“When I teach it definitely helps me understand my wrestling a little bit more. It’s hard to sometimes come up with a plan because during my wrestling it’s more of me having to write down a script. That helps me figure out what I like and what I do best at to help teach it […]
“When I teach it definitely helps me understand my wrestling a little bit more. It’s hard to sometimes come up with a plan because during my wrestling it’s more of me having to write down a script. That helps me figure out what I like and what I do best at to help teach it to them. They also ask me questions,” Dias said. “I think I’m one of those trailblazers for the sport, being the person in the front, knowing that we’re building this foundation for women’s wrestling to grow. We came from nothing and now we’re making something out of it. It’s amazing to see.”For Dias, the key was striking a balance between working hard and keep it fun for the wrestlers. There was plenty of serious drilling Sunday, but also a lot of laughs and smiles.DiPrima and Navarre were training partners for the night. Not only did they learn some new moves, they had fun doing so.”I love it. It’s great that there are high school teams, there are clubs wanting to have girls camps. I didn’t really see that very often when I was younger. It’s amazing to see that local schools are willing to open up their room to me and other of my teammates. Just women in general,” Dias said. “It’s knowing how to engage with them, knowing how to communicate with them. It’s a lot harder when you are constantly going, going, going and telling them, Hey, you need to do this, or ‘Hey, you’re not doing this right.’ You have to structure it around how you would like to be coached. I want to be like a friend, someone you can talk to and easily be comfortable with.””I like the individual aspect of the sport. The work you put into it shows out there on the mat,” DiPrima said. “I think it helps a lot, especially seeing people who have gone out and done something that you want to do and who are good, dominant wrestlers. Maybe I should implement some of those things into my style of wrestling if I want to be a good wrestler.””My goal for everything is just to inspire these young girls and hopefully make them believe and build their confidence and trust in their training. Finding ways to create friendships and enjoying the sport as much as they can,” Dias said. “It the one reason I love the sport so much. It’s nice knowing I get to inspire and teach other girls, be that person that they can look up to. Especially this younger generation because they will have a lot more opportunities and I want them to know they are more than capable of doing that.””Every time I see one of the Iowa wrestlers it makes me want to be great like them,” Navarre said. “I really enjoy it because you get a lot more perspectives rather than just one coach. I like to get a lot of different intels and everybody has their own style.””I learned a different technique with that leg lace. I’ve been taught a different one and I drill it a different way. She showed it a little differently than I’ve learned and I kind of like it that way. It was a good thing to learn,” DiPrima said. “Some of the things, like that underhook, outside step to the high crotch, I’ve never drilled that before. That was a cool tool to try to add to my arsenal.”Sterling Dias has been to the top of the mountain.DiPrima, who won Cedar Valley Nationals and took second at the Belle Plaine Freestyle Tournament last weekend, is constantly working to improve. While she plays other sports at Holy Trinity, wrestling has become her favorite.”I did offseason last year throughout the summer,” Navarre said. “Compared to my teammates it was like a whole new thing. My teammates had to relearn how to wrestle while I was already conditioned. I had a head start compared to my teammates and even my opponents.”DiPrima, a sophomore at Holy Trinity Catholic High School who wrestles for Fort Madison, and Navarre, a sophomore at BHS, each qualified for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state tournament. Each went 1-2 in Class 2A, DiPrima at 140, Navarre at 105.Kat DiPrima and Grace Navarre are making their ascent up that same mountain in wrestling.Dias, a past Fargo Nationals champion and Cadet Worlds medalist, taught the young wrestlers two folkstyle techniques and a pair of freestyle moves. Dias said talking the girls through the techniques forces her to learn more about the sport as she gets to watch the next generation of girls wrestlers grow and learn together.So when Dias, a redshirt sophomore on the University of Iowa women’s wrestling team, came to the Burlington High School wrestling room Sunday night for a clinic put on by the Mississippi Queens Wrestling Club, DiPrima and Navarre were like sponges, soaking up the knowledge.Dias finished fourth at the national tournament at 106 pounds. She has been where DiPrima, Navarre and many of the young wrestlers at the clinic want to be.For Navarre, who took fourth at Cedar Valley Nationals, sharpening her wrestling skills during the offseason keeps her one step ahead of the competition and hopefully one step closer to her goal.It was a chance for the young wrestlers to see what it takes to get to the top in a very tough sport.
