OHIO TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS - NOW IN OUR 24TH YEAR

“America’s Only National Modified Wrestling Championships”
“The Largest One Day Wrestling Tournament In The World”

NOW: America’s Largest National Individual & Team & Club Championships


MAJOR CHANGES PLANNED FOR 2016

For the most part, things will remain the same for 2016. The MAJOR changes will come in regards to the qualification and our adding more of an emphasis on the Team Competition.

EVENT DATE: The 2016 OHIO TOFC will be held on April 23.

BRIEF SYNSOPSIS OF PROPOSED CHANGES

Over the years, we have been very fortunate to have had some great events to partner up with as Qualifying Events. However, it is always an issue each year, to get the updated information on each event and get them their Qualifying Cards on time. Many event directors also change and we often do not get notice of the new contact info and continuously have to check various website to find this information.

Also, the entire landscape of Wrestling has change since we started the TofC, back in 1993. At that time, we were one of three major events (Tulsa, AAU Folkstyle Nationals and Ohio TofC). Now there are at least 50 so-called National events out there - many of which are nothing more than a large local event. Add to this all the Dual Meet Events and you see how things have drastically changed.

With that in mind, we sought to come up with an idea that would be unique amongst all the other National events and think we have stumbled on such an idea, beginning with our 2016 event.

Here are the basic guidelines as to what we are currently working on:

***TofC will continue to be a one day event. We will also continue the staggering of the weight classes during the day.

***TofC will remain an individual event. However, there will be a greater emphasis placed on the Team Competition aspect (see below for more details). While entering as a team may allow some wrestlers to bypass other means of qualification, those entering as individuals will still need to meet some level of qualification. For this reason, the various qualifying events and exemptions will continue, though qualifying forms may not be passed out.

***Along with the major team awards we are working on, individual awards will still be given out to the top 8 (top 6 in the Open Division) place finishers in each weight class.

***We are working with Flo Wrestling on going paperless for 2016. However, in order to do this, a special program will need to be developed, for the way we run our Tournament.

***We will still provide for mats for those wrestlers who go two and out, so that they can receive some additional matches, if they so choose.

TEAM COMPETITION

The main aspect moving ahead is the emphasis on the Team Competition and here is the basics of what we are working to develop.

There will be four levels of teams:

1. Small School Team - all participants must be from that school district
2. Large School Team - all participants must be from that school district
3. Small Club Team - all participants must all be an active member of that particular club, or from a localized area
4. Large Club Team - all participants must be an active member of that particular club, or from a designated area. This Division would include State Teams from those states who are deemed to be of sufficient distance, in order to warrant their inclusion in this category.

Unlike a Dual Meet Event, where you have a limited number of weight classes you have to fill, coaches now have 90 various age/weight classes to select their point getters from and can even choose multiple point getters in the same weight class, if need be.

Basically, each different level of Club/Team will be allocated X number of spots for point getters. They can enter additional wrestlers, but the Coach would have to designate their point getters.

Small School Team-up to 8 point getters
Large School Team- up to 15 point getters
Small Club Team- up to 22 point getters
Large Club Team- up to 30 point getters

Points would be earned based on each wrestler's individual place finish (1st thru 8th place). The Open Division (post high school wrestlers) would continue to be a separate competition and thus the Open Division Wrestlers could not be used as point getters.

We would inform each Team entering the level they would be at, based upon their size and where they draw their kids from.

Coaches would set up an account and be given a club code. They can then either enter all their wrestlers themselves, or allow the indivduals to enter on their one. Entering their club code would then attach them to a specific roster. The Coach could then go in, at any time, to monitor the status of his team roster and designate his point getters.

The entry fee would remain the same as it has for the past several years ($70, which incldes event insurance, for the first wrestler and $50 for each sibling.) Coaches that enter their own rosters (meaning that that the individuals don't sign up on their own) would also receive one free entry, for each 10 they pay for. They would also be allowed to change entries, at no additional charge, up until the time we shut off registration.

At the end of the Tournament, Team Awards would be given in each Division to at least the top 3 (possibly 4) teams in each Division.

The Team Awards were are working on will be dependent upon the Division the team is entered in, as some awards fit better with certain Divisions. The top placing team, in each Division would then have their pick of the awards allocated to their class designation.

The awards we are currently working on would be MAJOR awards and include:

Brand new 40x40 wrestling mat (school division only)
Custom Singlets or Fight Shorts for the Team (equal to the number of point getters)
Custom sweat shirts (equal to the number of point getters)
Free wrestling clinic (we would fly a special guest clinician in for the team/club). Clinicians would include NCAA champions/placers, Olympic wrestlers, etc...
Free Flo Pro for a year (to all team point getters)
Brand new scoreboard or digital scale
Defense Soap for the team for a season
Free throw dummy
Free Technique videos

Possible free gift for all the Head Coaches entering a team.

You can see where we are going with this idea and believe this would encourage coaches/teams to enter more individuals and try to get their best quality wrestlers as point getters.

So far, we have talked to number of coaches about this idea so far and all seem extremely interested in entering their squad and we do expect to fill all of the team spots we have available.

Judging by this initial interest, we are setting some initial limits on teams that will be accepted into each Division, along with what the initial deposit will be, for them to hold their spot. This deposit would be applied to their final team cost (or refunded if they have the individual team members pay separately), but would be forfeited if they choose to later drop out.

Small School Team - 60 Teams - $100 deposit- 480 wrestlers
Large School Team - 50 Teams - $150 deposit - 750-800 wrestlers
Small Club Team - 35 Club Teams - $200 deposit - 770-840 wrestlers
Large Club Team - 30 Club Teams - $250 deposit - 900-990 wrestlers
Individual Spots (for those not affiliated with a team) - 500 wrestlers

*Teams that wish to bring more than their limit may do so, but additional entry fee charges would apply.

Registration for the 2016 Ohio TofC is scheduled to open on December 1, but teams may begin requesting a spot starting June 1, 2015. Deposits, to secure their spot, would not need to be sent until December 1, 2015.

For additional information, contact Tournament Chairman Bart Freidenberg at bdbop@aol.com or 614-507-1653.