Tyron Woodley headlines youth clinic

Tyron Woodley is a rare and special kind of athlete. He's blessed with tremendous fighting skill and athleticism. He's also willing to share what he knows with kids. Woodley is a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter currently signed to the Strikeforce promotion. He is 10-0 as a professional. Six of his fights have been stopped early due to knockout or submission. Woodley's background is of particular importance to us at the Sports Commission and should be to any of you who have kids involved in wrestling or the martial arts.

Woodley is a native St. Louisan and a Mizzou graduate. He was a multi-time All-American in Freestyle and Folkstyle wrestling while at Mizzou. I've also had the pleasure of meeting him on a few occasions and his skill is only surpassed by his humility and passion to help young people succeed. When you see Woodley in public, he's not flanked by a group of random hangers-on. His "entourage" consists of his wife and their two sons. Woodley is the real deal and we're proud to have him as a featured clinician at this year's Wrestling Youth Clinic on March 13 at Scottrade Center.

The Wrestling Youth Clinic is the kickoff event for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships taking place March 15-17 in St. Louis. Woodley competed in this event several times and looks to give back to his community by teaching the next generation. Several prominent high school and college coaches will join him in a clinic that will draw 300 young wrestlers from around the region. Best of all, the clinic is absolutely FREE. Here's what you need to do to register. Click on the icon at the top of this page that reads Wrestling Youth Clinic or call 314-345-5130. Below is Woodley's most recent highlight film (email subscribers click here). He is as good as advertised.

An important note for parents - the Wrestling Youth Clinic is an instructional event which will teach kids the basics of offensive and defensive wrestling in the Folkstyle tradition. No coach involved, including Woodley, will teach any striking or submission maneuvers during this clinic. Tyron Woodley is a professional athlete and the techniques he uses in his fights should not be done in the youth setting. The video below has been posted to demonstrate the breadth and depth of Woodley's skills as a wrestler and to show you that your child will be in very capable hands at the Wrestling Youth Clinic.

The Wrestling Youth Clinic is a program of the St. Louis Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Initiative - which creates more positive environments for kids to play sports so they will remain active and lead healthier, happier lives. For more on information on the Sportsmanship Initiative, please visit sportsmanship.org. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol