The wrestling program at Herricks High School has seen significant increases in participation over the years, and team leadership hopes consistent success will follow.
Eric Goldberg, head coach of the varsity wrestling team, said the program has 44 students this year. When he started as head coach in the 2012-2013 season, the program had only eight.
“We continue to grow and get better, some seasons are up, some are down,” Goldberg said. “The kids have a great attitude. They know how to have a good time, have fun, but then put in the work when necessary.”
The program currently serves Herricks High School students, many of whom have participated in a youth or middle school wrestling program.
The sport is expanding to include girls’ wrestling, which has three students participating now, according to Goldberg.
“We’re looking forward to seeing them compete this Sunday in the girls’ county tournament,” he said. “Girls’ wrestling now has a championship in New York State.”
Goldberg, a social studies and special education teacher in Elmhurst, Queens, said that he’s been involved in wrestling since he was a student at Herricks. He graduated in 2006 and began coaching as a volunteer in 2011.
He said that during that time, he was working under Cliff Forziat, former wrestling coach at Herricks and inductee into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, who retired in 2013.
“The program means a lot to me, there’s a lot of history, a lot of success,” he said, adding that it was an honor to coach alongside Forziat. “It’s definitely big shoes to fill.”
Goldberg, originally from Roslyn Heights, said he hopes the program will grow in the coming years, and that about half of the 44-person team are freshmen.
“We’ve been a play-off team four out of the last five years,” he said. “I’d like to see success on a more consistent basis, and I think that starts with the youth, and getting kids interested in the sport at an early age.”
He said the team currently has six wins and eight losses, but that the team is so much more than its record.
“At the end of the day, more important than wins and losses is what the sport means to the students that participate in it,” he said. “Where we are right now is perfectly fine. I want to make sure that we continue to reach kids and make a meaningful impact on their lives.”
