Added on November 18, 2024 Sara Swanson

Manchester Mayhem returns for 2024

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page Send by Email

Manchester wrestlers warming up in the MHS wrestling room prior to the tournament. Photo credit: Colleen A. Schoenfeld.

by Colleen A. Schoenfeld

On Sunday, November 17, 2024, Coach James Tobias, known to our wrestlers as “Coach James,” and the Manchester Youth Wrestling Club hosted another Manchester Mayhem wrestling tournament for youth wrestlers in grades K–8. Over 460 wrestlers turned out with 40 teams competing. Manchester had 47 wrestlers participating, with nine volunteer coaches present and 65 local volunteers putting in the hard work to make the day a success. Manchester placed 5th out of the 40 teams and had a strong showing with our wrestlers toughing it out and earning 12 first-place finishes, 10 second places, 14 third places, 10 fourth places, and one fifth place.

The Manchester Youth Wrestling Club was started in the early ’90s by a group of parents with a passion for the sport who wanted to provide additional opportunities for our local wrestlers. Coach James is the head coach of the Manchester Youth Wrestling Club; he began coaching the club back in 2011, with a break 2016–2019 due to a move. He returned and continued coaching in 2019. The club season hosts tournaments in the fall and winter throughout our local region. It provides opportunities for young wrestlers to grow in the sport and highly encourages new wrestlers to come out and try the sport. Coach James has had to rebuild a team that used to have over 100 participants in earlier years, due to the fall-off in participation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. After the 2020–2021 season was cancelled due to COVID-19, Coach James promoted the sport and went to the Manchester schools to recruit more wrestlers by providing demonstrations and talking to local youth about the sport. Another useful technique he employed was “bring a friend to practice day” each season where wrestlers were encouraged to have a friend join them for a practice session to see what wrestling was all about and give it a try.

His hard work, and that of the dedicated club board, parents, and volunteers, has paid off! Our team is over 60 wrestlers strong now and growing. Coach’s philosophy is that the sport should be fun and that the kids should be learning while having fun on the mats. He says that the more they are having fun, the more success the team and wrestlers have. Wrestling is a very demanding sport, both physically and mentally, but he keeps it fun and engaging so the kids keep coming back and find their love of the sport. For many of our wrestlers it’s a family affair, too, with multiple wrestlers in the same family participating.

Several years ago, the club circuit began awarding team as well as individual placements at the club tournaments. This year, on November 3, Coach James led the Manchester Youth Wrestling Club to the first team placement for him as head coach, earning a 3rd-place finish at the Onstead tournament. It was quickly followed up with another team placement of 3rd place at the Michigan Center tournament on November 10. The Manchester Youth Wrestling Club continues to grow and compete and looks forward to additional individual and team placements, but more importantly, teaching the young wrestlers of Manchester to work hard, have fun, and leave it all out on the mat!

The Mayhem as all tournament participants run around the mat to the tune of AC/DC. Photo credit: Colleen A. Schoenfeld.

Manchester wrestlers emerging from the Big M, leading the over 460 wrestlers out to the mats to kick off the tournament. Photo credit: Colleen A. Schoenfeld.