Growing up I spent a lot of time watching sports with my father. I specifically remember the Olympics because my father always seemed to have a story to go with each of the sporting events we watched.
As much as we would have loved watching all the Olympic events we could only fit a few into his schedule and of course the time differences dictated by the location of the Olympics host country. I personally enjoyed all of them but the one that I found to be the most intriguing was wrestling. I suppose it always fascinated me because of it’s history in ancient civilizations and how old the sport was.
Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in the world. It dates back to the Sumerians, 5000 years ago. There are also archaeological traces of wrestling history in Ancient Egypt including but not limited to the drawings discovered in the tombs of Beni-Hassan representing 400 couples of wrestlers.
For the Greek the sport was more of a science and a divine art. It was targeted to training young men and it is known that during those times wrestling was done in the nude while covered with olive oil and sand to protect their skin from weather conditions such as sunlight or winter cold. This is for sure no easy sport at all!
Wrestling debuted in the Olympics 708 BC and once more in Athens in 1896 for the return of the Olympics of this latter times. While it’s beginnings takes us back to the Greek, wrestling arrived to the US with it’s early immigrants also known as the European settlers. The sport was not only imported but it also made roots as it flourished amongst the natives in the continent.
In 1888 the first US national wrestling tournament took place in New York City. In 1912 the United World Wrestling was formed as the governing association upon the sport across the world. In 1912 the 1st NCAA Wrestling Championships were held in in Ames, Iowa and last but not least the USA Wrestling became the US’s governing body of wrestling for the country in 1983.
Now let’s forward a few hundred years ahead and allow me to share with you what is going on with wrestling here at home in Oregon. OSN reached out to Steve Thorpe, Chairman of the Oregon Wrestling Association along with Olympic Champion Les Gutches, Associate Executive Director of Programs and Strategy at USA Wrestling the national governing body for wrestling in the US and an Oregon native as well.
OSN: Thank you for making time to speak with OSN Mr. Thorpe. To start, how long have you been with the Oregon Wrestling Association?
Steve Thorpe: I’ve been the chairman for six years. The association has been here for a long time back from when I was wrestling in the 70s.
OSN: What is your background in wrestling?
Steve Thorpe: I started to wrestle back in 1974. Started at the age of 6. I lived here in Sweet Home. My dad was one of the ones that started the local mat club. I wrestled all the way into College Division one year at PSU and three years at OSU.
I started coaching in 1991-1992. I am one of the few that can coach the middle school and the high school teams. I was one of Oregon’s national team coaches that participated in a Cultural Exchange program to South Africa. I am a Math teacher in Sweet Home, Oregon.
OSN: What is membership like in Oregon?
Steve Thorpe: Oregon’s membership is number 6th in the US with 7192 members, which is the most we have had in the history of the organization.
OSN: Are coaches volunteer based or paid?
Steve Thorpe: The Oregon Wrestling Association is strictly volunteers, however we do have extensive budgets for certain divisions to cover expenses but is mostly volunteers.
OSN: What are the requirements to be a coach?
Steve Thorpe: There is a selection process. You have to be a member of the association and in good standing. Knowledgeable. Have the ability to make a commitment, time commitment.
OSN: With so many sports going on, why should someone choose wrestling?
Steve Thorpe: It challenges you more than anything that you will ever do, in an individual sport, with the team aspect. It challenges you physically and mentally. Is a battle sport. Wrestling is one of the oldest of sports in the history of the world. The driving force behind it is hard to explain. Is an addictive sport. There is no one to blame. There are no handoffs to anyone when you get tired. You don’t get to take a timeout. Is brutal. Is a grit sport.
OSN: What is the competition structure? Is it by city, region or schools?
Steve Thorpe: There are multiple clubs throughout the state. We have a state tournament for all divisions: freestyle and greco and all other divisions. We send teams to tournaments throughout the year. They are in different locations hosted in different states across the US.
OSN: Do any of your children wrestle?
Steve Thorpe: I have an 8th grader that wrestles.
OSN: As a former wrestler yourself did you influence him?
Steve Thorpe: I introduced him to it at the age 4. I started coaching 25 years ago. I introduced him to it and got him into it because is one of the most incredible sports.
OSN: How would you describe wrestling?
Steve Thorpe: It’s about families – Going into a wrestling tournament is not an hour or two per event. We are talking about a half day or if you travel across the state you are not there just for an hour sometimes you are there for days and this often becomes a family trip. That’s what you become. For example for me when we travel, we may use our family vacations to go to a wrestling even for a day or two and spend the third doing something that has nothing to do with wrestling.
OSN: Are there any fees associated with participation through the Oregon Wrestling Association?
Steve Thorpe: To be a member, a full membership costs $36.00 and includes full benefits. It allows you into tournaments. It has accessible and reasonable fees. One of the best organizations for members.
