Wrestling camp at Fraser High School continues to grow

FRASER — On June 14, Fraser High School hosted its annual United States Marine Corps Leadership Academy wrestling camp for high schoolers. The camp was all day, and featured instruction from Olympic bronze medalist Myles Amine and three-time Southern Conference champion Taye Ghadiali.

The event has not only become popular because of the wrestling skills that are taught, but also because of the leadership and teamwork qualities the Marine Corps instills in the participants.

“They really help,” Fraser High School wrestler Ethan Miller said. “(The Marine Corps) help with our leadership roles and form leaders.”

The camp has become a yearly staple for metro Detroit and is something that wrestlers all over the state talk about and look forward to all season.

“It was good. I liked showing the moves with Myles Amine,” Miller said. “I feel like it was just a great learning experience and I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to go to the camp.”

Participants are divided up into groups of upperclassmen and lowerclassmen and work with wrestlers in the same weight and age group. Now, wrestlers entering high school can potentially benefit from the camp for four years.

“I think it’s important,” Miller said. “It helps the newer wrestlers. A bunch of newer wrestlers always show up.”

According to Fraser wrestling coach Kyle Tucker, the camp started about three years ago and has grown exponentially every year. Between reputation, word of mouth, and just attention in the wrestling community, the camp has become a big deal around the state.

“We had 251 kids I believe this year. Last year we had 219,” Tucker said. “Every year we’re just getting bigger and bigger… We’re one of the largest camps in the nation.”

One of the biggest perks that the camp offers is insight from high-end wrestlers. Amine has helped with the camp before, and Ghadiali will be transferring to the University of Michigan this upcoming season.

“They stuck around, they took pictures, they signed autographs, they had a great conversation with the kids,” Tucker said. “With that camp coming back every year, these kids are looking forward to it.”

According to Tucker, the Marine Corps also donates $500 to the program that has the most kids at the camp every year. There are coaches from around the state that attend and it’s completely free for students to attend.

“These coaches are loving to get their kids on the mat. This is a great offseason camp,” Tucker said. “There’s nowhere around here you’re going to find close to 300 kids that want to wrestle for free… As we add more people (the coaches) get more and more excited.”

The Marines provide free Chick-fil-A for the participants and speak to the kids about college opportunities, and also what the Marine Corps has to offer after high school.

“All the Marines come and talk to us about scholarships, what they can do with their academics, what the Marine Corps has to offer,” Tucker said. “It’s a whole 30-minute class that the Marines talk to us about how we can help our students.”

The presence and support of the Marine Corps is felt beyond the camp as well. The program and the Marines have a relationship that is apparent year-round.

“At Fraser, when we do our home meets or any big tournaments, we invite the Marine Corps,” Tucker said. “They always show up in their dress blues and they talk with the kids. It’s that presence with the Marines and everyone involved with that camp.”

The camp has helped hundreds of kids across Michigan and has solidified Fraser as a wrestling hot bed at the high school level. Down the road, the community may see the camp become the biggest of its kind in the nation.

“It’s helped (Fraser wrestling) great. At our high school level, we had 50 kids, and then our youth program… another 80 coming through the ranks,” Tucker said. “We can show our Fraser community that we’re one of the big dogs now.”

To learn about the United States Marine Corps Sports Leadership Academy, go to usmcsports.com. To learn more about Fraser wrestling, go to fraserathletics.com.