A new Olympic regional training center in San Luis Obispo will offer freestyle, greco-Roman and collegiate style wrestling training to beginner, intermediate and advanced wrestlers, according to a recent press release.
Cal Poly Head Wrestling Coach Jon Sioredas is on a leadership team of five who are spearheading this project under their foundation — Central Coast RTC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to building wrestling on the central coast.
“This is a community project, a community owned independent training center that’s designated for wrestling only,” Sioredas said.
The space for the project is a total of 6,000 square feet, which includes 5,000 square feet for mat space and 1,000 for men’s and women’s locker rooms. It will be located at 1160 Laurel Lane, the former location of Crux Climbing Center.
The RTC will have indoor and outdoor training, new wrestling mats and wall padding throughout the facility.
According to Sioredas, who has worked at the university for five years, has wanted to do this for quite some time. He would like the opportunity to integrate their Division I wrestling program into the community.
“Part of that is building an RTC and Sport Club that allows our student athletes to give back to the community,” Sioredas said.
This will also allow the community to have access to additional elite coaching and training opportunities, he said.
The RTC training center is specifically for elite athletes. However, a handful of high school students that meet a certain criteria on the national scale, a majority of Cal Poly’s Division I roster and some post-graduates can also train there.
This will give high school students an opportunity to familiarize themselves with Division I athletes, Sioredas said.
Sioredas said he is personally most excited about having a wrestling community on the Central Coast.
From Paso Robles to Santa Maria, 19 coaches and co-founding members were involved in the project.
“So to have one space for all of us to unite and train together is going to allow us to cultivate relationships,” Sioredas said. “The camaraderie, the relationships, the practice together, being able to hang out together — it’s going to create so much momentum for our area.”
Just like any sport, he said, you get better by working together.
“Iron sharpens iron,” Sioredas said.
The center organizers are currently searching and interviewing potential candidates to oversee the facility itself, but Sioredas said he will continue to coach the Division I athletes at the facility.
Central Coast RTC and Sports Club have been fundraising for the project, will still need about $15,000 in recurring monthly donations for the three-year lease on the facility.
“We’re in the process of soliciting businesses and community members for monthly donations and what you get for that is access to the training center,” Sioredas said.
For example, if a local business were to contribute $100 a month for 36 months, the business can choose a specific school and allow the coach to pick out a certain number of athletes to train at the center.
Individuals or businesses can also choose to sponsor a wrestler or wrestlers or donate at their website.