LUMBERTON — While basketball gets the majority of attention in the high schools during the winter season, wrestling is starting to inch its way closer in popularity.

Two youth wrestling programs in the county, the Seadogs Wrestling club in Lumberton and the Braves Wrestling club in Pembroke, are trying to promote the sport at a young age so that the participants can be developed before reaching varsity competition in high school.

Billy Roach is the coach of the Seadogs and feels that continued success by the school programs as well as the club teams have helped increase the popularity of the sport among students.

“We’ve got some extremely competitive and really athletic kids that are on our team,” Roach said. “We’ve currently got 11 kids that have undefeated records.”

For a time, only the larger schools in the county, Lumberton and Purnell Swett, had wrestling programs. However, St. Pauls joined their ranks last year, with Red Springs following suit this year.

“We’re trying to get this feeder program started up,” Roach said, “to get them time and experience on the mat. This year we’re traveling to about 20 tournaments.”

The teams right now are in the Winter program of their sports, which involves teaching kids between 4-and 13-years old the fundamentals of the sport, and then compete in meets throughout the state. Roach has seen growth in the program from his players over the club’s existence.

“I’ve already seen improvements in our kids from last year. Once they do get involved I know they will return. It’s just like any other sport, where there is focus on the team but takes a lot from the individual.”

The groups are not only focused on shaping good wrestlers, but making sure they succeed in all aspects of life. The kids must maintain proper eating requirements as well as continue to make good grades to participate on the team.

Roach says he feels that wrestling can continue to grow in Robeson County if the middle schools in the county begin fielding teams as well.

“It would be really great if we had that feeder program at a younger age for these kids,” Roach said. “I could definitely see Lumberton High being a state championship caliber team in a couple years.”

At the end of the day, Roach gets the most out of helping the team when he sees the passion he has for the sport reflected in his players.

“I get to see the sport being reinvented by these kids here. Once they get into the sport it becomes a part of their life. Wrestling builds character, and not only me, but their parents can see huge improvements in them as well.”