Wrestling team adapts sport for 9-year-old with spina bifida

From the Williams Lake Tribune in Canada:

Unbeknownst to elementary school grapplers, last Wednesday’s Williams Lake Wrestling Club practice at Nesika elementary was going to be a little bit different than what they were used to.

Since joining the WLWC two years ago, nine-year-old Cruz Johnson (pictured) — a Grade 4 student at Marie Sharpe — has been attending practice regularly.

Cruz is challenged with spina bifida, and has no feeling or control of his body below his chest.

“This is not going to be a normal practice,” WLWC coach Rick Bryan explained to the kids. “Today we are going to try something we’ve never tried before.”

Enter the duct tape, which would be fastened around each wrestler’s legs for the entire practice to simulate Cruz’s disability.

“I looked through all my coaching books and I couldn’t find any kinds of skills I could teach him,” Bryan continued. “So I need some help — I’m going to ask all you guys to help tonight with how someone with Cruz’s disability can go into wrestling matches and make this work.”

From there wrestlers experimented with adapted exercises, scrimmages and shared their own ideas as to how to help Cruz learn techniques he could use in matches.

Kayla Curtis, who helps coach Cruz with the WLWC, said it was a great opportunity to help the other kids see the hard work he puts in at practices.

“It made the kids realize how hard-working he is and showed the coaches how hard-working he is,” Curtis said. “He’s a hard worker and he’s always trying his best to do new skills.”

And this past Saturday, Cruz was on the mat at the WLWC’s Smackdown 2010 elementary wrestling tournament, putting some of his newly learned skills into practice.

Cruz said he joined the sport because he thought it would be fun, and added his favorite aspect of wrestling is having fun with his friends.

“I like putting my friends down on the mat,” he said with a chuckle, and noted he enjoyed the practice last Wednesday.

“Yeah [I liked it]. Wrestling can be pretty hard.”