A fun, positive environment that builds life and wrestling skills.
Practice: Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays | 6:30–8:00pm
Lassiter High School Wrestling Room | 2601 Shallowford Rd, Marietta, GA 30066
"Once you've wrestled, everything else is easy."— Dan Gable, Olympic Gold Medalist & 2x NCAA Champion
John "Coach Stu" Stulak has been coaching and promoting youth wrestling in Georgia for more than 15 years. He currently serves as Director of Youth Wrestling for the Lassiter Junior Trojans, Assistant Coach with the Lassiter High School wrestling program, and a Board Member and IT Director for Team Georgia Wrestling.
A former wrestler at Brecksville High School in Ohio and graduate of Miami University, Coach Stu is passionate about helping young athletes develop confidence, discipline, resilience, and a lifelong love for the sport of wrestling.
Outside of wrestling, Stu remains an active competitive powerlifter and holds multiple world, national, and state records. He is passionate about health, fitness, and nutrition and enjoys helping athletes develop healthy habits that support long-term success both on and off the mat.
Coach A.J. has been involved with the Lassiter Youth Wrestling program for over eight years, working primarily with younger wrestlers and helping them develop strong fundamentals, confidence, and a love for the sport. He has worked alongside Head Coach Stu throughout his time with the program. A.J. also wrestled intramurally for four years in college and continues to stay active through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and strength training, with a background in powerlifting.
Outside of wrestling, A.J. works as an emergency room registered nurse. As a coach, he believes youth wrestling should challenge kids while remaining a positive and enjoyable experience. His goal is to help young wrestlers develop discipline, toughness, confidence, and character — both on and off the mat.
Coach Evan has been with the Lassiter Junior Wrestling program for four years, focusing on strong fundamentals and the technical details that build long-term success on the mat.
Beyond physical technique, Coach Evan is deeply committed to the mental growth of his athletes. He works tirelessly to help wrestlers build confidence and mental strength, ensuring they step onto the mat believing in their abilities. On match days, wrestlers can always count on him for hands-on support — guiding them through pre-match warm-ups and keeping them mentally prepared to compete at their absolute best.
“Success on the mat starts long before the whistle blows — it begins with sound fundamentals and a bulletproof mindset.”
Jason Schmaltz began wrestling at Harrison High School, where discipline, accountability, and hard work were the foundation of the program. Those early lessons sparked a lifelong commitment to athletics that continued through competitive bodybuilding while attending Georgia Tech and later through professional-level rock and mountain climbing.
Today, Jason and his wife, Anna, are raising five children. Their oldest son, Johnny, is an eighth grader entering his second year of wrestling with the Lassiter Junior Trojans. Jason continues to pursue an active lifestyle through mountain and road running while working professionally as a chemical engineer.
As a coach, Jason is passionate about passing on the values of hard work, self-discipline, and perseverance to the next generation of wrestlers. He strives to bring the same balance of encouragement, toughness, and care that his own coaches demonstrated and that helped shape him both on and off the mat.
Coach Kyle Isaacs began wrestling in middle school in Delaware, launching a lifelong commitment to the sport. He later served five years in the United States Marine Corps, rising to the rank of E-5 Sergeant in just four years.
While stationed in North Carolina, Kyle began his coaching career as an assistant with a local high school wrestling program. Following his military service, he continued competing with the Kennesaw State University club wrestling team.
Now entering his seventh season coaching alongside Coach Stu, Kyle emphasizes fundamentals, goal-setting, mental toughness, and character development, helping wrestlers grow both on and off the mat.
Coach Matt wrestled at Pine-Richland High School in Pennsylvania, where wrestling became one of the most impactful experiences of his youth. It was the first place he learned the value of hard work, pushing beyond what he thought he was capable of, and taking ownership of the result. Those lessons are a big reason Matt coaches today. He has coached youth wrestling with Lassiter Junior Wrestling for six years and has more than 10 years of experience coaching youth sports. He enjoys watching kids develop and grow, helping each athlete take the next step from wherever they are, and seeing them earn personal wins through hard work — regardless of the outcome of the match.
