Coach Needed at Gage Park

[raybo187]

Over the last five years I have cherished my time at Gage Park High School, but unfortunately large drops in enrollment the last few years has caused me to become displaced from Gage Park. At this point the school does not have a wrestling coach, and the season will be in jeopardy if they are not able to find a coach that can be there everyday for the kids. My former assistant has moved to an assistant principal position and will not be able to take over the head coaching duties like we had planned when the displacement first occurred.

We have worked very hard over the last five years to build a strong program that inspires wrestlers to work hard on and off the mat!! Last year Chris Ballard took third in state and became the first state placer for any sport in school history. He is currently at Iowa Central working on winning a National Championship. Gage Park has a lot of great kids and strong athletes that can achieve great things, but they need a good coach to come in and take over the program. I would love to continue coaching my athletes, but in my current situation there is no way for me to promise my wrestlers that I will be there everyday for practice and meets when I don't even know where I will end up.

The team has strong junior and senior classes returning for this season. You will have a good schedule with strong tournaments including Reed Custer, Plano, and Geneva. If there is anyone who is interested in the position, or you know someone who would be interested, please email John Thompson (Gage Park Assistant Principal) at johnvito14@gmail.com or jvthompson1@cps.edu

Lastly, I would like to thank the entire Illinois wrestling family for the support over the years!!! The donations of equipment and even a practice mat during my first year coaching at Gage Park was and still is extremely appreciated!! Thank you all very much!!!!!!! A special thanks to Kathy Foreman who has been a huge supporter of the Gage Park wrestling team during the last five years. She has taken athletes on college tours, completed large food drives for wrestler's families that were having a hard time, and provided school supplies to student athletes that could not afford to get them for themselves. Thank you to Kathy, and the entire Illinois wrestling community!!