OSN: Which age group is more competitive?
Steve Thorpe: I would say the High School level. Is hard to say. The middle age group is the biggest in numbers but the most competitive are the High School age wrestlers.
OSN: What is the percentage of male versus female participation?
Steve Thorpe: There is a higher number of male participation, however women’s wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports. The women’s divisions are women wrestling women.
OSN: If there is something you’d like to share with our readers about wrestling what would that be?
Steve Thorpe: It’s a great opportunity to do a great sport. Is a sport that when you get down it teaches you how to to get up. To participate, is to get the benefits of being part of the oldest and greatest sport in the history of the world.
It’s exciting to see everything we are doing in Oregon. Our membership numbers are over 7k! We are the number two per capita for membership and is exciting.
Oregon has produced a multiple college wrestlers. There is a long list including one of the most recent ones, Les Gutches a world champion from Central Point Oregon.
OSN: Thank you Mr. Thorpe.
It’s obvious and needless to say that numbers speak louder than any words when it comes to measuring success. The fact is as Steve Thorpe states, Oregon is in the top per capita in membership across the US. This of course shows that not only is there interest but also commitment from the state as a whole.
And when it comes to wrestling as Mr. Steve Thorpe shared, we must talk about Les Gutches. Les Gutches was born and raised in Southern Oregon, the Rogue Valley to be exact. His trajectory is one to admire and an example to follow wrestler or not.
But instead of me giving you the story of Les Gutches, allow me to share a 1:1 OSN had the privilege to have.
OSN: When did you start wrestling?
Les Gutches: I think I was 7 years old. My dad at that time was working at the mill and we were living in Rogue Valley, Oregon.
I think it was just a typical day and as kids sometimes do I was going through my parent’s boxes and momentums and found pictures, wrestling medals, etc. and I asked my mom what wrestling was and she replied by saying “ask your dad”. When he got home I asked him and he told me all about it and started showing me some techniques in the living room;.
OSN: As you have already described your father was a wrestler himself. Did that have an influence or did it set an expectation for you to wrestle?
Les Gutches: I was interested and as parents we tend to get kids exposed to those things we have experience on, so it was a little bit of both. My Dad took me to my first wrestling practice not long after that. Some kids are successful from the start some are not and I happened to have some success.
I liked the physical and 1:1. In retrospect a lot of people who wrestle like the 1:1 nature, the combative part, the amount of discipline it takes, the level of commitment as it can help you in a lot of areas besides the wrestling world. It carries into other areas in a positive way.
OSN: Did you ever think wrestling would take you as far as you got? Or was that pretty much always the plan?
Les Gutches: I think two very significant memories come to mind when you ask that question. The first I don’t recall how old I was maybe around 12 years old probably 11 or 12. I had told my father that maybe I wanted to take a year off and you know maybe try another sport maybe not wrestling, and my dad had exactly the right response. Other parents would’ve said something like “we’ve been doing in for lots of years”. Some parents could’ve taken that route but my dad said “well yeah whatever you want to do, play another sport, but you are not going to lay around the house. You are not going to be home to be lazy, you are going to do something productive.”
So I went about doing my chores. It took me four or five weeks later, when I heard of the fun the other wrestlers were having. About the jello and cookie squares the moms were bringing to the matches. And the conversation around the guys who were winning that I had already beat and it was then that I told him if “what about if we go back?” He said “of course” That’s the point I started doing it because I really wanted to and missed it, and became motivated. That was significant.
Now in terms of what really sparked and made me think of “world domination” what drove me to be the best of the world? That inspiration came from the 1984 Olympics, both Mark and Dave Schulz gold medalists at that time.
I had the opportunity to train with them, they were local from Ashland. At that time when I saw someone do something so great who was just from down the road I thought to myself “It could be me! Why not me? If they were from the same place the Rogue Valley. Why couldn’t I?” That’s what started me down the path.
OSN: After such level of accomplishment at what point do you transition from wrestler to coach?
Les Gutches: As a wrestler in college I would say generally the path is really resistant and the next logical step for a lot of good college wrestlers is that of a coach, you’re there and it works into a smooth transition. Joe Wells was the head coach back then. When I graduated he said “I’ve got a job for you stick around to coach for OSU?”
I really liked coaching, helping athletes the best they can be. The performance. The scientific aspect of motivating people and helping them believe they can be more. That they can do it all and to be there as they achieve their goals, and know you were part of it. I knew that from my own coaches, because a piece of my medals goes to my support system: coaches and parents.
I think that at one point where I’ve been in wrestling for so long, I started to wonder if I could be successful outside. My identity, self-worth, curious of what I could be. During the nights and weekends I worked on my masters and shortly after I completed I went into banking, of all things. I started out as an underwriting doing commercial credits and worked my way up within Citizens bank. Great times there and I learned a lot,and that really helped me learn about business and the personal satisfaction of having success outside sports at that point.
