Oswego Wrestling gets R.E.A.C.H.E.S Funding
Oswego Wrestling in Oswego, New York has been awarded funding from the R.E.A.C.H.E.S organization to bring back the Oswego Wrestling Program that was cut due to a budget crisis for the 2016-2017 school year. Oswego Wrestling was a Section III powerhouse in the late 70’s and early 80’s under the late, great Coach Elmer Akley. Under National, NYS, Section III, Windsor High, and Oswego High Hall of Fame coach Akley, Oswego produced a Section III runner up team finish in 1982, 5 Section III individual champions, and 3 NYS individual champions. After Coach Elmer retired, the Oswego “Mat Rat” Youth program fell apart thus causing a declined in competitive numbers at the varsity level for several years. Through the efforts of Coach Jones in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Coach D’Angelo’s current help, and Coach Howard’s current help, the “Mat Rat” Youth program has been re-instated and the competitive numbers for the varsity program have been steadily increasing! After having little to no success at the Section level for almost 2 decades, Oswego has consistently had several Section III place finishers, a few runners up, a Section III Champion and NYS Place finisher in recent years. Oswego is currently going through some tough times financially. Not only are all modified sports and some entire programs (including wrestling) being cut, but most clubs, after school activities, field trips, and 52 teaching, TA, and support staff positions are cut too! Oswego is trying to fundraise enough money to donate to the BUC Booster Inc. 501c so their organization can donate a check to the Oswego City School District earmarked to reinstate the sports teams and/or programs that have been cut. Coach D’Angelo and the Oswego Wrestling Committee are strategically organizing fundraisers to reach the wrestling goal of $25,000 to put its programs wrestlers back on the mat for the 2016-2017 season. “I applied for the R.E.A.C.H.E.S grant prior to the budget cut, but was denied. After a couple e-mails and a phone call with Walt Fisk, Oswego was awarded funds to help bring back wrestling!” said Coach D’Angelo. The grant money will be used to offset the costs of fielding the program, i.e. tournament fees, referees fees, travel expenses, etc. The Oswego Wrestling family would like to thank R.E.A.C.H.E.S and Walter Fisk for the opportunity to be awarded this grant. We would like to thank everyone at R.E.A.C.H.E.S for all that you have done for the sport of Wrestling and all sports, and hopefully you will see the OSWEGO WRESTLERS compete in the 2016-2017 season!
About R.E.A.C.H.E.S.
R.E.A.C.H.E.S. (Rewarding Educational Athletic Choices Helping Each Sport) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2007 in an effort to promote, protect and preserve the integrity of amateur athletics by providing athletic and educational opportunities to all athletes of all ages and abilities. This unique experience will provide educational, technical, and lifelong lessons for athletes, coaches, parents and fans that seek to capture meaningful, compassionate, harmonious, interesting and active lives. All profits from R.E.A.C.H.E.S. will be used to support specific needs in each sport to ensure future generations of athletes, fans, parents and coaches will continue to learn from valuable lifelong athletic lessons.
