The Jersey Shore Middle School wrestling program has been running for decades but the 2025-26 season marks a historical landmark in the program’s history. This year, the junior high program finished the dual meet season with an undefeated 22-0 record as well as managing to succeed at both the PHAC Championships and the District 4 Class AAA Championships with more than 35 other competing teams.

Coach Ty Kanouff said that “beyond wins and losses, what made this group special was their commitment to improvement, discipline, and competing with purpose every single day.”

Kanouff has been involved in wrestling as both a competitor and a coach for many years, competing at Jersey Shore in both middle and high school programs. He then contacted his wrestling at Messiah college for four years. Following his competing career, Kanouff came back to Jersey Shore to coach, starting assistant coach at the high school level for seven years and now as the head coach at the middle school.

Kanouff mentioned that he deduced their coaching strategy for this monumental season.

“We have made a strong effort to modernize training by incorporating more situational wrestling, match simulations, and individualized development plans,” Kanouff said.

This kind of attention to detail is what strengthens a team beyond just traditional workouts. Kanouff later went on to say that the coaches made a consistent effort to communicate with both athletes and families, ensuring all involved remained aware of the short term and long-term goals for the program.

Beyond the mat, the middle school program has made considerable efforts to work on the athletes as people, not just wrestlers. Kanouff and his team have made a point to create a positive environment where athletes are challenged to rise above negativity, adversity and limiting mindsets on and off the mat.

The middle school program has also focused on culture and daily standards, emphasizing accountability and self-confidence. Another thing that Kanouff instills in his team is identity.

“One item that stands above the rest is our focus on having our wrestlers understand that their identity is something much larger than wrestling and that their value never comes from a win or loss,” Kanouff said. “When our wrestlers start to understand that. We witness them begin to compete more freely and with more confidence.”

Kanouff and his team have cultivated a tremendously rich environment for their wrestling program, both current and future with their tactics building athletes in ways beyond athletics.

To further their athletes’ success, the coaches have recently opened Elevation Wrestling club in the Jersey Shore area to provide an offseason opportunity for athletes to better their skills and compete locally.

This extra opportunity created by the coaches exceeds traditional expectations, further displacing Jersey Shore wrestling as one of the leading programs in the area.

The Jersey Shore Middle School wrestling program has grown significantly, having a monumental season this year. Their movements to modernize coaching strategies and focus on personal development alongside athletics set their program apart from others in the region, producing not only strong athletes, but well-rounded people.

This article was written by a local student at Jersey Shore High School as part of the Press Forward Program through the Centre Foundation.