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Discussion Topic: Save Richmond Heights Wrestling!
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on October 24, 2007

Richmond Heights Local Schools
447 Richmond Road
Richmond Heights, OH 44143
216-692-0094

To: All Friends of Richmond Heights Wrestling
From: Keith Manos, former wrestling coach
Re: Wrestling

At a meeting of the Board of Education this summer board members voted to eliminate several school extra-curricular programs. Wrestling was one of those programs. After fielding teams for 45 years and enjoying such success both at the team and individual levels, wrestling was cancelled due to lack of funds. Now a group has formed to save Richmond Heights wrestling.

We need to raise $14,000-16,000 to fund the entire program and pay for costs related to personnel, including coaches, trainers, and officials, along with transportation, fees for competitions, and equipment.

How can you help?

Make a donation payable to “Save Richmond Heights Wrestling” and mail it to me here at the school (see address above). Make the check payable to the Richmond Heights Booster Club. All monies will be deposited in an special account and supervised by the Booster Club treasurer. We will take donations of any amount.

Thanks! Again, let’s save Richmond Heights wrestling and help a new group of young men compete as Spartans in a sport that certainly benefited the rest of us years ago.

Please contact me by phone or e-mail if you have any questions or concerns. My e-mail: kmanos@richmondheightsschools.org

Sincerely,
Keith Manos, former head coach



Last edited by Hank Kornblut on October 25, 2007; edited 1 time in total

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Discussion Topic: Save Richmond Heights Wrestling!
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on October 25, 2007

Here's what people need to know. The letter above is an indication that the school board is open to allowing the program to compete if it is self sufficient for the season. That is very good news.

Here are the roadblocks:
--They need to set up a schedule
--they need to raise the necessary funds
--they have to get enough wrestlers interested to convince people it's worth saving
--they have to get at least two coaches on contract

Regarding the fundraising: Much of the money will come from the pockets of some concerned alumni. So, while the amount needed to be raised seems daunting, it's attainable. What's necessary is for those of us that can make a modest donation to do so. Please consider sending what you can--$10 dollars is fine--to the address in the above post. Anything you can contribute will make a difference.

The Richmond Heights wrestling program is one of the most storied in the history of Ohio. The names of their competitors--Potokar, Hanson, Adkins, Suszek, Richards, Campolieti, Loushin--dot the record books. A youth program currently exists in the community. What's necessary is for the wrestling community at large to help this program survive this season. Once a program is lost, it's probably not coming back. And if we allow Richmond Heights to be dropped, it won't be the last program to disappear. Fifteen years ago, the Parma schools were in poor financial condition and considered dropping wrestling. The coaches at the time--Bruce Ryan (Parma), Steve Vaughn (Normandy) and Pat Semary (Valley Forge)--all worked ceaselessly to raise dollars to keep their programs. Today, those programs still exist and are competitive. Richmond Heights can come back as a strong program. We just need to come together and assist it at this difficult time.



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Discussion Topic: Save Richmond Heights Wrestling!
John Drumm added to this discussion on October 30, 2007

Coach Manos your post above indicated the following:

Make a donation payable to “Save Richmond Heights Wrestling” and mail it to me here at the school (see address above). Make the check payable to the Richmond Heights Booster Club.[quote]

Please clarify to whom or what entity the check is "payable to"
and what, if anything, should be in the "memo" line of the check.

We do want to help!

Also, any thoughts on maybe just getting a head coach and having volunteer, unpaid asst. coaches at this point or better yet, an unpaid head coach until the program is up and running. Coaching is not about the money. Just my 2 cents.



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Discussion Topic: Save Richmond Heights Wrestling!
Dan Cosimi added to this discussion on October 31, 2007

It would be great to get Keith on here to discuss the situation with us.

Here are my questions:
- If the tournaments Richmond Heights hosts (Division III Classic, Sectional, JH Tournament) raise more money than the cost of the program, why does there need to be money raised?
- If Richmond Heights gets the funding it needs for this season, what can we look forward to from RHHS in the future as far as keeping the program?
- Shouldn't there be an emphasis on youth wrestling at this point, to rebuild the program from the bottom up?



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Discussion Topic: Save Richmond Heights Wrestling!
Keith Manos added to this discussion on November 5, 2007

John (and Hank):

Thanks for your sincere interest in "Saving Richmond Heights Wrestling." Much has happened since the original postings. I have met with Ryan Peters and Pete Cimironi from Beachwood and a group of RH wrestling alumni and former coaches, including legendary coach Mike Papouras. These coaches and I were leading two groups in fund raising efforts, as we recognized to fund the program 7-12 around $18,000-19,000 was needed for coaches, trainer, transportation, and competition fees. We also knew we needed to be cautious about offering to volunteer because this RH administration could then expect all supplemental positions to function on a volunteer basis. Thus, we set out to raise the necessary funds through private and/or corporate donations. I myself got $1000 in pledges within a week.

However, when the admn. cancelled the program in the early fall, the interest in the sport here at RH dropped as well. I don't know the specifics because I am not on the coaching staff but only about 5 boys really showed a commitment to compete (the coaches were anticipating 12-15) this year. The coaches then decided to cancel the season for the most part, allowing those 5 to compete in our one home tournament - the D3 Classic which features 32 Division III teams from across Ohio and WV - and possibly later in the Sectional.

That said, we are holding off collecting any more donations at this point and waiting to see the outcome of the levy election. If it passes, the admn. will re-instate wrestling (and all cancelled programs) next year.

We truly appreciate ohiowrestling.net for posting our request for funds and showing a sincere interest in our program. Yes, we do have a great tradition, but for at least a year we won't be competing.

Thanks,
Keith Manos



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