MOUNT VERNON — They are not a newly discovered, deadly insect; or a dangerous prehistoric life form being resurrected.
They are, however, the Killer Bees, youngsters from kindergarten to sixth grade, who wrestle teams from other schools across central Ohio. As a part of the Mid-Ohio Youth Wrestling Association, the Mount Vernon-based squad wrestles every week.
“We wrestle quads (four-way meets) every Sunday, and we do postseason, just like the middle and high school teams,” explained coach Charlie Hill.
The youth wrestling program is nothing new to Mount Vernon.
“It’s been around since I was in elementary school,” Hill said.
The coach considers himself lucky to have been able to come back to a program that has meant so much to him.
“About five years ago, I was fortunate enough to step in and add my expertise and help out and keep the program moving,” Hill said.
Hill believes programs like the Killer Bees are important for several reasons.
“It gives our young kids who are interested in wrestling a nice foundation and base before they get into middle school and high school and see a higher level of competition,” Hill said.
Some of the young grapplers will stay with the sport for years.
“It all depends on their skill set and how well they do,” Hill said. “Alex Taylor came up through the program and is now the state champion and looking to wrestle in college.
“Just sitting around too much makes them stagnant, and in my opinion, kind of stunts their development both physically and mentally.”
The mentor knows that for athletes of this tender age to remain interested, having fun must be an important ingredient.
“I think getting them out there and finding the activities they enjoy to keep them moving is very important,” Hill said. “We want to have them get out there and burn their energy off and have fun.”
Weight classes are still a part of the Killer Bee program.
“We teach them discipline, and while we do not encourage weight cutting, it helps them keep an eye on their weight,” Hill said. “The weight classes range all the way from 49 pounds to 205.”
Sitting on the sidelines watching his son Tucker, now in his fourth year with the Killer Bees was Josh Stryker, who believes the program offers the opportunity for success beyond the mat.
“Wrestling is not an easy sport, and so it teaches the kids to overcome individual adversity,” Stryker said.
While Stryker believes in teamwork, he supports the concept of the one-on-one nature of the sport.
“In wrestling, there is a lot of individuality, there is a lot of ‘you have to dig deep within yourself.’”
While the name, Killer Bees, is an obvious reference to the Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets, any county wrestler between kindergarten and sixth grade is welcome.
“We open our doors to anybody in the county who wants to come in,” Hill said.
There are several possibilities influencing the choice of which team a wrestler might choose.
“A lot of the other schools in the county do have programs. Whether it is older siblings or parents that went through this program,” the coach noted.
There is a second program for young wrestlers, the Little Stingers caters to the same age group, but they compete only among themselves.
“The Little Stingers program is designed for in-house learning and technique,” he said. “As they gain experience, they can move up to the Killer Bees.”
The team will compete every Sunday through Feb. 16, when Canton GlenOak will host the state tournament.