New York Wrestling News’ Sam Recco sat down with head club coach, Ed Schafer, and co-head club coach, Mikey Woodward, to discuss the Superior Wrestling Academy in Palmyra, NY. Superior is now in its 15th season as a wrestling club and continues to make a difference for all who attend.
Here are their responses. Enjoy.
Club: Superior
Head Coach: Ed Schafer
Founded: 2012
Location: Palmyra, NY
𝘕𝘠𝘞𝘕: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥?
Coach Schafer: “The vision of Superior first became ignited by wanting to give these young kids a place where they could be as good as they wanted to be, and a place where they could grow. That vision was just over seventeen years ago. I personally had to outwork and sacrifice when needed to keep it growing. And over all these years, most kids bought into the mission. The day that Coach Woodward said he was moving out this way, I knew I had a guy who had a similar vision.”
𝘕𝘠𝘞𝘕: 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯? 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴?
Coach Schafer and Woodward: “I’d like them to learn commitment, respect, perseverance; not just physical toughness, but mental toughness too. I want them to know that they can achieve anything they desire through hard work and dedication.”
𝘕𝘠𝘞𝘕: 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺?
Coach Schafer and Woodward: “Tough, focused, relentless. I feel that defines who we are the most.”
𝘕𝘠𝘞𝘕: 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢?
Coach Schafer and Woodward: “We’re one of, if not the only ones, who have all levels of wrestling. We have participants in youth, middle school, high school, and college (even post-college). Between us coaches, we’ve helped a ton of young men and women get into a collegiate wrestling program, whether that’s JUCO, DIII, DII, or D1. We’re always taking our athletes to tough dual-meet and individual tournaments across the country. Not only that, but we host our own tournaments as well.”
𝘕𝘠𝘞𝘕: 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵?
Coach Schafer and Woodward: “Speaking from experience: Braidon (Coach Woodward’s son) beating the number four-ranked wrestler in the country to win an Eastern States championship was pretty special. And just a few months prior, he beat the number five-ranked guy too. Other moments that come to mind are when Joe Scott took down Maverick Beckwith at Nickel City; Devon Weber winning against McVige; and Sammy Staley’s dominance throughout this previous season. More big moments to come from some young studs who you haven’t heard a lot about yet too.”
𝘕𝘠𝘞𝘕: 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵?
Coach Schafer and Woodward: “Seeing everyone’s progress and seeing them working hard. When the athletes are at that point of exhaustion, but pushing through it to build on their mental toughness; that’s what makes us proud.”
𝘕𝘠𝘞𝘕: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘣 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥?
Coach Schafer and Woodward: “Toughness, pride, loyalty, respect, and a passionate love for the sport. We know that if you trust in us, you’ll be superior in life.”
We want to thank Coach Schafer and Coach Woodward for allowing us to continue our “Club Coverage: Places That Make A Difference” series, and wish them and their wrestlers the best of luck in this upcoming season.
