Manchester Wrestling Club brings Olympian to run all-girls’ camp
Olympian Toccara Montgomery (right) ran a clinic in Manchester last week at the all-girls’ wrestling camp. Photo credit Manchester Youth Wrestling.
by Sara Swanson
Manchester wrestling club held an All-Girls’ Wrestling Camp last Thursday, August 3, for girls ages kindergarten through 12th at the high school and brought in women’s collegiate coaching pioneer and 2004 Olympian Toccara Montgomery to run it. It is the first of what they hope to be an annual camp.
Montgomery has earned quite a few distinctions, including being a four-time U.S. Open National Champion, two-time World Silver Medalist, and 2001 FILA International Wrestler of the Year. Another is that she wrestled in college with Manchester’s own Colleen Schoenfeld.
Montgomery and Schoenfeld met when they both wrestled for University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College) and they remained friends. Schoenfeld knew that Montgomery puts on wrestling clinics, so when Manchester wanted to put on a girls’ clinic, she reached out and Montgomery was happy to come put the clinic on and also get to visit with an old friend!
Eighteen girls participated in the camp: ten in the morning session for kindergarten through 5th grade, and eight in the afternoon session for 6th through 12th grade. The wrestlers had a variety of experience levels, including a few who had never wrestled before! Montgomery stated, “It was a good turnout for the the inaugural girls’ clinic. Listening to the organizers’ vision, I have no doubt that that it will grow each year.”
Camp organizers explained that the younger girls learned some basic techniques and Montgomery talked to them about her experiences wrestling, how much girls’ and women’s wrestling has grown, and how exciting it is to see them all participate. The older girls worked very hard. Montgomery taught them different styles of double legs and single legs. Traditional techniques involve shooting to a knee and she taught them an additional option of lowering levels for power doubles without going to a knee. The organizers added that since this was the first time offering the camp, the girls who attended were able to get a lot of one-on-one time with both the coaches and got to perfect their moves.
Girls’ wrestling is exploding and is one of the fastest-growing youth sports and Manchester has had some notable female wrestlers already, including Phoenix Waters, a Manchester wrestling alum who has gone on to wrestle at the college level. Youth Wrestling coach James Tobias stated, “We have two young ladies in the club right now. Skyler and Violet have both placed at the state level. Skyler has done more tournaments this summer and placed in the them all.”
Tobias continued, “The greatest thing about the sport of wrestling is that anyone can wrestle. I’ve seen women win state tournaments against an entire field of boys. I’ve watched a wrestler with one leg win a national championship. Additionally, as all other sports continue to become more expensive, wrestling continues to be an option for low-income families. Offering a low cost, all-girls’ wrestling camp run by a former Olympian is just one way Manchester Wrestling Club embodies the ideal that wrestling is for everybody.”
Schoenfeld (back row, left), Montgomery (back row, right), and the K–5th grade wrestlers. Photo credit Manchester Youth Wrestling.
Schoenfeld (back row, left), Montgomery (back row, third from left), and the 6th–12th grade wrestlers. Photo credit Manchester Youth Wrestling.
Schoenfeld and Montgomery demonstrating techniques during the morning session. Photo credit Manchester Youth Wrestling.
Younger wrestlers practicing what they learned. Photo credit Manchester Youth Wrestling.
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