Coaches
Mark Parra leads most of the practices and also serves as the club director handling the registration fees and other details. He is assisted by Nick Haines, Zach Girod, Steve Hertz, Mark Vendittis, Thom Massie, Rob Whiteside and Steve Cook. Mark Vendittis was the captain of the Churchill High School wrestling team and lead the organizing of the Bulldog Wrestling Club in 1994. Mark Parra, Nick Haines, Zach Girod, Steve Hertz and Thom Massie all began their wrestling careers as members of the BWC and went on to the Churchill varsity. Rob Whiteside, a former high school wrestler, is the father of a current BWC wrestler. Steve Cook, the only grandfather on the coaching staff, wrestled in high school and college. Occasionally, BWC “alumni” who are currently on the Churchill varsity or JV will stop in to help out as junior coaches. The young wrestlers get a lot of individualized instruction.
Volunteers
Only the referees at the matches and tournament are paid. All the coaches and everyone else involved in running the league is a volunteer. Each club is assigned responsibility during the matches and tournament for part of what it takes hold the event. This may mean arriving early to set up the mats, or running the scoring tables, or staying afterwards to put away the mats. The coaches will organize this but we look to the parents to help out. And don’t worry if you aren’t familiar with wrestling. We will teach you anything you need to know before you need to do it. (We are coaches, after all.) And you won’t be stuck on the scoring table when your child is wrestling.