Sports

Pisgah Adds Wrestling to its Varsity Mix

Josh Merry to serve as first coach for the program.

Mount Pisgah Christian School will add a wrestling program for the 2011-2012 school year. This will be the 19th varsity sport offered by the school. Pisgah has also named Josh Merry as the first coach for the program.

“There is a lot to consider when determining which athletic program we are ready to add to the school. Wrestling fits the criteria for numerous reasons,” said General Manager for Athletics Blake Davenport. “First, it is perhaps the purest form of athletic competition in the area of organized sports. Second, there are no pieces of equipment to master, ball involved or pads for protection. Third, there’s no time to rethink strategy, regroup, or even to take a time-out midway through the action. There’s only you, and your opponent. Preparation and the will to succeed will determine the winner. Finally, it competes in the winter season when basketball is the only other sport that our boys have to choose from.”

“We are very excited to have someone with the caliber and energy level to lead this new program,” Davenport said of Merry. “His energy and intense competitiveness can be seen in how he spent part of his family vacation competing at the Lake Placid Ironman where he cut his previous best time to finish below the 10-hour mark, which qualifies him for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.”

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In addition to a varsity squad, the Patriots will also offer middle school wrestling, as well as community program through Patriot Community Sports.

“My No. 1 objective in developing a new wrestling program at Mount Pisgah is to introduce this great sport to the school and the community,” Merry said. “I want to share how this great sport has helped shape numerous successful men and women into who they are today (including me) because the discipline and dedication that is required in the sport of wrestling.”

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Merry continued, “Since Mount Pisgah has the ability to attract and retain students from elementary to high school, it is important to develop a youth program that introduces this sport and allows youth to have some success and fun while participating. This will allow the student-athletes to build into a program that will require the same discipline and dedication from day one with all ages. The key to building a successful program is having both the school and community buy-into the sport of wrestling and embrace it.”

Merry wrestled collegiately at Anderson College, where he was a two-time NCAA Division II Academic All-American. He was also the team captain for two years.

Prior to Pisgah, Merry was a wrestling coach, as well as the chair of the Science Department, at Riverside Military Academy.

He holds masters degrees in sports medicine, as well as business administration. He is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in educational leadership.

Merry will be teaching physics, chemistry and environmental science in the upper school.


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