Reggie Wright is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Peoria High School for AZPreps365.com.

As winter approaches, members of the Peoria Panther wrestling team are preparing for the upcoming season. 

Whether a returning wrestler or a fresh face on the mat, every member of the team will need the right set of tools to set themselves up for success. 

This is where Peoria’s booster club for wrestling, I Got Your Back, comes in. 

“Our booster club is a non-profit organization,” said April Badillo, the assistant coach for the girls wrestling team as well as a volunteer for the booster club. “What we do is we raise funds to help our wrestling program get materials like headgear, shoes -- and help with the participation fees for those that cannot afford it.”

In addition to raising money for equipment, the booster club also raises money to ensure that Peoria wrestlers can make appearances in tournaments across the country and closer to home.

Their efforts saw Peoria make history last season, as it had its first female state champion, Nylease Yzagere.

The senior went undefeated on her way to her title after coming up short in previous years. The contribution of the booster club helped her along the way to the once elusive achievement.

“They were able to pay for my trips to nationals,” Yzagere said. “They helped me a lot with gear, lunches and other stuff.”

Events, pep rallies and other activities that increase unity within the wrestling team and school spirit are frequently planned by I Got Your Back. 

“I feel that we grew a lot, we donated a lot of money,” said Gabriel Rodriguez, a wrestler on the boys team. “We have been able to hold events such as the annual golf tournament and going on trips with the team.”

The athletes feel they perform better when they feel supported and part of a community, and everyone involved has a more pleasurable and memorable experience.
 
“They have been family to me. They talk to me and check up on me to make sure that everything is OK,” Yzagere said of the club. “They are very engaged with us, not only because it is their job, but because they actually want to be there for us.”

Without them, the wrestlers feel that they would not have been able to overcome some of the challenges in their way.

“We would not have been able to go to the tournaments, travel from town to town even when the school is closed for the summer,” said Miguel Badillo, a wrestler on the boys team.

With the fundraising of the booster club growing over the past couple of years, the team believes that they can do even better over the next couple of months.

“My hope for the upcoming season is that our team is solid and better than last year,” Badillo said. “I believe we should have a few state placers this time around.”