That’s the question Sean Barker, Adam Summers and Toufic Zabian had this spring as they attended the funeral of their former wrestling coach and mentor Harry Geris. Harry, one of Canada’s most decorated and respected amateur wrestlers ever, died in April while helping set up a wrestling meet at Saunders Secondary School.

Sean, Adam and Toufic, all of whom wrestled at Harry’s club back in the 1980s, had been friends as young boys, but – as often happens in adulthood – drifted apart as they began leading their separate lives.
It was at Harry’s funeral the three, along with Todd Lupa, began talking about the best way to carry on the memory of their coach. Eventually, it was decided a new wrestling club would be the perfect tribute.
This new club, which they have named the Harry Geris Wrestling Club, would be built with the same principles they say Harry had used when they were growing up.

“We all wrestled with Harry,” Sean says. “He gave us every opportunity to travel this country, to have great experiences. He made us who we are today and we wanted to do something to give back to what he meant to all of us. It was a no-brainer we would do something, but what was the question.
“I had actually talked to him a couple months earlier and he was looking for people to help with the club. He was looking for someone to step up and do the coaching duties. So after the funeral, we started talking, and that’s where this started.”

Helps local kids
Harry’s club, Adam says, was designed to give opportunities to local kids to learn not only wrestling skills, but life lessons as well.

“Wrestling was the focus, but really it was part of growing up,” Adam adds. “We learned so much, saw so much, and he gave us that opportunity. That’s what we want to do, give kids today the same opportunities we had. He gave us life experiences. We travelled to 40 to 50 (U.S.) states. We went places; saw things. He gave us life experiences beyond wrestling.”

Toufic, who is not only one of the club’s coaches, but is also its main sponsor through his business, Hayats Auto Sales and Leasing, says the group will work hard to be the kind of mentors Harry was.

“Harry made me who I am, I don’t doubt that,” he says. “I couldn’t have afforded to do the things I did, go to the places we went, without him. He paved the way for me, for all of us; it will be very hard to fill his shoes. We all have different memories of Harry. I was afraid to lose because of Harry, but no matter what, he was always there by our side.”

A donation: Mats
While all three men, along with Todd, were committed to the new club, finances in any new business venture – even a non-profit one like the club – are a major concern.
A major expense of any wrestling club is the mats that are necessary for competing on, however, the Geris family donated their wrestling mats to the club, saving the partners approximately $40,000.

Another big cost is in finding a location to set up their club. And once again, the club found an ingenious way of getting around that particular expense.
“We wanted to keep the club as inclusive as possible, that meant keeping the costs down,” Sean says. “So when it came to finding a location to set up, we talked to the guys at the Adrenaline Training Centre. They had been looking to buy the mats, we were looking for a location to set up, so now we can use their building, and they use the mats. It works out all around.”

Mark Hominick is one of the partners in Adrenaline, along with fellow mixed martial arts competitors Sam Stout and Chris Hordecki. Together with Tim Abdalla and Tim Tattesall, Adrenaline offers training in everything from Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and, of course, wrestling.

So when the opportunity to work with the Geris club came along, Mark says they were only too happy to get involved.

‘Everyone knew Harry’
“The wrestling community is pretty tight, everyone knew Harry,” Mark says. “So we wanted to help carry on Harry’s tradition. The club has the opportunity to use this facility; we get to use the mats. It’s an opportunity for everyone.

“Once kids get out on the mats, they’ll enjoy it. They will get the training, see the professionalism. And while they have the opportunity to train here, maybe they will take time to watch us training and think MMA is something to try sometime. It works for both groups really well.”

The main thing the club is going to provide, Adam says, is opportunities.

“It’s not just about building championship wrestlers, but coming in, having an opportunity to learn, to have fun. The main thing is giving kids an opportunity,” Adam says. “There are negative connotations that come with wrestling. People just think WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), but what we do is so far from that. Once the kids get here, well, I’ve never met anyone who quit wrestling because they didn’t enjoy it.”

As to why the club will succeed, and everyone involved believes it will, Sean says he knows for a fact the interest is out there.

Anyone can join
“We are looking for anyone who has the heart to compete,” Sean says. “Boys or girls. Public school or high school. We are looking at 10 year olds up to maybe the last year of high school. Maybe we will eventually have a senior program, but this is where we are starting.

“We are aiming more to kids who are new to the sport. Those who are looking to get in shape. But anyone can join. If you have experience or you don’t. Membership is just $100, we have free parking here. We want to provide the opportunity, that’s what we are all about. That’s the way Harry would want it.”

Toufic agrees, adding, “It’s an opportunity for all these kids who were maybe looking for something if we can help some. If we can help one kid reach his goals. That’s a great thing.”