A familiar face is starting a new era of Adel-Desoto-Minburn Tigers wrestling this winter. At the October meeting of the ADM School Board, Chris Hatchitt was reassigned from the district’s longtime middle school wrestling coach to become the Tigers new high school wrestling coach. Hatchitt tells Raccoon Valley Radio he’s been the ADM middle school wrestling coach since 2000 and has worked with a majority of the student-athletes who’ve shown interest in the ADM wrestling program this winter. “Right now we have about 25 kids signed up who are interested; we’ll see exactly who all comes out on Monday.” Hatchitt said, “I would say about 20 of the 25 (kids) I’ve coached either in middle school or since second or third grade through the youth program.”

Despite getting the job late, Hatchitt says having worked before with several of the team’s wrestlers give’s him a leg up on other first-year head coaches. “They have an idea of my coaching philosophies, what I stand for, the intensity I bring, and my love of the sport.” Hatchitt said, “They know I love them, are there for them, and I’m going to do everything I can to help them be successful in this sport.”

Monday marks the first official practice of the 2017-18 high school wrestling season in Iowa. ADM’s first competition of the season is Thursday, November 30, hosting North Polk and Ballard in dual action.