Throughout the winter season, the Belmont Hill wrestling team has continued its non-contact strength training and conditioning program designed to improve wrestling performance for when interscholastic competition becomes viable. Led by Coach Leonardis, these twice-weekly practices have incorporated cardio and endurance with socially-distanced wrestling techniques to provide a complete and intensive workout. As opposed to earlier in the season in which outdoor activities complemented these indoor workouts, with layers of snow covering the athletic fields and areas surrounding the Jordan Athletic Center, the wrestling team has had to strictly practice indoors over the past few weeks. While this necessity to remain indoors limits some options for practice, the innovative, new, and constantly different workout structures created by the coaches have kept these practices consistently fresh and engaging.
Eager to return to normal competition, the wrestling team looks forward to future tournaments and match opportunities. Holding out hope that some events such as the annual Prep National tournament may still occur this year, the wrestling team continues to actively train and prepare. However, while the prospect of a wrestling tournament is exciting, the team acknowledges that the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic makes any hope of such an event tentative. Thus, anticipating that a return to the wrestling mats may come at any time throughout the next year, wrestlers throughout both the middle and upper school remain engaged and eager in each practice.
