Eierman’s in the fire
Local wrestling club catches on.

MILLERSBURG - Take a stroll behind Mike Eierman’s one-story brick house along Route J just south of I-70 and you can usually find somebody wrestling.

The action Eierman sees almost every day inside his two-car-garage-turned-wrestling room, is exactly what he envisioned about nine months ago.

"I’ve always wanted to coach," Eierman said during a recent practice of about 25 youth members of Eierman Elite Wrestling. "And I’ve always had this in my head. This - exactly what I’ve got."

What Eierman has now is plenty.

Ten years ago, the 33-year-old volunteer assistant coach at the University of Missouri had just finished up an All-American career at Nebraska. Five years ago, he was training with some of the best wrestlers in the world as a resident of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. And one year ago, he was the coach of the Rock Bridge Wrestling Club.

Now, he’s the head of his own club.

Eierman had no problems with his position at Rock Bridge Wrestling Club, but he lacked the freedom that comes with running a club in his own house.

"We had to wait for the high school kids to get done, and we had to be quiet because we were inside," he said. "But here, it’s all me. My own club, my own place, my own way, my own rules."

About nine months ago, Eierman took out a loan for $175,000. With that, he put an addition on the back of his existing garage, built showers and lockers for club members and covered the floor with mats. Now, almost every day starting at 4:30 p.m., the room could be filled up with as many as 30 or 40 wrestlers.

High school wrestlers from Hickman and Rock Bridge usually show up first, at about 4:30, and use the place as an off-season training facility. At 6 p.m., the youth members of Eierman Elite begin practice. On some days, Missouri wrestlers make the trip to either help with the youth wrestlers or just to work out themselves.

"It didn’t just come to me, either," he said of the large turnouts. "It was just a constant word of mouth, a constant paying the price. The next thing you know, we have a room full of kids and they are all wanting to come and they are getting good every practice."

A year ago, Jaydin Clayton and J’den Cox were wrestling for different clubs. Clayton wrestled at the Rock Bridge club and Cox wrestled at the Columbia Wrestling Club.

Cox, an 11-year old fifth-grader at Benton Elementary, said he made the switch because of the new facility and the coaching he knew he would receive.

"There are not a lot of people at school that wrestle," Cox said. "Here, everybody has been wrestling for a long time. I know I can get better here."

Though the youth club is not yet a year old, it already has won many awards. In March, it won the Missouri USA Wrestling 10-and-under state championship at the Hearnes Center. Cox, Sam Crane and Drew Benner won championships, while Clayton, Cody Pae and Josh Curtis took second.

Last month, at the Cliff Keen Reno Worlds, Cox and Clayton placed second.

"I’m probably going to be here with Mike another nine years," Clayton said.

And that suits Eierman just fine. He said he’s been amazed at the dedication he’s seen from the kids.

"I just wanted to create a really cool atmosphere for the kids. It’s a better atmosphere to train in. It’s not your usual dungeon-like atmosphere," Eierman said, noting the 13 windows that provide natural light and a view of a nearby lake.

Eierman’s project has done something else too. Lately, he said, he’s started thinking about getting his own career back on track.

After finishing his Nebraska career in 1995, Eierman left the sport for a few years. He tore a ligament in his knee. A doctor told him he’d never wrestle again. But in 1999, he was at the Olympic Training Center preparing for the 2000 Olympics. He finished sixth at the Olympic Trials that year.

Now, with everything he needs literally in his own backyard, he doesn’t think he’s too old to give it another shot. This time, he has his sights set on the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

"The only reason its triggered some interest is because my weight is down and my wrestling technique has just gone to another level," he said. "I’ve always had the physical ability, but I’ve never had the mental ability."

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Reach Troy Schulte at sports@tribmail.com.

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