• Meet our Coach

    Mr. Merrigan is the current coach of the wrestling team at Memorial Middle School.  He has been at this position for the past two years.  Mr. Merrigan has been involved in the sport of wrestling since 1994 as a wrestler and coach.  Following high school, he continued his participation in the sport on the collegiate level training for club and intramural teams.  
     
    Mr. Merrigan's coaching experience covers all different ages and levels of competition. He has worked on the local and recreation level with the East Brunswick Wrestling Club.  In addition, Mr. Merrigan coached at Churchill Junior High School in East Brunswick for four years. Prior to his tenure at Spotswood, he served as a head coach for the Hamilton West High School varsity wrestling team.  Coaching has always been an important part of Mr. Merrigan's life. He has also held coaching positions in track and baseball.

  • Contact Information

    Phone:  (732) 723-2200 x2007

    Email:   mswrestling@spsd.us

  • Team Expectations

    Eligibility

    In order to participate in the Wrestling Program at Memorial Middle School, students must meet all eligibility requirements established by the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, and the Spotswood Board of Education.  As explained in our Student Handbook, students must meet eligibility requirements in four areas:  Academic, Attendance, Behavior, Medical; team rules also apply.  Please visit the eligibility tab on our Athletic page for more information.

    Wrestling Try-Out Process

    In order to try-out for the Memorial Wrestling team, students must have all paperwork completed on time and be eligible for participation.  Students will be given a minimum of 3 practice sessions to demonstrate their abilities/skills related to the sport.

    While all students are encouraged to try-out for our athletic programs, "cuts" are occasionally necessary. Coaches attempt to balance student interest with concerns regarding supervision, team management, student athletic ability, and playing time.  Students will be informed of the cut in person by the coach and/or other appropriate staff.

    Wrestling Involvement Expectations

    • Players are expected to have all necessary paperwork completed, handed in, and approved on time.
    • All players are expected to attend all mandatory team functions beginning with the first official day of practice.
    • Players are expected to be on time for all games and practices
    • Any player who will be late or absent from a practice must notify a coach in advance in-person or by email.
    • Players are expected to arrive and depart from all away events on school-provided transportation unless previously approved by the district Athletic Director.

    Wrestling Team Expectations/Conduct

    • Behave respectfully, obey all rules, demonstrate sportsmanship:  Be respectful of yourself and especially display respect for others.  Don’t do anything that will embarrass you, your teammates, the middle school, or the community.  Players are expected to follow all MMS rules.  Violations of these rules will result in consequences determined by school policy and the coach.
    • Be prepared:  Student athletes must be properly equipped to participate in practice and/or games.
    • Be committed:  If for any reason you cannot attend practice or a game, contact your coach well in advance.  If a practice or game is missed for a voluntary absence, playing time may be drastically reduced.  Family or other elective conflicts need to be discussed with your coach.  Make-ups of missed school-work need to be discussed and approved by the coach prior to missing practice.
    • Be responsible for your communication:  Students should talk to their coach directly regarding any conflict or situation involving the team; coaches are here to help you succeed.
    • Playing Time:  Playing time is earned and not automatic.  Coaches will decide playing time for student athletes based on meeting eligibility requirements, team expectation, and/or practice/game performance.