The Duran Wrestling Club is sort of a product of happenstance –and perhaps that provides a clue into their wild success. Founder David Duran took the time to explain to AWP how the Duran club came to be: “It was just me and my nephews. We started wrestling in the garage. After a while we went to train with a bigger club but it was too big and they didn’t have enough coaches.” That’s when David decided to help out by volunteering to coach, and the trend caught on. Other parents and community members opted to volunteer coach. “We went to practice one day and there were 100 kids and only 2 coaches. Then a lot of us offered to help.” They ended up taking over the club.

            The way the Duran Wrestling club formed may contribute, at least in part, to what David says is the most important part of building a team: the family atmosphere and loyal people. The club started because people wanted to be there for their kids. They wanted to make sure every kid that wanted to practice and train in wrestling was given the proper coaching attention. “It’s not about money. We don’t get paid, we all volunteer because we want to,” says David. It also contributes to their success because there are no other interests that weigh the club down. As a private non-profit, they are slightly different from parks and recreation training programs. “We make the rules. We know it should be fun and we promote hard work. All participation comes with earned rewards,” states David proudly. Much in the same spirit that the Duran club started, fun is still the main incentive for hard work –and it is always rewarded.

            So what does 2017 hold for the club? “We’re trying to win nationals. We’ve been in the top three twice and in fifth once. We’ve made top 10 at Freak Show. So, this year our goal is to win state.” Doing well in tournaments is just one aspect of the team’s collective goals. David explains that they also hope to instill a strong work ethic off the mat. “We reward them for getting all As on their report card, we let them do extra things.” For example, the club sets up incentives for the kids to keep their grades up. Last year, awesome grades were a requirement to attend a club field trip to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

            Another rewarding incentive for training hard is the prospect of good competition in RMN events. “It’s the most fair play. Their competitions are better than any other organization –and we’ve been to a lot of competitions all over the country,” exclaimed David. The Duran wrestling team will surely be a team to root for this year. Their spirit is inimitable and should be seen in action at RMN tournaments this year!