![]() ![]() That is when Anthony approached the Zinkins, strictly for legal advice on the matter. Getting these inquiries from the the professional ranks concerned Anthony, and he wanted to be able to preserve his son’s eligibility for the NCAA. Yet, it was around this time Pico and his family were getting approached by parties in the MMA world, gauging his interest in doing the sport. Ultimately, the family felt what he had in California could not be matched in Colorado and that it wasn’t worth it to separate Pico from his close-knit family. ![]() They visited before the 2013 state championships, when Pico went on to take the title in the 132-pound weight class and finish the season 42-0. ![]() The origins of the decision began during Pico’s freshman season at Bosco, when Pico and his family were flirting with the idea of relocating to Colorado so Pico could train at the U.S Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. “I’m comfortable in saying he will be OK,” said Anthony. Anthony Pico, Pico’s father, declined to go into any specifics on value of the contract. Once Pico signed, the MMA apparel line Dethrone, created by Nick Swinmurn, one of the founders of the retail giant Zappos, won a three-way bidding war to be Pico’s official sponsor. Pico’s contract is for five years with Zinkin, an agency that also represents Chuck Liddell and Cain Velasquez, among others. While there have been high school phenoms before Pico who have made the leap to the professional ranks, from swimmer Michael Phelps (signed at the age of 16) to golf’s Michelle Wie (15), Pico’s leap is unprecedented in his sport and one that might serve as a blueprint for future American wrestling stars. The news rippled through the wrestling and MMA communities, with blog posts and forums popping up all over the web dissecting the decision and predicting the teen’s future. The 17-year old was officially a professional athlete. John Bosco sophomore’s high school and collegiate wrestling eligibility. Pico sat at the kitchen table in his home in Whittier, his parents beside him, and signed a management contract with the MMA agency Zinkin Entertainment, ending the St. He is most excited to see all the athletes progress and said he would consider himself a successful coach if every wrestler in the room gets better from the start of the season to the end.It was on New Year’s Eve, roughly 2 p.m., when Aaron Pico turned the wrestling and MMA worlds upside down. “For the kids to be great they need consistency, structure, and to BUY IN! Buy into the idea they deserve to win,” he said.Ĭoach Torsell said the new coaching staff will consist of some some old faces and some new faces, but they all have a similar goal and a unified front. “I’ve always loved wrestling and wanted to be involved in some way for the sport.”Ĭoach Torsell has already picked his assistant, naming coach Trevor Helsely and saying, “He provides a wealth of wrestling knowledge.”Ĭoach Torsell emphasized the need for aspiring wrestler to have some stability in the program in order to succeed. ![]() He ended the year assisting interim coach Aric Reader. “I took the job because of the amount of fun I had helping out last year,” said Torsell, who began as an assistant to Kyle Fink before Fink resigned in January. Nick Torsell goes for the pin as a member of the B-A wrestling team. His grandfather was also a coach in the area for many years. As it turned out, Coach Torsell was one of the most qualified people for the job, with over 20 years of wrestling knowledge. So when the job for head wrestling coach opened up, there was a wonder for who would step up to the plate. A class of 2014 graduate, Torsell is one of the more successful wrestlers of his time, being on the 60-point banner. The district had a few people come in and fill those spots for the remainder of the year, including Nicholas Torsell, a Bellwood native who wrestled his entire childhood into middle and high school. In the 2021-2022 wrestling season, the Bellwood-Antis found coaches for the wrestling team, but just half way through the season the coaches all resigned leaving the wrestlers red handed not knowing what would happen next. ![]()
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