Recruiting Woes Plague Canaryville

by Patterson Kane

Some say the sport is growing too fast. Canaryville coach Dennis Cartel would agree with you. Since being named the head coach of the new women’s program at Canaryville College in rural northeast Maine, he has struggled to add enough women to fill his roster and get his program off the ground.

“We have a few challenges,” explained Cartel. “First, my name sucks. I mean for what I’m trying to do. No one wants to wrestle for a guy whose name elicits thoughts of the drug trade. I think it scares some potential recruits. Second, there are so many new programs being added, recruiting has become a great challenge seeing that female wrestlers have so many other options.”

Over the last few years alone, women’s college wrestling has added dozens of NAIA and NCAA programs, bringing the total now well up over 125 programs. Some coaches, like Cartel, wonder if it’s growing too fast.

The Canaries coach tries to sweeten the deal by selling the prestige and opportunities at Canaryville. “I tell potential recruits that we’re a Power Five program,” he says, “because in East Maine we kind of are when you add in other community colleges and girls clubs. It’s just a different level of Power Five, like, Power Five rural Maine version.”

He also offers NIL deals he’s worked out with the local video store that still rents out DVDs and the local auto repair shop “Bill Does Cars” where women on the Canaryville roster will get 10% off car repairs.

“It’s not working,” reports the frustrated coach. ”We only have two women on our roster, but they double as drama majors and miss most practices.”

Where from here?

“Perseverance,” says Cartel. “I’m a wrestler and there’s only one way…forward.”

Canaryville will get internet soon and that may help their cause.

“I can’t wait to get a website on the world wide web,” says Cartel. “It’s going to be awesome with a clickable menu.”

Stay tuned on this rising program. It’s only up from here.