Memorial High school is expanding its athletic department with the introduction of wrestling, beginning in the winter of the 2026-2027 school year.
Launching a new program requires planning beyond the announcement. To make sure the program is sustainable, the school is focusing on securing the necessary resources and building a competitive foundation.
Head football coach Marc Bindel outlined three pillars needed for a successful launch such as qualified leadership, proper equipment and student participation.
“We feel like there is a lot of student interest in bringing wrestling to Memorial,” Bindel said. “The first steps are hiring a dedicated coach and acquiring the right gear so that coaches can begin recruiting and building the program.”
An important part of bringing wrestling to Memorial is finding the right person to lead the team. This involves actively searching for an experienced coach who can build the program from the ground up and connect with students.
“We have a job board that we post it on and we have already started talking to coaches in the area to find out who they know that coaches wrestling so that we can begin determining who is fit for this job,” Bindel said.
Bindel said Tuesday there is no timeline for hiring a coach. As far as where practice and competitions will take place for the team, Bindel said it is still to be determined. Practices likely will be held in the P.E. gym with matches also in that gym as well as the main arena.
Diving deeper into the planning process, the school will need to provide new equipment fit for the students. Among the equipment Bindel said would be needed are mats, head gear, singlets and wrestling shoes.
To acquire some of the necessities needed, the school district gives the team a budget in order to plan further. Legacy is also starting up a wrestling program so both WFISD teams will have the sport.
“It’s like every other sport, part of the athletic program of WFISD so we are looking at receiving equipment budgets and travel budgets, and then with the coaches help, they will formulate a booster club,” Bindel said. “And then the booster club can help supplement some of the singlets and other necessities.”
