Neighbor News
Ridgefielder earns nation’s top wrestling coach certification
Dollins earns gold-level coaching certification from USA Wrestling; one of 50 in the nation and CT's only coach to earn the distinction
Ridgefield resident Mark Dollins earned his gold-level coaching certification from USA Wrestling July 9, making him the only coach in the state of Connecticut to hold that status and one of only 50 in the nation.
On his journey to achieving gold certification, Dollins coached the US national Under-23 men’s freestyle and Greco Roman, and women’s freestyle teams at the Pan-American Wrestling Championships in Lima, Peru, June 11-14. He also coached a full-week development camp for under-18 high potentials at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs June 29-July 4, and mentored 15 silver-level candidates across the country last October through December.
Mark has a deep history in wrestling coaching and competing, having coached with the Ridgefield Youth Wrestling Program, Southside Wrestling Club in Bridgeport and GPS Wrestling club in Armonk, NY.
His competitive background includes winning 5 national USA Wrestling titles in masters competition in 2012, 2016, 2021, 2024 and 2025, and international wrestling honors in February 2026 at the World Open Masters Games in Abu Dhabi, where he earned a silver medal in beach wrestling and a gold medal in jiujitsu.
-USA Wrestling
