Some words commonly associated with the word Mayhem include: chaos, havoc and confusion.
After spending an hour hanging out with the wrestlers and coaches at the Mayhem Wrestling Club in Chesterland, though, none of those words could be further from the truth.
The club is next to a karate studio, behind Arby’s off Mayfield Road in downtown Chesterland.
Started three years ago, it now has 45-50 wrestlers ranging from 7 to 12 years old.
Two training sessions run per calendar year. Summer training is May through July, following fall sports season; then it picks back up in November and runs through the Ohio Athletic Committee Championships in March.
The club was built on a mission statement that includes instilling values that can be applied in athletics, education, and in life; instructing youth in organized wrestling competition within a safe environment; and promoting child development, health and wellness.
All these things have made this a special group to be part of. One coach referred to the wrestling room as a modern day clubhouse for the boys.
Through a steady mission and rigorous training no matter the age, the Mayhem Wrestling Club will be taking 13 wrestlers to the state championships this year.
The wrestlers qualified through the Berea-Midpark qualifier on February 23. This includes five wrestlers who qualified for the state tournament last year: Jake Carcelli, Bobo Kaleal, Joe Averill, Christian Fried and Anthony Trivisonno. These will be joined by newcomers Joey Hornyak, Max Ritt, Patrick Reineke, Calvin Werden, Kaden Frantz, Joe Carcelli, Jake Hamulak and Guven Chauhan.
The Ohio Athletic Committee (OAC) sponsors the state tournament for grade-school athletes ranging in age from 5 to 12. In order to qualify for the state tournament, wrestlers must finish in the top four held at eight districts statewide.
The OAC will host this state championship on March 15 at the Covelli Center in Youngstown.
The unique setting for the tournament, the 5,900-seat Covelli Center, is sure to create great memories for coaches, parents and athletes alike.
The Mayhem team began competing in tournaments back in November hosted by many local clubs, including Lake Catholic, Euclid, Mentor and Beachwood.
The team trains three times a week for an hour and a half. In just three years, it’s attracted wrestlers from not only Geauga County but also the surrounding counties: Cuyahoga, Lake and Portage. Families from Painesville and Mantua travel upwards of an hour round-trip, sometimes multiple times a week, to participate, on top of traveling around the Greater Cleveland area for weekend tournaments.
One of those parents is Cathy Frantz, who makes the weekly drive from Painesville to Chesterland for practices. When asked why the family chose Mayhem, she said, “There are a ton of coaches who help everyone out. We came here to get him (Kaden) to the next level, to prepare him for middle school and high school.” Every parent who is interested should come out and try it, she added.
One of the Mayhem Club’s keys to quick success has been the elaborate coaching and programming the young wrestlers receive from Dan Carcelli, Lou Carcelli, Bill Carcelli, Steve Averill, Bob Kaleal and Chris Ranallo.
On this night while taking in practice, Dan Carcelli, the director of wrestling instruction, took the lead. He was a two-time state champion and a four-time NCAA qualifier at Cleveland State. He has also coached at University, Beachwood and Mayfield, and more than 50 state qualifiers and champions during his high school coaching career.
On what makes Mayhem different, Dan Carcelli said, “It’s amazing what you can get out of kids if you push them and don’t take no for an answer. We treat them like men, and they respond.
“I have had success on and off the mat. I attribute it to being in the sport (wrestling) since I was 6 years old, competing and coaching. It’s the sport, I can definitely say that.”
Young Mayhem athletes also receive training in conditioning and mental training from coach Kaleal, the director of strength, conditioning and wellness. Kaleal is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and currently serves as the conditioning coach for Showtime Shawn Porter, highly ranked welterweight boxer.
On his role with Mayhem, Kaleal said, “It’s to try to incorporate a discipline from a speed agility, quickness perspective that helps train their motor skills at a young age. We also started incorporating some strength and conditioning principles. It’s a teaching method at this age; you have to create a discipline where their mind and muscle create a connection.”
The Mayhem Club has also had the opportunity in the past to receive training from area college coaches. In the past, coaches from John Carroll University and Case Western University have provided training.
Sixth-grade state qualifier Jake Carcelli said he is excited to be heading to the state championship and has a goal of winning two matches. He has learned a lot about the mental side of wrestling, and the need to be mentally strong during matches, he added.
Fellow sixth-grade teammate Joe Averill also said, “My goal is to place between first and sixth and win at least five matches, in order to place.” He narrowly missed placing last year at the state tournament. He attributes his success this year to becoming lighter on his feet, and has been working a lot on shots and setups.
Going forward, Mayhem will be adding a junior high program for wrestlers in seventh and eighth grades.
Most of the wrestlers who will be in the program next year have been with the club since it’s start three years ago, like Averill and Carcelli.
They will also hope to continue to attract new athletes for the junior high program, and continue to increase the number of wrestlers across the board.
This summer the club will hold a Bocce Ball tournament fundraiser. The details of the event are still in the works. Check the club’s website (www.mayhemwrestling.com) for more information regarding results, training opportunities and sponsorships.