Lassso directory listing
- Category
- Wrestling Schools
- Location
- Orono, MN
- Hours
- Monday: Closed
About
Garage Crew Wrestling is an *off-season youth wrestling school* in Orono, Minnesota, run by Orono High School head coach *Jeff Wichern* and his wife, Amanda. It trains boys and girls from pre-K through 12th grade and draws wrestlers from across the west metro who want extra mat time outside the regular club season.
The school began in the Wicherns' *garage during the COVID shutdown* and later moved into the lower-level wrestling room at Orono High School. It runs as a spring-through-fall complement to in-season clubs rather than a competing program.
The culture is deliberately personal. Practices stay small, the Wicherns reinvest most fees into their coaching staff, and the stated goal is a *family atmosphere, not a factory*.
What to expect
Group practices are organized by age. A *Tots session* for pre-K and kindergarten meets Sunday afternoons, followed by a *first- through eighth-grade practice*, both in the Orono High School wrestling room. Middle school and high school wrestlers are welcome as they progress.
Beyond group training, Garage Crew offers *private and small-group sessions* focused on technique, strength, conditioning, and mental toughness. Options include one-on-one coaching, 45-minute small groups, and even *virtual and travel sessions* for families who need flexibility.
Highlights
The program's signature is *coaching depth*: most practices run with five to nine coaches, compared with about three at a typical club — which Jeff believes is the most of any wrestling school in the state. That ratio means beginners get real *one-on-one attention*.
Coach Jeff Wichern brings *25-plus years* of experience across youth, club, high school, and Team USA wrestling, was a three-time state qualifier himself, and now leads the Orono High School program. Several assistants wrestled for him directly, and the emphasis is always on *fundamentals and repetition* over flashy moves.
Pricing
Group training runs in *two-to-three-month blocks* of roughly 10 to 12 practices, typically *$200 to $250 per session*. That works out to a low per-practice cost for a program that staffs five to nine coaches on the mat at once.
Private options are priced separately: *small-group sessions* are $100 for up to four wrestlers or $200 for up to ten, and one-on-one and virtual coaching are available on request. New families can try a *single trial practice* before committing to a full session.
Good to know
Garage Crew is *off-season by design*, running mostly April through November so it doesn't overlap the standard November-to-April club season. Wrestlers use it to *supplement* their in-season clubs.
Practices are held at the *Orono High School* lower-level wrestling room, 795 Old Crystal Bay Road North. Registration is handled online, and sessions turn over a few times a year, so there's usually an upcoming start date.
The program is best suited to *novice and developing wrestlers* who want to improve — part of the Wicherns' mission is building Orono into a genuine wrestling community and moving kids toward state and national competition.
Hours
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: Closed
- Thursday: Closed
- Friday: Closed
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM
