Scott Swanson
Sweet Home wrestling coach Steve Thorpe has been elected to the executive board for USA Wrestling, the organization that governs amateur wrestling in the United States.
Thorpe, who has served as chair of Oregon Wrestling for seven years and the 11-state Western Region for the past two, was elected to the position of Chair of Chairmen, representing state wrestling organizations across the nation, on the executive board. He is the first Oregonian to hold the Chair of Chairmen position.
“I want to serve,” Thorpe said. “That’s my No. 1 thing here. I just want to serve and just help make USA wrestling better.”
Thorpe has been involved in wrestling since 1974, at age 6, when his father and some others formed the Sweet home Mat Club.
He wrestled for legendary Sweet Home Coach Norm Davis in high school, graduating in 1986, then moved on to Pacific University for a year before transferring to Oregon State University, where he wrestled for three years, graduating in 1991.
He returned to Sweet Home that year, under Davis, and took over as head coach in 1997. During his coaching tenure at Sweet Home, the Huskies have won 24 conference titles in 27 years, and five of Sweet Home’s eight state titles and 15 team trophies. Thorpe and his staff have coached 15 individual state champions – some multiple winners.
“One of the things I’m proud of is we have sent over 30 wrestlers on to the next level to wrestle in college,” he said. “I’m not proud of that just because they wrestled, but because they went to get an education.”
Wrestling is in a growth state right now, he said, with 244,000 members across the nation last year – a record. A big part of that is women’s wrestling, which is growing exponentially not only in Oregon but across the nation.
“Women’s wrestling has a huge role,” Thorpe said. “It’s one of the fastest-growing parts. The opportunities women are getting right now are incredible.”
Southern Oregon University Coach Mike Ritchie is also a USA Wrestling Executive Board member, representing the NAIA colleges and universities, which have adopted women’s wrestling as a sanctioned sport in the organization. The Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association lists 18 NAIA schools among its 33 members.
Along with SOU, Oregon colleges offering women’s wrestling include Pacific University, Warner Pacific University, Eastern Oregon University, Umpqua Community College and Southwest Oregon Community College.
Former Sweet Home wrestler and current UCC Coach Kyle Temple was head coach for the Oregon girls team at the recent national championships in Fargo, N.D.
The Oregon School Activities Association, which organizes high school sports throughout the state, is officially adding a girls wrestling division this year after having wrestling as a demonstration sport for girls at the state boys tournament for the last several years. The number of girls participating in wrestling has grown from 136 in 2014-15 to 498 last year, according to OSAA figures.
“Women’s wrestling is at the forefront right now of growth and opportunity,” Thorpe said.
“We’re growing membership, giving people opportunities, providing opportunities for boys and girls, young men and women, to find out the benefits of this great sport.”
Also on the agenda for USA Wrestling will be the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Thorpe noted that the International Olympic Committee voted in 2013 to drop wrestling from the upcoming games, even though it is one of events contested in the original Olympic games in Greece.
The president of the sport’s governing body FILA (now United World Wrestling) resigned after a subsequent motion of no confidence.
Following changes in leadership, and revisions to the program for 2016, including rule changes designed to speed matches up and addition of women’s weight divisions, wrestling successfully campaigned to be readmitted to the Summer Olympic line-up.
“In 2013 we were thrown on the chopping block,” Thorpe said. “They added five sports. They cut (wrestling) but we stayed vigilant.”
Another concern for USA Wrestling, Thorpe said, is its work with SafeSport, a nonprofit organization dedicated to battling abuse in sport – including bullying, harassment, hazing, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual misconduct and abuse.
“It’s a way of vetting coaches who are around young athletes,” Thorpe said, noting that Sweet Home has had recent experiences with coaches who have been arrested for illegal sexual conduct with teens for whom they were responsible. “It’s a way to keep people accountable. Keeping our athletes safe – that’s what’s coming down the line.”
He said he owes wrestling on a personal level.
“I can tell you, in all honesty, I can never give to wrestling what it’s given me,” he said. “This sport been more to me than most can ever know. We’re a family, with my role now serving in bigger family.
“I’m just really excited about this opportunity, especially for some of the people I get to work with. I’m grateful for the trust they have in me to do something here, the trust other state chairs have in me to help have a voice.”