ALTON – Alton High School wrestling Eric Roberson has always had a passion for the sport and it shows each season in the performance of his athletes.
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Recently, Roberson recorded his 300th win as a coach for the Redbirds in his 20th season.
He attibutes his success to his wrestlers and said he is proud of the overall program in Alton.
“You are only as good as the junior high programs and youth club,” he said. “They are your lifeblood. We have tried to focus on that a lot the last few years. We have good coaches at those levels.”
Alton High School had a strong wrestling program that started in the 1930s and was dropped in 1982 because of budgetary issues. In 1996, the program was resurrected.
“There was a huge void in the athletics of Alton during the winter because there was a whole population of kids who didn’t play basketball and needed another sport,” he said. “Wrestling has provided a great opportunity for a lot of kids who didn’t do any other sport and is a great option in the winter.”
Wrestling got into Roberson’s blood at a young age at Roxana under legendary coach Larry Milazzo.
“Larry was an outstanding coach,” Roberson said. “I learned a lot from him and I had a lot of other good coaches from youth to high school. I have taken probably just a little bit from all of them and added that to my own style of coaching.”
Roberson was All-State as a wrestler at Roxana his senior year, going between the 138- and 145-pound range later in his high school career. He was a member of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville teams that participated at NCAA nationals during his college career.
Roberson said attaining 300 wins seemed to occur fast, although he has never set a personal goal of wins as a coach.
“I am just trying to get the kids to be successful as a team,” he said. “I just enjoy coaching and I will do it as long as I enjoy it.”
The wrestling coach said he loves Alton and being a teacher in the school system.
“I teach anatomy, physiology and biology,” he said. “Wrestling is a sport that requires support and a lot of sacrifice and commitment. I love the sport and have a passion for the sport. The kids keep me motivated each day. I definitely look forward to the afternoon at 3:30 each day when the second part of my day starts with practice.”
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