It’s a good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless, as the Jefferson Little Guy Wrestling program has more interest than it has space. According to Little Guy Wrestling secretary Samantha Anderson, 58 children between the ages of four to 13 are enrolled, which is a large amount for a community of Boulder’s size.
This is a new craze. Although the program has been around close to 15 years, more interest emerged once the club resumed following a pandemic-related hiatus. In 2022, 63 children registered to wrestle.
“I think youth sports in general are seeing an increase in numbers,” Anderson said.
Little Guy Wrestling isn’t the only program having a space crunch, as new 21st Century afterschool programs also struggle with getting access to a gym. Community members interested in teaching yoga classes and other extracurriculars have also run into similar obstacles.
“Space is a big issue in this community,” Anderson said. “It would be nice to have a place that could be used for this sort of thing but there’s really not, and it’s so competitive to use the gym at the elementary or the high school.”
The wrestling room at the high school – where the Little Guy Wrestling program takes place – is not large enough to accommodate the popularity of the program. On Feb. 13, Little Guy Wrestling begins, and Anderson hopes to have gym space open up. If no gym space is available, the program will have to be spread out into four nights instead of two.
“We’ll have to split them up,” Anderson said, “which takes a toll on our volunteers, who already do so much.”
Those involved with the program, such as head coach Travis Newman, make the program a success, and they do so while keeping the program community-oriented, Anderson said. Little Guy wrestlers have gotten involved by selling cotton candy at the fair and riding on floats in the parades.
Seeking a solution for the lack of space, Anderson said she’s contacted the City of Boulder, the Montana Highway Patrol campus, Clancy School, St. Catherine’s Catholic Church and Greg Hughes at The River, among others.
“The community is growing, which is great,” she said, “but there’s no infrastructure.”
Those with any information or advice can contact Anderson at (406) 548-8485 or samanthadewit2015@gmail.com.
