Adams Basin resident Erik Schuth has been wrestling since the fifth grade. In sixth grade, at the age of 11, he took the New York State Championship Title for his weight class. Last year, as an eighth grader, he tried out and made the Brockport High School Junior Varsity Wrestling Team. Halfway through the season, he was asked to move up to the Varsity level where he finished out the season. Now at 14, this Brockport High School freshman will not only wrestle for Brockport at the Varsity Level but has been chosen to join a prestigious team of wrestlers who will spend their summer traveling across the country. The Ohio All-Star Wrestling Team invites 100 wrestlers from high schools across the country to apply to be a part of this team. Out of that 100, only 18 will be chosen. The criteria is not only athletic ability but also academic and civic accomplishments. Schuth received word a few weeks ago that he made this elite team. His coach of the past two years, Mike Ferris, isn't at all surprised. "Erik works hard. He's dedicated and committed, he has a true passion for the sport. He trains year 'round. In the off season, he wrestles in meets that take him all through the Northeast." In early June, Schuth will leave his family and his close knit community and travel to Cleveland, Ohio to begin his tour. Since he will be leaving before the end of the school year, he will have to finish his freshman year on his own and take his final exams when he returns in August. In Cleveland, he will begin an arduous week-long training camp. From there the team will travel to New York City and work out at the New York Athletic Club. The first competition will be the Amateur American Union Grand Nationals in Detroit, Michigan. From there the team will compete in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California. In addition to the conditioning and training the young wrestlers will receive, the tour will also serve as a cultural learning experience. The team will have the chance to visit sites they may never get the opportunity to see otherwise: Pike's Peak, the Hoover Dam, the Pacific Ocean, the Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone National Park. They will also work out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and visit the San Diego Zoo before returning home in late August. Schuth is excited and realizes what an incredible honor it is to have made this team. "I hope that this will make me a better wrestler. I want to represent both Brockport High School, and New York state the best I can." Erik hopes, too, that he will learn skills and training to help him reach his goal; the title of New York State Wrestling Champion at the varsity level. Being a part of this team is also a huge step towards his future. "Being on this team is something college coaches look for. If he goes on and eventually wins the state championship in his junior or senior year, then the chances for a college scholarship become a real possibility," Mike Ferris said. "Erik will be giving up his entire summer vacation to wrestle. That level of commitment won't go unnoticed by college coaches." Schuth is at school every day at 5:30 a.m. He works out and does conditioning exercises that enable him to wrestle to the best of his ability. The varsity team began their first meet last week and Coach Ferris is looking to Erik to be a key player. But it's not just Erik's wrestling that sets him apart and makes his coach and parents proud. "Erik is a great kid. He's terrific as a mentor to the younger wrestlers; he's got a good heart," Coach Ferris said. Tom and Tina Schuth, Erik's parents, couldn't be more excited about his accomplishments. "It's going to be hard to be away from him the entire summer, hard for him, too," Tina says. "But this is a fantastic opportunity and we're proud of him." His parents, along with his older brother, Shane, and younger sister, Cassie, will travel out west to watch him wrestle in at least one of his matches next summer. In order to make this trip, each wrestler needs to raise $4,500 to cover expenses. His parents say they are more than willing to pay for him to have this chance, but Coach Ferris is hoping they won't have to do it alone. "The boosters will be making a contribution to Erik's expenses and will organize as many fundraisers as necessary in order to make this happen. He deserves this opportunity and I sincerely hope the community will rally around and support him," Mike said. |
