Grizzlies Wrestling

Let’s Go! Coming to GGWA Saturday 6/13!

This weekend marks the start of the 2026 Faith & Wrestling Summer Tour. It’s been 10 years now, and if I’m being honest, I’m not certain I’ll be blessed with another 10 years of doing this. But I am incredibly grateful for what this has become. What started out small grew into something far beyond anything I could have imagined. While I accomplished some great things as a young wrestler, my wrestling journey did not culminate with the accolades of so many others who travel the country running wrestling clinics. Instead, much of my own story was left with a question mark of what could have been. Those who know me understand that I recognize how fortunate I am with this annual wrestling venture. I don’t deserve it. And yet, those who have hosted a Faith & Wrestling clinic know that I am able to do something that connects deeply with young wrestlers (which is probably why so many of you have brought me back - two, three, four, sometimes five times to work with your athletes). I live a life filled with humility and gratitude. Sometimes God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

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⭐ GGWA GRIT SPOTLIGHT ⭐

Today we'd like to recognize someone who exemplifies what Grit & Gratitude Wrestling Academy is all about: Jessica Cherival.

Jessica is the proud mother of Theo and Ezekiel Cherival and serves as GGWA's volunteer Treasurer, Accountant, and Payroll Manager. While those responsibilities alone are a tremendous contribution, what truly makes Jessica special is her willingness to serve wherever she is needed.

This past weekend at Escape the Jungle, after Theo had finished competing, Jessica spent hours helping our coaching staff track brackets, monitor mat assignments, and make sure every GGWA wrestler had a coach in their corner when it was time to compete.

She wasn't doing it because she had to.

She was doing it because she cares.

At GGWA, we're more than a wrestling club—we're a family. Jessica embodies that spirit by investing not only in her own children, but in every child who wears the GGWA singlet.

Thank you, Jessica, for your selflessness, your servant leadership, and your unwavering commitment to our athletes and families.

We see you. We appreciate you. And we're grateful to have you as part of the GGWA family.

🔥 SUMMER TRAINING IS HERE! 🔥

Champions aren't made during the season... they're built in the summer.

Whether you're stepping on the mat for the first time, chasing a state title, preparing for high school competition, or looking to sharpen your skills before next season, GGWA has a place for you.

✅ Beginner Youth Program
✅ Advanced Youth Training
✅ High School Practices
✅ Women's Freestyle Wrestling
✅ Master Technique Sessions
✅ Friday Night Fights Live Wrestling

This summer, we're offering flexible monthly registration:

💲 June: $100
💲 July: $100
💲 August: $100

🔥 Register for all three months and save:
💲 Full Summer Session: $275

📍 Grit & Gratitude Wrestling Academy
186 Stafford St.
Springfield, MA

There is no offseason.

There is only the choice to improve or stay the same.

Join us this summer and become part of a culture built on hard work, accountability, faith, and family.

GRIT • GRATITUDE • GREATNESS

We’re incredibly grateful to have Desmond McLaughlin on our coaching staff at Grit & Gratitude Wrestling Academy.

Desmond’s wrestling résumé speaks for itself: Massachusetts All-State Champion, over 100 collegiate victories at Castleton University, Northeast Regional Finalist, and NCAA National Qualifier.

This spring, he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and is preparing to begin the next chapter of his journey by pursuing a commission as an officer in the United States Army.

For now, however, we’re fortunate to have him in our room, where he continues to make a tremendous impact on our high school athletes. More importantly than his accomplishments on the mat, Desmond leads by example through his work ethic, character, humility, and passion for helping the next generation of wrestlers grow.

Our athletes are learning from someone who has competed at the highest levels and understands what it takes to succeed both in wrestling and in life.

Thank you, Coach Des, for investing in our kids and helping build the culture that makes GGWA special. 💪🔥

GRIT • GRATITUDE • GREATNESS

Grit to endure adversity.Gratitude for the opportunity to grow through it.Greatness earned through the process.

At GGWA, wrestling is more than competition.It is mentorship.It is brotherhood.It is accountability.It is faith.It is community.

We celebrate victories together.We learn from defeats together.We travel together.We pray together.We grow together.

Coming to Grit Saturday June 13!!