LEADERSHIP
Meet the people helping Wrestling Life Fund create opportunities for wrestlers on and off the mat.
OUR LEADERSHIP
ALFONSO HERNANDEZ
President
Alfonso “Coach Fonz” Hernandez began wrestling as a high school freshman and quickly distinguished himself in the sport. At Blackfoot High School, he became a four-time state qualifier, three-time state placer, and two-time state champion, helping his team win two state championships. After his first state title, a third-place finish at Junior Nationals in Virginia Beach opened the door to a Division I wrestling career.
At the University of Wyoming, Alfonso became a two-time NCAA Division I All-American at 197 pounds, placing seventh and sixth nationally, as well as a two-time Academic All-American. He was also a U23 Freestyle Open national finalist.
After college, Alfonso began coaching at the University of Wyoming before earning his master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies. Since returning to southeastern Idaho, he has spent the past six years coaching wrestlers ages 5–18 and helped reenergize Sublime Wrestling in 2021.
The coaches who invested in Alfonso changed the course of his life.
Through Wrestling Life Fund, he hopes to create those same opportunities for the next generation—helping young wrestlers grow as athletes, competitors, and people.
JEROMY PHARIS
Executive Director
Jeromy Pharis has been involved in wrestling for most of his life, starting on the mat at about eight years old. He was a four-year varsity wrestler, three-time state qualifier, two-time all-conference wrestler, and two-time state placer, finishing his senior season as the state runner-up.
After his competitive years, Jeromy stayed connected to the sport as a high school assistant coach and wrestling referee. Today, he is a practicing attorney in his hometown of Blackfoot, Idaho, where he lives with his wife and two children.
What Jeromy values most about wrestling is what it teaches: resilience, humility, self-control, sacrifice, and the willingness to embrace the grind. Wrestling asks athletes to step onto the mat alone, face the person across from them, and discover what they’re capable of when there’s nowhere to hide and no one else to do the work for them.
Those lessons build better humans—and stay with you long after you leave the mat.
That’s why Jeromy is proud to support Wrestling Life Fund’s mission to give young wrestlers opportunities to experience the sport—and the lessons that come with it.