Built on Family Five Years of Trinity Top Team

Five years ago, Trinity Top Team wasn't thinking about state champions, college wrestlers or expanding into a larger facility.

The goal was much simpler.

"Honestly, the vision for Trinity Top Team at the beginning was to create a space for kids in our small community to learn the sport before starting in middle school," Head Coach Joseph Anders said.

That vision has grown into something few could have imagined. What started in a high school wrestling room has evolved into a year-round program that has expanded its facilities twice while helping shape wrestlers both on and off the mat. Yet, according to Anders, the program's greatest accomplishments aren't measured by trophies or banners.

Humble Beginnings

Like many successful programs, Trinity Top Team didn't grow overnight.

"The biggest challenge we faced early on was finding support outside of the Trinity wrestling community," Anders said. "We wanted this to be for everyone in our community, not just the kids we already knew."

Instead of focusing solely on wins, the coaching staff focused on relationships.

Before long, Anders realized something bigger than wrestling was taking shape.

"Seeing families who had never met come together and become friends outside of the sport. Hearing that families were hanging out with other families outside of wrestling had me really thinking we were onto something bigger."

That realization became the foundation of Trinity Top Team.

More than a wrestling club, it had become a community.

Growing the Right Way

As the club continued to grow, so did the need for more space. Trinity Top Team eventually upgraded its facilities twice, but Anders believes those milestones represent something much greater than a larger room.

"That has been huge for us, and I think it represents that we have stayed true to our roots," he said. "We haven't tried to be more than we are at any given time. We took our time, put in the work and did things the right way, focusing on the kids and creating a family atmosphere for all to enjoy."

The accomplishments naturally followed.

In just five years, Trinity Top Team has developed four state champions, 18 state placers, eight state finalists, 22 state qualifiers, four national team members and sent multiple athletes on to wrestle at the collegiate level.

For Anders, however, those achievements have never been the driving force.

"Seeing kids reach their goals of becoming state champions, state placers and state qualifiers has just been icing on the cake."

More Than Championships

While the program has celebrated plenty of success, Anders says the moments that mean the most aren't always the ones standing atop the podium.

"We have obviously produced a lot of successful kids who have won state titles, made deep runs in national tournaments and went on to compete in college," he said. "But the biggest accomplishment has been watching the younger kids who had never wrestled fall in love with the sport."

Originally founded as a kindergarten through fifth-grade club, Trinity Top Team has grown alongside its athletes.

"We started as a strictly youth K-5 club and to watch that turn into middle school, high school and beyond has been really special. I love seeing our alumni come back and teach the younger generation what they learned during their time in the Top Team system."

Even after years of competitive success, Anders says the program's greatest achievement often goes unnoticed.

"I think the thing I am most proud of is truly that we have stayed true to who we are. Our growth has been great, but we work hard to keep it a family environment, learning about our kids and their families. We have not let the growth turn us into something we are not. Our focus remains the same: to develop kids on and off the mat while maintaining a relationship with everybody who walks through our doors."

It Takes a Team

Although Anders founded the program, he's the first to credit those who have helped build it.

"It has been the biggest part of the growth of Trinity Top Team," he said. "None of this would be possible without the help of Adam Walker, Juan Ruiz, Levi Dennis, Aaron Ortega-Perez, Jayden Maynard, AJ Palmer and the many others who have poured into this program over the years."

According to Anders, every coach has embraced the same mission.

"These guys have made an effort to step up at a time when Top Team really needed it to help any kid who walks into our room. The commitment to what we are doing and not trying to make it their own but helping however they can has meant everything."

That same support extends beyond the coaching staff.

"I am so blessed to have a great support system of parents who believe in what we are doing and have trusted us to help train their kids."

He also recognized Tiffany McClure, Alicia Ruiz, Kansas Miller, Jodi Burkholder, Noemi Palmeri and Dana Sims for the countless hours they dedicate behind the scenes.

"They are always willing to help and go the extra mile without even being asked."

A Family First

When asked what moment best represents Trinity Top Team, Anders didn't mention a championship banner or a trophy.

Instead, he thought about the emotions that follow a hard-earned victory.

"I think it's the reactions of all the kids when they win a big match," he said. "We are an emotional group and to see our kids cheering each other on and hugging coaches and teammates after big wins are moments that can't be replicated or replaced."

That feeling is exactly what he hopes every new wrestler and parent experiences from the moment they arrive.

"I hope they feel like they have been a part of the team since the beginning. My goal is for every kid and parent who walks through our doors to feel like a welcome member of T3 by everybody involved."

Looking Ahead

As Trinity Top Team enters its next chapter, Anders says the vision remains much the same as it was five years ago.

"On the mat we want to continue to produce state champions and kids who go on and get their degree through the sport they love."

But wrestling has never been the end goal.

"My goal for our kids is more than wrestling. I want to see our kids become good fathers, husbands, members of their community and church with the skills they have learned through the sport of wrestling."

Five years after opening its doors, Trinity Top Team's greatest legacy isn't measured by championships, state medals or national accolades.

It's measured in the friendships formed between families, the coaches who give their time without hesitation, the alumni who return to mentor the next generation, and the young athletes who leave the wrestling room as better people than when they first walked through the door.

For Joseph Anders, that's what Trinity Top Team has always been about and that's the legacy he hopes will continue for years to come.