Athletic Director Tyler Maskill spoke to the Board of Education at their May meeting and asked them to approve wrestling to be added as a KHSAA sanctioned sport for the next school year.
Maskill said he and others have a plan to raise money to pay for mats and have secured a storage location.
Boys’ volleyball was added during the 2024-25 school year and had 11 athletes participate. Maskill said “Adding these sports has been tremendous for our athletes and has involved kids that have not played in any other traditional school sports. I am confident it will help the community, other sports, and present an opportunity for anyone who wants to get involved in a sport.”
Josh Firkin informed the board that there were seven or eight students from Adair who went to another county to compete in wrestling this past year. Russell and Green counties had open mats where athletes from any school could participate as part of their program.
“In five minutes, you go through every emotion possible and that’s as just a parent and I’ve not wrestled, I’ve just experienced it as a father,” stated Firkin. There have already been sponsors who have reached out to cover the equipment for the team.
Board member Troy Grider voiced his support for the new program.
“That’s the most exciting thing we have on the agenda. It makes me want to go back and be young again, I would be a part of it for sure,” he said.
The board voted unanimously in favor of adding a wrestling team.
Maskill said he is thrilled to have the new addition to the athletic offerings for Adair County students.
“This exciting step marks a huge milestone for our athletic program, and we couldn’t be more pumped to bring this high-energy, skill-building sport to our students,” he said. “Wrestling offers incredible opportunities for personal growth, team spirit, and hard-earned victories. We can’t wait to see our athletes step onto the mat, push their limits, and represent Adair County with pride. The future of wrestling here is looking bright, and we are ready to build a winning tradition together.”
By Amy Pike
amy@adairvoice.com