A summer wrestling program at Camden County OEO is helping introduce a new generation of Camden youth to the sport while providing mentorship, discipline, leadership opportunities and experiences beyond the wrestling mat.
The program idea took off as Camden County OEO, Executive Director, James Wynn & Camden High Wrestling Coach Ray Rossi shared a unique vision of restoring wrestling in Camden. This program brought together young wrestlers, high school athletes, coaches and community volunteers with a shared goal: creating opportunities for Camden youth and building a stronger wrestling culture throughout the city.
Leading the program was Head Coach Ray Rossi. Rossi was joined by assistant Coach Jeremiah Wynn, along with Coach Al Bright and several other coaches, volunteers and experienced wrestlers who contributed throughout the summer.
For Rossi, the program represents an extension of the work he began after taking over Camden High’s wrestling program last year. After seeing the potential among Camden’s young athletes, he wanted to find additional ways to introduce children to wrestling and develop a pipeline that could strengthen the sport at every level.
“The biggest thing is just building a culture of wrestling, a culture of character building,” Rossi said. “This sport really teaches you how to be tough, persevere through things, be successful and never quit.”
That vision quickly found a partner in Jeremiah Wynn, who has a personal connection to the program. Now 24, Wynn wrestled in the same building as a child as a member of the Wolverines. Returning as a coach has given him an opportunity to provide younger wrestlers with mentorship and resources that he said were not always available during his own childhood.
Beyond wrestling instruction, participants received free breakfast and lunch, trips and wrestling gear, including shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, shorts, wrestling shoes and headgear. High school students were also given opportunities to serve as paid volunteers, allowing them to earn money while developing leadership skills and mentoring younger children.
“We’re giving discipline. We’re instilling integrity,” Wynn said. “We’re showing the kids how to fight through different situations and different adversities mentally and physically.”
The program also exposed participants to experiences outside their normal surroundings. Among the summer activities was a trip to Cape May that included traveling on the water to Delaware and back. Wynn recalled speaking with children who told him they had never experienced anything like it before.
Those experiences were intentionally designed to expand the young participants’ perspectives and encourage them to envision possibilities beyond what they may encounter in their everyday lives. Coaches also emphasized the value of networking, friendships and relationships that can develop through athletics and last well beyond a competitive season.
On the wrestling mat, the program produced encouraging results almost immediately.
At its first tournament, Camden entered 33 wrestlers—more than twice the 14 participants entered by the next-largest team. The Camden group finished first in team points and brought home four gold medals. According to Rossi, the wrestlers won approximately 58 percent of their matches despite many of the participants having only trained for about two-and-a-half weeks. For some, it was their first experience participating in any organized sport.
The size of the team itself represented a significant shift from recent years. Rossi said Camden High had previously fielded approximately eight wrestlers annually, while last year the program grew to around 30 participants and sent five wrestlers to districts. The coaches now envision sending an entire team to postseason competition as interest continues to grow.
The summer initiative has also welcomed outside coaches and experienced wrestlers to share their knowledge, giving participants exposure to different techniques and perspectives. Coaches Bryant and Collins, who previously coached Wynn, were among those who contributed, while college wrestlers and other members of the wrestling community also visited the program.
For organizers, that willingness to collaborate is central to the program’s long-term potential. Rather than relying solely on their own experience, the coaching staff has sought to build a network of people who can contribute to the development of Camden’s young wrestlers.
Wrestling also provides an athletic opportunity for children of varying sizes and backgrounds. Unlike some sports where height or body type can become a barrier, wrestling’s weight-class system creates opportunities for athletes across a wide range of sizes to compete. Coaches also believe the sport can benefit athletes who participate in football, basketball and other sports by improving stamina, explosiveness, balance and body awareness.
Perhaps most importantly, the summer program is part of a larger effort to restore wrestling’s presence in Camden.
Although Camden High has maintained a wrestling program, limited participation has prevented the team from hosting home matches at the new high school. Rossi said the city is now experiencing renewed enthusiasm for the sport, with families already reaching out about future opportunities.
Longtime Camden wrestling figure Coach Tommy Johnson has spent more than a decade working to keep wrestling opportunities available to local youth, often with limited resources. With new coaches, volunteers and community partners joining that effort, organizers believe a more sustainable structure is beginning to take shape.
For Rossi and Wynn, the ultimate goal stretches far beyond tournament victories and medals. They envision wrestling joining football and basketball as another sport Camden can become known for—while simultaneously creating another pathway toward college, mentorship, leadership and future opportunities.
“The athletes are here,” Rossi said. “They just need the door opened for them.”
With its inaugural summer program now complete, Camden County OEO has begun opening that door. What started as a summer wrestling initiative has become part of a larger vision to build a lasting wrestling culture in Camden—one capable of developing competitors on the mat, leaders in the community and young people prepared to persevere when life’s toughest matches begin.
By Christopher Collins II
