston Youth Wrestling representative Jonathan Rivera said he learned to wrestle as a Boston sixth-grader and said the sport helped him shed weight and gain discipline.”It changed my life,” he said.Rivera earned cheers and applause from sixth-graders during a brief wrestling demonstration with Youth Wrestling President Jose Valenzuela. The students screamed and clapped as the wrestlers flipped and pinned one another onto cushioned floor mats.Valenzuela stressed during a brief lecture wrestling’s value as a sport for boys and girls.Marshall athletic director Alisa Fila said wrestling is also a relatively inexpensive sport.”It’s something the kids can do,” she said.Valenzuela said wrestling is a “foundation” sport for building interest and skills in other athletic activities. La’s brief contest with her best friend gave her an insight into one of wrestling’s lessons.”You get to take advantage of other people’s strength,” she said.