Wrestling needs people like Renee & familyOutside the Circle by Kyle Klingman
36 Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine
If history teaches us anything it is this: One person makes a difference. One person believing in
something. One person with conviction. One person taking a stand. One person committed to a
worthy cause.And if there is one reason to have faith in the power of one person, it is Renee Reineccius, a proud homemaker who is bringing wrestling back into the light in Bloomington, Minn.
The story of the Bloomington Athletic Association (an organization that hosts a wrestling
club for children, kindergarten through fifth graders) should sound familiar. Someone takes ownership of a club, participation is great. That person leaves, numbers start to dwindle.
Five years ago, the Bloomington Athletic Association (BAA) had around 100 kids in its program
and then participation dropped off. Club membership fell below 30 for time. Not only was low turnout affecting the youth program, but it took its toll at the high school level
as well. Bloomington’s two high schools — Jefferson and Kennedy — each had a program. But
last season, the two schools consolidated due to lack of participation.
That’s where supermom Renee Reineccius came in. She decided to take action. She decided to do
something about the problem. For Reineccius — a former student at Bloomington Kennedy High School— the BAA project was personal. She has been around the sport her entire life. Her brothers and cousins wrestled. Her four nephews (who live right next door) wrestle and — most importantly — her two boys (Joey, 6 and Billy, 7) wrestle. “I want to do all I can for them,” said Reineccius. “I’ve heard there was talk about wrestling being taken out of the junior high schools and that really motivated me.
Because if it’s taken out of the high schools where are my boys going to go? I need to make sure that it’s still in the high schools. “It seems like it’s an I-pod, computer, cell phone kind of world but (the kids) don’t know what they’re missing out on. I know what they’re missing out on. Kids are only here for this glimpse of your life and I want to do all I can for them.”
So what did Renee do to bring the kids club numbers back up? Work. Hard, consistent and diligent work. Last year she advertised. This year she advertised even more … and worked
even harder.
She placed fliers at softball and baseball tournaments. She had her kids and a few of their friends hand out fliers at a soccer tournament. She sent out 100s of e-mails. She placed an ad in the
local paper. She even tried placing an ad on Craig’s List, an on-line classified ads website.
Net result: Over 100 elementary children will likely participate in the club this year. “I don’t feel like this is me,” said Reineccius. “I’d like this to be more about the kids because I have help now. At first, I took on everything myself and it was becoming a fulltime job really. “I stay home with my kids and I’m lucky enough to do that and that’s great. But I also volunteer at the schools and things like that. I realize I have to reach out to other people and that’s where parents came in and really, really stepped up.”
And now, because participation is going up, there is talk of bringing wrestling back to Jefferson. That means both high schools would have wrestling again and the heated Jefferson-Kennedy rivalry could return. That also means Jefferson High School might return to its former glory. The program won the state wrestling team tournament in 1980 and 1984. There are some great wrestlers that Jefferson High School has produced too. Joel Sharratt (NCAA champion and three-time finalist for the University of Iowa), Marty Morgan (NCAA champion for the University of Minnesota), Gordy Morgan (Olympian), and Jayson Ness (Minnesota’s 133 pounder) are all products of the program. “If she keeps going the way she’s going I’d say it’s very likely (that the
Jefferson program returns),” said Bloomington head wrestling coach Chuck Vavrosky. “It’s a matter of showing administration that there are kids on the west side that do want to wrestle and I think she’s going to show that.”
So did Renee make a difference? “Renee has made a huge difference,” said Vavrosky. One person always does. (Kyle Klingman, named Journalist of the Year by W.I.N. in 2008, works for Media Sports Productions, based in Minneapolis, Minn. He is the former associate director of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum, located in Waterloo,
Iowa. He can be reached via email,kyle.klingman@yahoo.com.)
“Kids are onlyhere for this glimpse of your life and I want to do all I can for them.” — Renee
Reineccius
Wrestling is indeed a family affair for the Reineccius
clan in Bloomington, Minn. Surrounded by parent
volunteers Renee and Chad are their daughter Savannah
(left) and sons Billy (right) and Joey (center).
(Reineccius family photo)
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