BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Public School District is celebrating the addition of boy's wrestling to its athletic programs. The team is made up of 34 student-athletes, ranging from 7th-12th grade, from across 13 different schools. The program, based out of Lafayette International High School, has been in the works for several years.
Middleport Native James Cunningham was tapped to become head coach of the program. He's been apart of the Western New York wrestling community since he was eight years old. With an accomplished background in the sport including two national titles with his team in college, Cunningham is now back home giving back to the next generation of wrestlers.
"I’m just overwhelmed and overjoyed that I have been selected," Cunningham said. "It hasn’t fully set in yet, but it’s gonna get there. Cause like I said, we’re making history."
Bringing wrestling to Buffalo Public Schools has been a mission of the district and wrestling coaches around the region.
"This is kind of a dream come true. I know it sounds like a platitude but it is," Cunningham said. "This is something that not just me, but there’s been many coaches in the area, the Section VI area, that has spoken many times about having Buffalo Public Schools have a wrestling team and it's finally come to fruition."
One of the biggest hurdles in introducing the program was finding a space to host practice and home meets. After Lafayette's basketball program discontinued, the district focused on turn the space into what is now the home of the program. Now with the boy's team established, the school district is looking to expand the program by introducing a girl's team as soon as next year.
In a statement Buffalo Public Schools AD Aubrey Lloyd said the benefits of wrestling and the sports rapid growth were major factors into the district wanting to add the sport.
"“Over the years, BPS has talked to wrestling leaders about the benefits of the sport, and we are excited and proud to offer 7–12th grade boys wrestling this year and girls wrestling next year," Lloyd said. "As an emerging sport, wrestling will be recognized and administered like our other NYSPHSAA Section VI sports. We believe wrestling will give our student-athletes more opportunities, that is the mission of Buffalo Athletics."
The athletes on the wrestling team have a wide range of experience — some with and some without. McKinley High School Sophomore Reverien Nshimirimana is wrestling for the first time in his life and he is already off to a hot start this year. He's already placed 5th in one of their matches.
Wrestling caught Nshimirimana's attention as he hopes to become U-F-C fighter in the future. Along with wrestling aligning with his goals as an athlete, he sees the sport having a great benefit for himself.
"Might toughen me up a little bit right, cause it’s a very hard sport. It’s not something easy to do," Nshimirimana said. "So being able to get through a season of wrestling will definitely be encouraging. I might walk around feeling more brave, courageous."
As Nshimirimana said, finishing a season of wrestling would be very fulfilling. That's the message that Coach Cunningham has been sending out to his team since Day 1 — the grit and the grind of the sport will make them new people.
"I explained to them, if you can get through the first week of wrestling practice, it’ll change your life forever. And if you can get through an entire season of wrestling practice, not only will it change your life forever, but it will change something about you.”
With this being a new experience for Nshimirimana and some of the other athletes on the team, he is excited to keep growing as a wrestler alongside his new teammates.
"It’s a very exciting program to be apart of," Nshimirimana said. "I mean we are all in this together. Even though we fight one on one, i wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for the rest of my team."
You can find the BPS Wrestling team's schedule here.