At one point USA wrestling had a job opening and it was like a marriage of two things that I had been doing, that was in the sport of wrestling but it was administrative and in the business world so that’s how I came here. I love finance, business and I love the strategy and challenge and the sport of wrestling and I have a huge investment to be as best as as possible in the US.
For a time I worked in the membership department at US Wrestling and now I’m in the national teams department; training and selecting world teams, Olympic, and making sure they have the training, preparation they need to help them win.
OSN: Being from Oregon gives you a unique insight on what the sport is about. I understand membership is up more than ever. Why do you think that has happened?
Les Gutches: Oregon has always been a very strong wrestling state. If you look at the number of olympians that we have produced is impressive. We’ve had some great college wrestlers and teams. We have a good program at OSU and Kevin Rogers and Jim Zalesky have done awesome things with oregon athletes. Oregon has a great wrestling tradition.
We now have a renaissance and re-invigoration through the state leadership. We’ve got a lot of energy and a lot of people with connections with high school coaches and youth coaches and everything in between. Everyone has worked into building membership and development programs to create strong wrestlers in the Sr. level.
So I mean it starts at the top. At our board Steve and Mike two great ex college wrestlers and high school coaches. That’s a great recipe. In short the big difference is that there is always good talent and we now have good leadership and that’s board.
OSN: Being that you are at the national level now. Where do you see Oregon’s wrestling in comparison to other states and the world?
Les Gutches: I can get you the stats in terms of memberships compared to other states, but Oregon is in the top five six or seven in the state for US wrestling, and that is comparing apples to apples. We have states like Illinois, California, Florida, Texas, big states in terms in terms of population and Oregon is keeping right up with those states in terms of memberships.
The biggest thing that Oregon needs is to get Oregon more college programs. Not too long ago we had PSU, UO,. OSU. They are all Division I programs and unfortunately we are now down to one at OSU. And is really sad because we have such a great membership base, a lot of kids looking for and opportunity and deserve opportunities and there is only one college program with 10 spots that they are fighting for. We are talking 1000s of kids. Everyone wants to wrestle but only 10 spots in OSU. We have some division NAI teams, I would love nothing more in my lifetime to see PSU or U of O reinstate wrestling.
OSN: To your knowledge was there a lack of interest or what was the reason behind the closures of those programs?
Les Gutches: It was not lack of interest. We’ve had great wrestlers come out of those programs before they turned Division I and one in division two out of champions out of ten they were all. Right now they need another college program at Division I.
OSN: We thank you for your time and the experiences you are sharing and to wrap up this conversation one last question. Do any of your children wrestle?
Les Gutches: My son is 8 years old and we go to practices. We do not compete just yet. We are taking it easy. He is a good wrestler but we are having fun.
OSN: Does that mean that they are more into basketball? If I understand correctly your wife is Jennifer Busen a former college basketball player correct?
Les Gutches (laughing): They do both. My daughter just recently won the district champion in hurdles. She is a good athlete and fast runner.
OSN: Thank you very much!
There truly is no need to point out the obvious. Oregon is a leader in the wrestling world. The talent is a fact, the level of organization that the Oregon Wrestling Association has adopted is shown in membership numbers. As per Mr. Les Gutches of US Wrestling the following stats reflect the amount of growth the sport has experienced :
“As of last membership year end (August 31st 2015), Oregon had 7,190 athletes, which made it the seventh largest state in terms of USA wrestling athlete membership.
- Same period in 2010, Oregon had 5.404 athletes, this put it in 10th place.
- In five years, Oregon has increased membership over 33%!”
All and all wrestling is growing and will continue to do so. However one has to ask, is the collegiate level ready to take on all the youth the Oregon Wrestling Association is preparing? How do they anticipate filling the gap if programs have been shut down? What are the plans to bring them back?
After further investigation OSN confirmed that in fact back in 2009, PSU eliminated its program. the University of Oregon in 2008. Both with no specifics other than potential challenges related to finances, academics and lack of success.
OSN reached out to Mark Rountree, PSU’s Director of Athletics and Mike Lund, Associate Athletic Director to inquire about the status of the absent wrestling program and Mr. Lund’s response was as follow “There are no plans to reinstate a wrestling program at Portland State.” The same inquiry went out to the University of Oregon’s Athletic Director Rob Mullens, however we did not receive a response.
Overall it is our hope that anyone reading this article can see the quality of the sport we have, or the tradition as Mr. Gutches described. The reality is that the amount of potential and success Oregon wrestling has is at it’s peak. The future world champions of wrestling are right next door to us it is up to us to make sure it continues to grow.
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