Two members of the Winnsboro Wrestling Club went on to represent Winnsboro with Team Texas USA, Andre Diaz and Karson Mc-Neil.

McNeil finished this year as state champion; Diaz was last year’s runner up; and both are All-American wrestlers this year.

This is the sixth year in a row for the club to have representatives on Team Texas.

Wrestling Club Coach Felipe Perez said every good school wrestling program has a youth program to accompany it.

“Overall, it’s just like any other sport,” Perez said. “The preparation, the practices, the coaching and continuous improvement. A lot of it is mental strength and mental drills; what they do out here is what they’re going to see in a match.”

Perez said he may not be able to get wrestlers ready to face each individual opponent, but he could prepare them to stay focused throughout the match.

“The bulk of it that matters is how you wrestled the match, not the end of the match, because there’s so much more wrestling to do,” Perez said.

Perez said they review film and evaluate choices that could have affected their performance at tournaments.

“The great thing about it is it’s so individual, that it’s all tapered and tampered by the pursuit of the individual,” Perez said. “We [the coaches] are only one small piece, but it’s all up to these kids.

Diaz said he enjoyed wrestling because it was more than just a physical sport.

“It prepares me for life; it makes my mind stronger and develops a mental strength, not just in sports but in life,” Diaz said.

Keegan McNeil, Karson’s brother and WHS sophomore wrestler, said even though he faces tough competition sometimes, he chooses to stay in the sport because it’s so personal.

“I don’t have anybody to help me or hurt me like on a team,” Keegan said. “So what you put into it, you get out of it.”

Perez said kids who stick it out through the youth program get the opportunity to lead the practice room in high school. He remembered seniors leading his wrestling practice, but added that it was not always a good thing for the student leading.

“It takes away from their practice, and when they’re constantly pushing and pursuing to improve others, it’s hard to improve yourself.”

But Perez pushes his students to embrace the grind and continue the work.

“When I get out to the match I have the confidence I can last all three periods and go into overtime,” Keegan said. “It’s the same in the classroom. It’s tedious work…but you gotta do what you gotta do, and knowing that it’s my responsibility is a big asset in everyday life.”

The club practices every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and Perez said practices are open to high school wrestlers as well.

“We had several of them who would regularly come in, and there’s always a couple of them who will come in when there’s something to resolve,” Perez said. “I love the sport, and I don’t have any kids in it. But then again, I have all the kids in it.”

Winnsboro Wrestling Club is a non-profit, volunteer organization that develops strong boys and girls ages 4-15 years old through wrestling and Christian encouragement, teaching, managing, organizing and providing youth wrestlers an opportunity to learn fundamental techniques while instilling life lessons and values like strength of character, teamwork, discipline, respect and sportsmanship.

For more information about Winnsboro Wrestling Club, visit