Finger Lakes Today

Assemblyman John Lemondes (R,C-LaFayette) and his colleagues in the state Assembly hosted the #LetsWrestle campaign in Albany to highlight the sport's impact in New York. On Wednesday, Lemondes spoke on a proposal to proclaim May as World Wrestling Month in New York. Today, Assemblyman Scott Bendett (R,C-Sand Lake) introduced a resolution to designate May 23 as Wrestling Day in the state.

Lemondes also introduced former Syracuse University Wrestling Coach Gene Mills and Executive Director of the U.S. Wrestling Foundation Jack Clark in the state Assembly. He expressed pride in wrestling's influence on student-athletes, noting it as the fastest-growing high school sport.

“Wrestling has not only played a crucial role in my life, but it is making a pivotal impact in the lives of thousands of wrestlers across our state and nation,” said Lemondes. “This sport teaches young people about the importance of consistency, discipline and achieving your goals. I want to thank Gene Mills and Jack Clark for their dedication to seeing this sport expand its reach and I will continue to work with my colleagues in the state Assembly to make sure our schools and communities have access to this incredible sport.”

Executive Director of the U.S. Wrestling Foundation Jack Clark commented on their efforts: “The USWF sends recruiting kits to every high school in the country with a wrestling team to help get more kids out for wrestling,” said Clark. “They contain posters of celebrities and notable people who wrestled and achieved aspirational goals. These materials can be downloaded for free at WrestlingChangesLives.com.”