2016 & 2017 Ohio All-Stars - Applications Now Being Accepted

[OhioTofC]

The Ohio All-Star Wrestling Team is now accepting applications for both its 2016 & 2017 touring teams. Now entering its 34th year, the OASWT the OASWT is a six week adventure, combining wrestling, life skills, adventure and fun and is the most unique team of its kind.

Since 1983, more than 500 of the top youth wrestlers, from Ohio and 24 other states and Canada, have represented the team. This past summer’s team compiled a 13-0-1 record, competing against teams from WY, CO, NV, CA, OR, ID and UT.

To be eligible for the team, wrestlers must meet the following requirements:

*Be enrolled in the 6th thru 9th grade, during the 2015-2016 school year
*Have an estimated summer weight of 65 to 155 pounds
*Have a minimum of a 2.5 (B-/C+) grade point average
*Non Ohio Wrestlers may apply
*Application deadline for the 2016 team is October 15

Last October, eight spots on both the 2016 & 2017 teams were filled and plans are to name the remaining 14 spots on the 2016 team, and five to eight additional spots on the 2017 team, anywhere from mid September thru the end of October. The remaining spots on the 2017 team would then be filled next year.

As team members are selected, they will be will be announced on the OASWT Facebook pages and you can view those, as well as the current team members, here:

2016 OASWT: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1586266028260237/

2017 OASWT: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1498001150459581/

So that you can better understand what the team is, here is a link to a short highlight video from the 2014 team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrZRWPJ4vE0

Besides an intense training camp before they leave, the team will compete in 12-15 dual meets (and perhaps a tournament) along the way. This in addition to 12-15 additional practices on the road. However, new lessons are learned each day, whether they be on the mat, or in life.

From climbing a Mountain, to white water rafting, to Broadway plays, the team members will experience new and interesting activities along the way. Life skills are learned from doing their own laundry, budgeting their money and learning to interact with adults, who ask them questions along the way.

Team members must learn to get along and go thru ups and downs along the way and hopefully become brothers before it all ends.

Special guest speakers are also brought in to talk to the team and have have included such notables as: Ronald Reagan, Joseph Barbera, John Wooden, Eric Heiden, Raymond Berry, Peter Vidmar, John Naber, Archie Griffin, Rulon Gardner and many others. This past summer, the speakers were:

***Jimmy Weldon: Voice of “Yakky Doodle” and a WW II veteran - speaking on what it means to be an American
***Coach Jim White and three other actual team members from McFarland USA Cross Country Team - speaking on the importance of having a proper attitude
***Jay Osmond, of the Osmond Brothers singing group - talking about faith and brotherhood

Former OASWT team members have gone on to win 10 NCAA titles, more than 150 state/national prep titles and more than 25 Cadet & Junior National titles.

Alumni since 2012 have included:

2012: Kaleb Romero: 2X High School State Champ from Ohio
2012: Austin O’Connor: 2X High School State Champ from Illinois
2012: Brakan Mead: Ohio State Runner Up
2012: Michael May: OAC Junior High State Champion
2013: Gabe Tagg: OAC Junior High State Champion
2013: Abe Bloom: Rhode Island State Champ & New England
2013: Jordan Ward: OAC Grade School State Champion
2013: Zach Brown: Kentucky State High School Runner Up as 8th Grader
2013: Jack Davis: Cadet National Placer in both FS/GR, from Pennsylvania
2014: Logan Ours: 6X OAC Grade School State Champion
2014: David Crawford: OAC Junior High State Champion
2014: Dustin Norris: 2X OAC Grade School State Champion
2014: Bryce Andonian: Ohio TofC Champion
2014: Andrew Fallon: Ohio TofC Champion, from Massachusetts
2014: Ty Mills: Indiana State Runner Up
2015: Kyle Rowan: 2015 Ohio Youth State Champ; OAC Junior High State Runner Up
2015: Cole Skinner: OAC Junior High State Champion
2015: Cael Woods: Ohio TofC Runner Up
2015: Lachlan McNeil: Ohio TofC Champion, from Canada
2015: Cooper Flynn: Multi time Tennessee Youth State Champion

To receive an application, please contact Team Chairman Bart Freidenberg at bdbop@aol.com or 614-507-1653.

Quotes from 2015 Team Members & Parents:

“I had a good idea up front that this would be a one-of-a-kind trip, which was why I put in the requisite effort to convince my wife to let Lachlan go. But I have to say that it exceeded even my high expectations! We were fortunate enough to be able to see the group both during the first week (training camp) and the fourth week (in California), and to see how close they had become is such a short period of time was astonishing.
For any parents who are considering this trip, but are worried about the length of time, my son had had a hard time dealing with being away for a week long camp the previous summer. During this trip, it was completely different. He settled in quickly and at no point was he ever homesick. In fact, knowing the trip was about to end, and that he was coming home, was actually bittersweet. We were excited to see Lachlan but knew that something very special was coming to an end and that he was very upset at leaving his new “brothers.”
Finally, if you are more worried about missing your son than you are about him being able to cope with the trip, then you are at risk of missing out on an opportunity to give him a gift/experience that will stay with him for a very long time!”

