The Regional Training Center (RTC) is recognized under USA Wrestling, the governing body of wrestling within the United States Olympic Committee. The facility will be opened year-round and available to USA Wrestling member athletes who meet the designated criteria.
The New York City RTC will operate as a partnership between Columbia, The Edge School of Wrestling (Hoboken, NJ) and USA Wrestling, helping to serve as a satellite location for athletes striving to compete in international styles on World and Olympic teams.
With Kalika and Cross at the helm, Columbia's RTC will have an unparalleled coaching pedigree.
A gold medalist, Kendall Cross is a two-time Olympian who stood at the top of the podium for the United States at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The former three-time All-American and NCAA Champion for Oklahoma State has coached collegiately at North Carolina and Harvard before coming to New York City.
"Obviously, my number one goal is to create and develop world-class wrestling opportunities in the New York City region," said Cross. "The region is laden with talent. I want these opportunities to lead young men and women to World and Olympic teams, and to build Columbia into one of the premier wrestling programs in the country. That said, I am even more excited to work individually, on a micro level, with young men and women in our sport. I'm motivated to take kids and understand their unique, individual talents and help them understand and use those talents to become wildly successful."
Valentin Kalika coaching Helen Maroulis at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Valentin Kalika, a U.S. Olympic Coach this past summer at the 2016 Olympic Games, made history with Helen Maroulis, as she became the first female in the history of United States women's wrestling to win an Olympic gold medal. Additionally, Kalika is the personal coach of 2016 U.S. Olympian Elena Pirozhkova and coached 2013 Cadet World Champion Aaron Pico through 2016. He has worked as Coaches Education Coordinator for Beat the Streets Los Angeles and as a coach for the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club.
Kalika has led U.S. male and female wrestlers on international tours to more than a dozen different countries. He was a Ukrainian national champion and a Soviet Union University champion in Greco-Roman, before later coaching the Ukrainian Junior World Team. Kalika was a national coach and club coach in Israel for three years before moving to the United States, where he continued his coaching career in a variety of roles. He brings more than 35 years of professional coaching experience, as well as a Master's Degree in Professional Coaching and Sports Education from Kiev Sports University, to New York City.
"I am proud to coach and support the New York City RTC," said Kalika. "We will offer so many opportunities and exposures for women's wrestling and international wrestling. There is nothing like this anywhere in the United States; senior level men and women, both domestic and international, training alongside one another in a collegiate setting. We are proud to build a training environment and community of athletes and coaches and partners in New York, and I could not be more proud to be here."
Zach Tanelli, the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling at Columbia, is excited about what the RTC will provide for the wrestling program at Columbia.
"I am elated to announce the addition of Kendall and Valentin to the staff of the New York City RTC," said Tanelli. "They immediately elevate the learning environment we are working to create in our wrestling room. Their combined experience, both competitively and as coaches, rivals the best this country has to offer."
"Part of my vision in coming to Columbia was to develop a highly operational Regional Training Center, expanding our dimension domestically and internationally," Tanelli continued. "Through the selflessness and passion of our alumni, as well as the support of our administration, we are able to make this happen."
"New York City is the greatest city in the world and has the ability to attract not only elite high school talent, but also the highest senior level talent. I believe that a strong RTC portrays a commitment to our student-athletes, putting them in the best situation to become NCAA All-Americans and National Champions, and to earn spots on senior level teams to represent the United States at the World Championships and Olympic Games. They will accomplish this while attending an Ivy League university and receiving one of the best educations in the world."
Columbia University's relationship to Olympic Wrestling runs deep. Three of the past six U.S. Team Leaders are Columbia College graduates: Andy Barth '83CC, David Barry '87CC and Kyra Tirana Barry '87CC. Their commitment to wrestling extends from the Olympic level through the collegiate level at Columbia, as well as to the local level where all three are intensely involved in bringing wrestling to under-served communities through the Beat the Streets organization.
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