Where to begin? A good start would be to hope you and your family and friends are doing well during this pandemic!
This year has been a first for many of us with all the changes and adjustments we have had to make to ensure the safety of our closest contacts. With all these adjustments and changes, it is making our upcoming season a challenge. Will we be able to wrestle? How do we practice and not spread this virus? What kind of coverings will stay in place during wrestling? Tournaments are most likely going to be cancelled. Only dual meets will occur! Can we travel out of state for any competitions? Is the NCAA going to have championships when it is all said and done?
I am hopeful for a season even if it is shortened. As we are all aware, wrestling season is a long, intense grind on our bodies and minds. That is why we love it. We, wrestlers, are all a bit crazy. Talk is that we will start our competition season in January. Junior colleges and community colleges have already set January as their start time. Practice will make for some long days as we may have to break up the team in small groups and practice different times during the days. When we are together as a full team we will be rolling out the new mats in the gym so we have better air flow and volume of air exchange. Will basketball have an issue sharing the gym? I am looking at full-head coverings with only eye slits. This will seem a bit strange to anyone walking by the room, but if it means we get to wrestle, I would wear a mini-skirt. With the perspiration that happens during wrestling practice, I will have to get several head coverings for each guy. I hope it works like I think it will. It may be a few years before we see the big tournaments come back as we all know them. This year I will be focusing on duals. Duals will have to be set up with lots of exhibition matches as I want everyone to get the experience they came here for. MIAC sports are to stay within the conference this fall. I am certain that winter and spring will all be under the same guidelines. Wrestling is not a conference sport! I will have to get any outside Minnesota competition approved through the school. Certainly, these are challenging times to be a coach.
Last year I had eight senior wrestlers leave the program. I brought in 10 replacements. This year’s senior class was my first year as a head coach, and we had three recruits that year. One left school with family issues and the other two are on campus, but have not been with the program for a few years. Next year is when the size of the team will jump up from 25 to 35-40 student-athletes. I have no wrestlers graduating on the team. It was a challenge getting visits to campus after the high school season ended. I have started with visits this summer and earlier in the fall to make sure I have a chance to show this place to as many wrestlers as I can. I see the talent and the numbers growing every year. Things are moving in the right direction. To me, SJU is not a football place, it’s a wrestling place that doesn’t know it yet.
When I get more information, I will send it out to everyone. Wishing you all the best. Congratulation to Gary Svendsen for being inducted into the Hall of Honor this year at Saint John’s! I will be planning a reunion gathering again this year if COVID 19 allows. It will most likely happen next year if we do not have a season.
Kevin Schiltz
P.S. Our second Annual Go Johnnies Challenge will be held on September 3rd. Pass this information to any wrestling fan. I expect this year to be better than last year. Let’s pass a few other teams in this great event. For more information, go to www.gojohnnies.com.