Princeton Wrestling Club dedicated to the ‘wrestling ecosystem’ in town

PRINCETON, N.J. — Though Princeton hasn’t always been known as a hotbed for wrestling talent, a dedicated group of coaches and supporters have been working to change that. Under the direction of Bruce Rose, the club has increased the number of youth state qualifiers and placers every year for the past five years.

Bruce believes that this is because of the dedication of the “wrestling ecosystem” in town, including the Princeton High School wrestling program, Princeton University wrestling coaches, and the town’s Regional Training Center (RTC), coached by USA Wrestling Coach of the Year Reece Humphrey. Athletes from around the country come to train at the RTC.

The Princeton Wrestling Club uses the wrestling room in the University’s Jadwin Gymnasium, and benefits from the involvement of many of the University’s wrestling coaches, including Head Coach Chris Ayres. His daughter, Chloe, began her career at the Princeton Wrestling Club and then became the first 3-time NJSIAA girl’s state champ for Princeton High School. She now wrestles for the University.

The club has seen a lot of top wrestlers, but also welcomes beginners to the sport. Wrestling is a challenging sport, Bruce says, and it forms a base for success in any other sport by helping athletes improve body awareness, agility, core strength, and conditioning.

“​​More than any other sport, wrestling teaches direct cause and effect. If a wrestler doesn’t work hard in the practice room, it’s going to show on match day in front of everyone… Wrestling teaches focus, hard work, and accountability,” Bruce says. “Successful wrestlers find ways to overcome fear, battle through adversity, and develop unusually strong mental fortitude. There’s nothing easy about it, and that’s what makes it great.”

The Princeton Wrestling Club Youth season runs from November through the second week of March, with local meets on the weekends starting in January. Wrestlers are matched up according to weight, age, and skill level.

Beginner wrestlers are welcome, especially girls. As female wrestling grows in popularity across the country, Princeton Wrestling Club is hoping to train more girls in the sport. The club has seen alumni go on to compete at Princeton University, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, Navy College, and many more.

“It’s very gratifying to see what our alumni accomplish,” Bruce says.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Princeton Wrestling Club before next season, visit www.princetonwrestling.com.

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