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Discussion Topic: 2012 OASWT Wrestling Tour
Bart Freidenberg added to this discussion on September 4, 2011
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Attention Ohio Wrestling Coaches & Parents,
Do you have a young wrestler, on your team,club or at home, that you feel would be an outstanding candidate to represent the State of Ohio on a cross-country wrestling tour next summer? If so, the Ohio All-Star Wrestling Team is looking for 15-18 of the top Ohio youth, (currently in grades 5-9, with an anticipated summer weight of 60-145 pounds), for its 30th Anniversary tour next summer.
Already, we have received applications from several outstanding young wrestlers, but encourage each of you to try to nominate one of your wrestlers as well. Applications are due by October 15 and a form can be found at http://ohiotofc.com/index1.php?intId=7
Past OASWT participants have gone on to win five NCAA Division I titles and more than 100 state high school titles. Among the more than 500 youth wrestlers to participate on the team, have been the following Ohio multiple state champions:
4X State Champions: Willie Wineberg, John McGhee, Lance Palmer and Cam Tessari
3X State Champions: Alan Fried, Shawn Nelson, Eddie Jayne, Drew Pariano, Scott Burnett, Mark Jayne, Mason Lenhard, Mike Miller, Kevin Hardy and Colt Sponseller
2X State Champions: Rick Hartman, Jeff Struass, Ferd Miller, Rex Holman, Scott Zapadka, James Johnson, Jim Joltin, Corey Kline, Mike Kulczycki, Keith Cupp,Marcus Gordon, Matt McIntire, Braxdon Scaletta, Kevin Lipp, Pat McLemore and Gus Sako.
The Ohio All-Stars are perhaps the most unique traveling team in the country. Those selected to the team will take part in an extremely unique experience. Besides a week long training camp, the team will compete in a series of dual meets across the Western USA. Along the way, they will also have the opportunity to experience many great landmarks and activities across the country.
They will also have the opportunity to have private meetings with several well known athletes and individuals along the way. Past teams have had the pleasure of meeting with Former President Ronald Reagan, Cartoon Magnates William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Olympic Champions Peter Vidmar (gymnastics), Eric Heiden (speed skating), John Naber (swimming) and Rulon Gardner (wrestling), Hall of Famers Rick Barry (basketball) and Raymond Berry (football) and Track and Field Legend Louis Zamperini (1936 Olympics and World War II Hero), among others.
If any of you have any questions about the team, please feel free to contact me at bdbop@aol.com or at 614-833-5885.
Yours in Wrestling,
Bart Freidenberg
Ohio All-Star Wrestling Team
Quotes from former team members:
"The Ohio All-Star Wrestling Team was a once in a lifetime experience
in that it combined great competition, a month long tour of the United
States and it brought together some of the best young wrestlers in Ohio
and the surrounding states. To this day, I still keep in contact with
several of my teammates; the majority of which, are still connected
with wrestling.
Our first meet during the 1989 All-Star trip was against the Sundance
Wrestling Club (Utah). The team had a guy by the name of Sanderson
(probably Cody) on it and if memory serves me correctly, Mr. Sanderson
was coaching the team base out of Salt Lake City, Utah. When we arrived
in Arizona, a guy by the name of Danny Felix was on the team that we
competed against. It's ironic that those names are still very prominent
today in the wrestling circles and it's a tribute to the opportunities
that Bart Freidenberg has put together for over three decades." - Drew
Pariano (3X Ohio State High School Champion & Current Head Wrestling
Coach at Northwestern University)
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"Quite frankly, it was one of the pivotal experiences on my life. I
came from a small time with small visions and dreams. After taking that
trip I realized that there was a much bigger world than my small town
and that I was capable of doing anything I wanted in that world. As a
wrestler I also realized that I actually had the ability to accomplish
big things with it. That summer kick started my drive to become the
best wrestler I could be. I wrestled at Penn State University in
college and that is where our pre-trip camp was. Trust me, that was no
coincidence. The exposure to PSU made me realize I wanted to wrestle in
college and always had a place for PSU after that week.
As a person I also grew a lot. We were held to a standard of respect
and accountability, values that, as a teacher, I see many young people
do not have. I learned what it meant to a part of a team. Even though
we all barely knew each other we were kids far away from home and we
depended each other both on and off the mat. It was without a doubt one
of the single most important things that helped shape my future." -
DeWitt Driscoll, Connellsville, PA (Pennsylvania State Champion)
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"The Ohio All-Star Wrestling Team gives young wrestlers a once in a
lifetime opportuinity. The trip provides kids with an opportunity to
visit cities and other famous structures throughout or country. I know
that many of these locations I will never return to again such as the
Hostle at Jackson Hole or United States Air Force Academy or the
Olympic Training Center in Colorado.
While on the trip there is a special bond that forms between the
teammates. I know wrestlers who were on trips before and after me and
we instantly have memories and experiences to share. I am also still in
touch with many of the teammates from my trip, as 55 days allows you to
learn things about the guys their parents may not even know.
Though it may seem the focus of the trip is culture or friendship, it
truly is wrestling. Athletes have daily workouts giving by rotating
groups of coaches that provides a variation of technique not taught by
your home coaches. Your daily workout partners are the best wrestlers
across the northeast of the country so you are bound to improve your
techniques and wrestling abilities to help propel you to the next
level." - Drew Schaefer (State Qualifier for Chanel)
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"The Ohio All Star Team is an experience which helped shape me into the
person/wrestler that I am today. I often talk about my team's trip as
"The best summer of my life." The friendships and experiences are a
once in a lifetime opportunity and I sincerely hope you take advantage
of it. I personally have countless memories from the trip that I often
look back to as motivation during the brutal wrestling season. We are
part of the most grueling sport in the world, and this trip highlights
how special and fun wrestling truly is." - Eric Hess (2X PIAA State
Champion)
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