Recently during the Board of Commissioners meeting, Mayor Brian P. Stack and the Board of Commissioners honored the Union City Wrestling Program, its coaches, and the young members of the program.
The coaches received city proclamations, while the young wrestlers each received citations from the New Jersey State Senate. The meeting was overflowing with parents, family, and friends who turned out in great numbers to support the program.
Officials remarked that the city was extremely proud of the young wrestlers as well as the work of the coaches and the support they receive from the parents. Mayor Stack, when speaking to the team, said, “This is a great day. Each of you make our city extremely proud. Thank you.”
The Union City Wrestling Program under Xavier Feliciano “Coach Sam” and Assistant Coach Roberto Diaz recently participated in the state championships in Trenton and won in the following categories: 14U Division, Charles Gaston; 12U Division, Adrian Drew; 12U Division, Kyle Grund; 10U Division, Roger Diaz; 10U Division, Carlos Gracia; 8U Division, Martin Martinetti; and 8U Division, Alan Rivera.
The program’s coach, Xavier Feliciano, known to his wrestlers as ”Coach Sam,” grew up in the 1970s in “Alphabet City,” Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Throughout his youth he participated in most sports (football, baseball, wrestling, karate, judo and swimming) for the Police Athletic, Boys Club, Church, Community Center and High School Leagues. These activities kept him away from the gangs, drug infested streets, and out of trouble.
He moved from New York to Union City in 1986 and in 1992 to North Bergen, where he coached football, baseball, boys basketball and girls softball. He also coached wrestling for almost for seven years for the North Bergen recreational program.
He has been head coach for the Union City Wrestling program for the past 14 years. He believes that all sports but specially wrestling encourages discipline and helps create emotional and mental toughness. Coach Sam also coaches 12 year old boy’s All Star baseball team.
Coach Sam shares his love of sports with the children of Hudson County with the purpose of helping them build up their self- esteem, keep them off the streets, and out trouble, as it did for him.
He is a union electrician by trade, even after working a full day he manages to coach the Union City Wrestling team with much dedication and respect. His athletes look upon him as a mentor, a father-figure, and a friend.
Assistant Coach Roberto Diaz was born in California, raised in Union City, and is the father of five children. A certified coach of the Archdiocese of Newark for St. Augustine School, he is also a mixed martial arts trainer. Devoted to his kids, he has also become a basketball, soccer, wrestling, and baseball coach. His most recent accomplishment was mentoring and guiding his wrestling team to a state championship.
Union City Wrestling Program honored by city