Matt believes athletes can’t always control the result, but they can control their effort and attitude. His goal is to help kids understand the connection between hard work and reward while building lessons that extend beyond the wrestling mat. Outside of wrestling, Matt is a mechanical engineer in the energy sector and an avid outdoorsman. He and his wife, Mara, have four children. Their son Zach currently wrestles for Lassiter High School and came through the Lassiter Junior Wrestling program.
Coach Patrick brings 4 years of youth wrestling coaching experience and over 20 years of law enforcement and competitive experience, specializing in mental composure, physical control, and character development.
A certified Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics and Gracie Survival Tactics (GST) Instructor with extensive SWAT experience, Coach Patrick blends practical grappling efficiency with a strong wrestling base to help young athletes manage high-pressure situations with confidence. His coaching emphasizes discipline, grit, work ethic, sportsmanship, and respect — helping wrestlers develop both on and off the mat.
Now in his fourth season with the Lassiter Junior Trojans wrestling program and his second year training at the Coach Stu Wrestling Academy, Coach Rob is deeply invested in developing young athletes across the Lassiter community, where he has also coached youth football and lacrosse.
Coach Rob focuses on building sharp technical fundamentals and the mental toughness needed for competition. He takes great pride in meeting athletes where they are and guiding them through the hard work it takes to make breakthroughs. He believes wrestling teaches essential life lessons and practical self-defense skills that stay with a child forever, and loves watching young wrestlers discover their potential — developing the technical and mental tools to overcome adversity while building self-confidence, personal pride, and resilience that carry into everyday life off the mat.
Rob and his wife are raising four children in the Lassiter community, including two wrestlers — a 6th grader and a 4th grader — both entering their fourth season with the program. Professionally, Rob is a software architect at ADP, designing their next-generation payroll engine.
Ross Elkins brings several years of coaching experience at the middle school, high school, and junior program levels, including three years as a middle school head coach, nearly three years as a high school assistant, and nearly four years with a junior program. He has also spent the past 12 years as a special needs teacher at Lassiter High School.
Coach Ross focuses on mechanics, strategy, conditioning, and fundamentals while creating a positive environment that challenges wrestlers to improve. He emphasizes character, discipline, teamwork, and work ethic, believing that developing better teammates and people is just as important as wins and losses.
Our practices are designed to develop well-rounded wrestlers — physically, mentally, and emotionally. Every drill, activity, and conditioning routine has a purpose.
We focus on about three core moves per position — Neutral, Bottom, and Top Referee's Position. Mastering these moves requires repetition and consistency. Our approach centers around developing muscle memory — training the body to automatically respond in competition without needing to think. When a wrestler's body reacts instinctively, they gain speed, confidence, and a distinct edge over their opponent.
Wrestling is 75% mental, 15% emotional, and 10% physical. We've seen less-experienced wrestlers win simply because they believed they could — and we've seen highly skilled wrestlers lose the moment they let emotions take over and forgot to wrestle. That's why our coaching goes far beyond technique.
Wrestlers need two of these three to win: Conditioning, Strength, and Wrestling Skill. The one advantage Lassiter wrestlers will always have is conditioning. We've seen countless matches won — not by the strongest or most skilled — but by the wrestler in the best shape, with the biggest heart, and the will to win.
Our commitment is to make sure every Lassiter wrestler is in top condition, technically sound, and mentally strong. If your wrestler is willing to put in the work, it will pay off — both on and off the mat.
We drill fundamentals until they become automatic. Repetition builds confidence.
Wrestling is demanding. Our athletes train to outlast opponents.
Games, challenges, and positive energy keep learning enjoyable and engaging.
Your $325 registration includes your wrestler's gear package, banquet, and program investment.
Custom full-sublimated team gear by Takedown Sportswear, ordered in the sizes you enter at registration.
Every wrestler must have an active USAW Athlete Membership for insurance and tournament registration. Get a USAW Membership at usawmembership.com →
In your USAW profile: Manage → Profiles → Manage Profile → Club Affiliations. Add Lassiter Jr Trojans Wrestling Club (Org ID: 1800020002). Step-by-step guide →
Click the Register button at the top of this page. Your gear package and banquet are included in the $325 registration fee.
Join the Team GroupMe for parent updates and announcements. This is the primary communication channel for schedules, cancellations, and news. Join the GroupMe →
Parent Resources
Mon, Wed & Thu — 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Lassiter High School
2601 Shallowford Rd, Marietta, GA 30066
The wrestling room is on the first floor of the gymnasium behind the school (off Steinhauer Rd NE).
Register for tournaments on the Team Georgia website (home page → Upcoming Events). Double bracketing (up to 2 brackets) is only allowed in the last 24 hours of registration, usually after 9:00 AM Thursday, and never at 1st Year or State events.
Wrestlers of any experience level. Could be year 1 or year 8. Competitive field designed to challenge and develop all wrestlers.
Exclusively for first-year competitors. Designed to build confidence by wrestling peers with the same level of experience.
Weigh-In & Start Times
| Session | Age Groups | Weigh-Ins | Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6U & 8U | 6:30 – 7:15am | 8:00am |
| 2 | 10U & 12U | 9:30 – 10:15am | 11:00am (or end of Session 1) |
| 3 | 14U & 16U | 12:30 – 1:15pm | 2:00pm (or end of Session 2) |
Girls wrestle in the session for their age group. Pre-Season events run two sessions: Session 1 is 6U, 8U, 10U & 12U; Session 2 is 14U, 16U & High School. 1st Year tournaments: check the event flyer for times.
Scoring Rules
3 points
2 sec = 2 pts
3 sec = 3 pts
4 sec = 4 pts
Instant win — both shoulders held for 3 seconds
Hello PARENTS, COACHES and most importantly, WRESTLERS:
Success isn't just about raw talent. It's about toughness, work ethic, and doing hard things when no one is watching.
Every time you step on the mat, it's just you and your opponent. The most protective gear you have is head gear, and maybe a kneepad. There is no one to pass a ball to. There is no one else to bail you out. Wrestling, like life, is the most brutally honest teacher you will ever have.
Wrestling teaches you how to push yourself farther than you thought you could go. It teaches you how to win with respect. But most importantly it will teach you how to lose with dignity, because failure will always be a part of life's journey.
In wrestling, just like in life, you don't always get what you think you deserve. You get what you earn. You get what you prepare for. You get what you fight for. And even then, you may fall short.
TO THE PARENTS — thank you for allowing us the opportunity to train your kids. The late practices, the early weigh ins, packed snacks, support for the teammates, and the love for your children, win or lose.
We aren't in the business of just building athletes. We are here to build resilient, respectful, and relentless young men.
TO THE WRESTLERS — some days you are sore. Some days you don't feel like practicing. And some days after all the hard work you have put in, it may go your way — it may not. But you continue to show up. That is what makes the difference in life! Those are the real victories.
So, whether you win by pin, by points, or not at all — you're still building something that lasts longer than a medal. You're building character. You're building courage.
And if you can face down another wrestler, after all the training, all the energy, all the sweat — and still walk off with your head high, then you can handle whatever life throws at you.
That's the heart of a champion!
Keep showing up. Keep grinding. Keep believing.
And you will all go into life prepared to do great things!
Our program has a proud tradition of producing Georgia Kids State champions and placers. These athletes represent Lassiter Junior Trojans Wrestling at its highest level.
John Stulak — Director of Youth Wrestling
lassiterjuniorwrestlingclub@gmail.com (814) 876-5267 · 814-TROJANS