About 50 wrestlers pack the room at Mat Assassins just off Regulator Lane in Avoca.
They are here to train and learn from one of the best. Drexel University All-time wins leader Steve Mythch, Jr.
A group of 15 youth wrestlers qualified through Area 12 and will make the trip to Pittsburgh March 13th and 14th for the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling state championships.
"We cover a range of things from technique to conditioning and kind of installing
the hard work aspect of everything and just really developing the kids individually with what they need," said Steve.
"How excited are you to go out to Pittsburgh? I am really excited. It's going to be great. It's going to be a great experience for me on how young I am, and it starts a great future for everybody that has qualified for it,' said Nathan Schumin.
"Talk about wrestling and how much you like this? I like it a lot. Yeah! How come? Because I like winning and stuff. Yeah. What is your favorite move? The tilt and the bar," said Nelson Villafane.
"What are you most excited to go out there for? I'm excited to win
and I hope I win it and yeah," said Steve Mytych III.
Many of these kids will take their skills learned here into high-school
programs. For 11 year old Samuel Almedina from Dickson City he's
learned discipline here and in the classroom.
"Wrestling teaches you about life too. If you want to go into good
colleges to wrestle for those colleges you have to get good grades
you have to study. You have to pay attention in class and wrestling means so much to me," said Samuel.
Once these 15 kids representing Mat Assassins and Area 12 get
out to Pittsburgh they will join another 1,000 kids from across the state
of Pennsylvania.
"You gonna bring home a PJW title? Yeah. What is it going to take?
A lot of work," added Nelson.
"1..2..3...Mat Assassins," shouted the Area 12 group.
Steve Lloyd Newswatch 16 sports reporting from Luzerne County.