Cheers

Calum McNeil (father of Lachlan McNeil) and member of the 1992 Great Britain Olympic Wrestling Team

While my son was one of the older kids on the team, he's a 'homebody.' In addition to that, the longest he'd ever been away from home was a couple of days, and that was during a class trip with kids he had grown up with and knew well. I'm a bit overprotective to begin with, and I was VERY hesitant about letting him be away from home for so long, and with people I didn't really know - and that he didn't really know.
I have to say, I'm so glad I allowed him to seize this opportunity of a lifetime. The places they traveled to, the things they saw and experienced, the people they met, the coaches and teammates they were able to learn from ... This trip will forever have a positive, profound impact on my son, both in his wrestling, and in his life.
The wrestling knowledge and skills he gained were incredible. But the life experiences he had along the way were unbelievable as well. He saw places and did things he would never have otherwise been able to do. He had to do so many things for himself (like manage his own money, laundry, speak up for himself at restaurants, conflict-resolution with others, etc.) that he was used to us doing for him; this trip helped him grow as an individual.
As far as my worrying about him being gone for so long with people he didn't really know? He returned home saying his bond with his teammates was stronger than the bond he has had for a lifetime with the kids he grew up with. The team really did become his 'family.'
Finally, I want to recognize the coaches. Bart and his team have been doing this trip for nearly 35 years. They know how to take care of the boys, and they know how to run this trip without a hitch. I can very strongly state, with every confidence, that your son would be in very good hands with these coaches/chaperons. The Ohio All Star Wrestling team is truly an opportunity of a lifetime for your son -- allow him to seize it!"

Stephanie Langguth, mother of Chris Langguth


“This trip has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. One of my favorite parts was becoming a family. We all had our ups and downs, but once we overcame that and became a family/brothers, that was one of the most enjoyable things for me. I now have the the best friends of my whole life and people I can always rely on.
This trip has also taught me many life experiences, such as laundry, budgeting my money and how expensive things are. I now know that you can’t go around and get everything you see, because everything costs something.
Another thing I learned is talking to people, especially adults. I learned not to be so shy around people.
The things this trip has taught me I will never forget. The friends and family I have made will always be with me.
The last thing I would like to talk about is the wrestling. In my opinion, the wrestling was amazing. The matches were really great and were tough and they were in such cool places, like when we wrestled outside, in a park, in Cali.
But, the most important part to me was that the practice partners were incredible. They were always pushing me. The Coaches were also amazing and were always teaching us great moves. The practices were hard, but they also made them fun.
I would just like to thank all my brothers for making this summer the best. Love you guys.” - Cooper Flynn, Seymour, TN, age 13, 2X Tennessee State Champion

“Looking back on this trip, I just want to let whoever reads this to know that this is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
I have gained 21 new brothers that I am closer to than any other friends I have ever met. I never thought we would get this close, due to the occasional fights and arguments, but we did. Now, I can always have a bunch of people to look forward to seeing every time we get a chance. I also have a new family I can look to in any time of need.
I can’t stress the importance of becoming brothers enough. It turned this trip into a lifetime of fun. I don’t think most people will be able to understand how close we have become, but these are the types of friends you have your future children call “Uncle” - that is how close we are. It is an unspeakable bond that we will have for the rest of our lives.
On this trip I have also learned so many important life lessons, including how to do laundry, how to budget my money and a bunch of tips on how to be street smart.
The last thing to explain is the wrestling. Besides camp, I got 20 matches and had another 12 practices. The drilling partners I had definitely made me so much better. We did a LOT of wrestling and that was one of the highlights.
Writing this brought me to tears. I don’t want to leave any of these guys. They are my Family, my Brothers. - Jack Darling, Boxford, MA, age 14, 4X Massachusetts State Champion

“The summer of 2015 was the greatest time of my life. The Ohio All-Star Wrestling Team trip was amazing and fun. We enjoyed so many memorable experiences which you may not ever see the rest of your life, such as white water rafting and all the shows in Las Vegas.
Also on the trip, we learned life lessons, like laundry (which you can now help your mom with), and also the value of money and how to spend it wisely.
The most important part of the trip is becoming brothers. Once you do so, the trip becomes so much more fun and you learn to trust each other.
The wrestling is also awesome. Overall, this is a once in a lifetime journey through wrestling. You get to wrestle kids that you won’t ever see again.
The trip may seem scary at times, but trust me, the trip is definitely worth it and will help you later in life.” - Kyle Rowan, Madison, OH, age 13, 2014 OAC State Runner Up

[OhioTofC]

PAST WEST VIRGINIA TEAM MEMBERS (11)
1992: Sean Doyle, Ryan Muldrew, Jason Taylor
1996: Roger Lee Kupfer
1997: Michael Muldrew
2000: Judd Billings
2012: Dylan Taylor
2013: John Nash III, Jacob Tanner
2014: Clayton Tanner, Jacob Tanner



So far, we have received a lot of outstanding applications, including several OAC, PJW and TofC Champions and placers, and are in the process of reviewing them and also contacting references listed. Also, based on the e-mails and phone calls we have received, we are are expecting to receive a number of additional ones to consider.

So, if you have any interest in applying, it is suggested that you fill out an application and return it soon. You can request an application by contacting Bart Freidenberg at bdbop@aol.com

The tentative schedule for naming the additional members of the team is:

2016 Team - 14 remaining members to be named:

Sept. 17 - Ohio wrestler
Sept. 22 - Non Ohio wrestler
Sept. 25 - Ohio wrestler
Sept. 28 - Non Ohio wrestler
Oct. 2 - Ohio wrestler
Oct. 5 - Non Ohio wrestler
Oct. 8, 12, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30

2017 Team - 6-8 additional wrestlers will be named
Oct. 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 30

Announcements will be made on our Team Facebook pages:

2016: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1586266028260237/

2017: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1498001150459581/

However, please be aware that it is our policy to only accept actual team members, their immediate families and team alumni to the pages.