Photo caption: As the Cordova High wrestling season wraps up, coach Seth Balint talks about what’s next. Photo courtesy Seth Balint

Wrestling coach Seth Balint, born and raised here in Cordova, has been wrestling since he was little. His aspirations to coach and his love for the sport started early on.

“I started with it when I was just a little kid,” he said. “I was coached by Ron Horton, he was the wrestling coach in Cordova for about 35 years. We would travel all over the U.S. together, me and a couple other local Cordova boys. I graduated from Cordova HS and went off to Oregon and wrestled for a bit. I eventually found myself back in Cordova.”

Horton asked Balint, who is also a commercial fisherman, if he would take over the wrestling helm, handing him the “keys to the ship.”

Balint was heavily involved in youth wrestling, known as the “Pounders Club,” even trying his hand at assistant coaching when he was a teenager.

“It’s kind of always been in my blood,” Balint said. “I have always had such good coaches and mentors ahead of me that made it look cool.”

Balint is the coach for the kids currently enrolled in the Cordova High School wrestling program, 15 competitors who are trying their luck on the mat.

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Wrestling amongst young women in recent years has gained more popularity. With Title IX coming into play and other factors, the number of young ladies signing up has increased.

“Girls wrestling has been the fasting growing sport in the nation for the last 3-5 years … college scouts are going around all over the place recruiting now,” Balint said. “There is more opportunity than ever for girls to get some sort of tuition help or scholarships to wrestle in colleges around the nation.”

Arianna Ryan is a formidable and valiant opponent on the team, Balint said, who placed 6th as a junior in high school in the state championships recently in Anchorage.

The thrill of heading to state for the team was “awesome,” Balint said, with high energy at the 5,000-seat athletic arena.

“It was held at the Alaska Airlines Center. There are eight mats going at one time,” he said. “You have every school in the state there: all the 4A, 3A and 2A teams. We brought two other 9th graders that qualified to the state championships. Everyone made it to the second day, which is an accomplishment. Arianna continued on … she stuck to the game plan really well and it was the best match I think I have ever seen her wrestle. I think she beat her opponent 9-2. She then had one more match to qualify to get on the podium for top six.”

Balint imparts a sportsman-like mindset to his students that he hopes they practice on and off the mat.

“Being grateful for being there, having an attitude of gratitude,” he said. “Your last thoughts before you go in and shake their hands, after you take your breaths is ‘This is so awesome, I am so happy I am here. I am going to make my parents proud and my teammates proud, I am so thankful I get to be in this position.’”

Now that the season is a wrap, Balint and the crew have nine months to strategize and work on their moves and mindset.

“The season is over for high school wrestling,” Balint said. “The state competition was it. The previous weekend was the regional tournament to qualify for state, three of our wrestlers qualified and Arianna placed. We had a meeting after the season and discussed who’s happy with where things ended … what steps do we need to take.”

Club wrestling is on the closer horizon, said Balint, who discussed Feb. 1 as a tentative start date.

“That is all ages. I really encourage kids to come out, burn some energy and see if they like it,” Balint said.

All things sports: Mark your calendars for Jan. 12-14. The tipoff tournament will be held at the CHS gymnasium. Cheer on the Wolverines during the basketball games that weekend and show your support!

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