GRIT ACADEMY runs multiple sessions each season and each year has multiple seasons - Fall (October-December) Winter (January-March) Spring (March-May) Summer (Small Groups  will be held in June and August) 

Winter Season 2025

FOR THIS WINTER SEASON WE WILL HAVE MULTIPLE DAY OPTIONS FOR ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION. 

Winter Season Starts the Week of January 20th and will end on the last week in March

ALL PRACTICES ARE HELD AT WESTFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL

Registration will begin December 10th

All of our Grit Academy age level practices will have options for 1 or 2 practices a week Parents will be able to choose from a long list of practice times and days to choose for their wrestler. Below is a quick break down of our choices. 

*Prices are listed for the total cost of the season and if you are registering late (Nov. and Dec.) you will be prorated. 

Intro (4 years old - 1st grade)

Monday: 5:45-6:30pm Fall Wrestling Season - Intro - 1 Practice/week • 

Wednesday: 5:45-6:30pm Fall Wrestling Season - Intro - 1 Practice/week • 

2 practices a week Monday and Wednesday, practice time: 5:45-6:30pm Fall Wrestling Season - Intro 2 practices/week • 

Intermediate (2nd grade - 5th grade)

Monday: 6:45-7:45pm Fall Wrestling Season - Intermediate - 1 practice a week • 

Wednesday: 6:45-7:45pm Fall Wrestling Season - Intermediate - 1 practice a week  • 

2 practices a week Monday and Wednesday, practice time: Monday 6:45-7:45pm and Wednesday 6:45-7:30pm • 

Experienced (2nd-5th or invite by coaches from Intermediate)

Monday: 6:45-7:45pm Fall Wrestling Season - Intermediate - 1 practice a week • 

Wednesday: 6:45-7:45pm Fall Wrestling Season - Intermediate - 1 practice a week  • 

2 practices a week Monday and Wednesday, practice time: Monday 6:45-7:45pm and Wednesday 6:45-7:30pm • 

 Please check in soon for more information on practice times. You can always  contact us for any questions.  

Email gritwrestlingacademy@gmail.com for more questions

Practice Location 

All Practices will be held at Westfield Middle School (345 W Hoover St, Westfield, IN 46074) - Please enter through door #3 , head down the main hallway to the main gym - turn right at the boys locker room, take the stairs to your right. The wrestling room is on the second floor. 

Wrestler’s Expectations 

1. Wrestlers should wear wrestling shoes (if you have them), shorts without pockets, and tucked in shirts.

2. Headgear is optional.  

3. Shirts are not to be overly baggy. We ask that wrestlers not practice in hooded shirts or sweatshirts.

4. Please make sure nails are trimmed regularly.

Parent’s Expectations

1. Please have your wrestler present for the start of each practice 

2. We ask that parents and/or guardians remain with their wrestler until the start of practice. Parents can stay and watch or they may leave for the duration of the practice but must be present when practice is scheduled to end for pick up.

Tournament Information

1. Grit Wrestling Academy offer satellite weigh-ins when allowed to do so by the director of designated wrestling tournaments.(dates and times to be passed along to parents).

2. Parents are responsible to register their athletes for tournament events. 

3. The Grit Wrestling Academy will attempt to make it to several tournaments in which our members are participating. While our coaches are present at the tournaments they will monitor the brackets, but may need parents' help in notifying coaches when their wrestler will be competing. 

Contact Information 

Gritwrestlingacademy@gmail.com

Grit Wrestling Academy provides athletes in Hamilton county and the surrounding areas quality training in the sport of wrestling for ages 4-18. We are Located in Westfield. We are open to all levels of experience. We take those who are brand new to the sport to those that have had experience with wrestling competition. Our main goal is to instill an understanding and confidence in this great sport of wrestling. The building blocks of our academy focus on building work ethic, self esteem, improved physical health and sportsmanship and most of all have fun.

We have sessions for small group or individual sessions. Follow this link to our Scheduling Page to sign-up and confirm your session. 

Sports Motion 

PWL 

December 5th @ Mt. Vernon High School (8112 N 200 W, Fortville, IN 46040)

Doors Open and weigh-ins at 6:00pm

Wrestling will begin at 6:30pm

Look below for more information

• Intro - Pre-K (4 years old), K and 1st - Understanding of movement, awareness in space and the basics of the sport of wrestling are the major areas that will be stressed with this group. We will be engaging and make the experience fun for this level. 

• Intermediate Group - If you are brand new to wrestling and are in grades 2nd-5th, this is where you will start. Athletes will have the opportunity to move up to the competitive level of practices with a coaches endorsement. Learning the basics and understanding of the sport comes before competition. 

• Experienced - For those who have prior experience, here is where to look. Grit Academy focuses on learning and understanding the sport of wrestling and raising the “wrestling IQ” of our academy members. 

• Middle School -  Our focus as an academy will be to work on technique, mental toughness, performance preparation as well as spending time on the mat wrestling and learning how best to compete at a higher level competition. For the fall season this group will focus on getting geared up for the Middle School season in Hamilton County.

Coaches Information 

John Kopnisky

• 1995 ISWA Freestyle State Runner-up

• 1996 ISWA Freestyle State Champion 

• 1996 USA Wrestling Freestyle Southwest Regional Champion

• 1996 3rd Place State Finisher  

• 3 Time State Qualifier, 2 Time Semi-State Champion, 3 Time Regional Champion, 3 Time Sectional Champion

• 1997 State Champion 40-0 record and an overall high school record of 125-5 

• 4 year letterman and 3 year Captain at University of Missouri 

• 3 Time NCAA qualifier with a 106 wins 

• 3 Time Recipient of Wrestler of the Year from the University of Missouri 

• 1999, 2000, 2001 Big 12 Athlete of the Week 

• 13 years of High School Head Coaching experience at Rock Bridge HS and Carmel HS and assistant coaching at Westfield High School has had the please of having 29 State Qualifiers, 11 State placers and 3 Finalists

• Head Coach for Keystone Wrestling Club K-12 program for 5 years 

• Founded and Former President of the Carmel USA Wrestling Club 

Justin Miller

• 2017 IHSAA State Qualifier

• Trine University College Wrestler 

• High School Assistant Coaching 2021-2023

• Mental Sports Performance Coach