From: Bart Freidenberg, Ohio Tournament of Champions

Note: I received this e-mail from a parent, who lives in the midwest part of the United States, earlier today. I have taken the liberty to change the letter only slightly, so as not to reveal the name of the person who sent this. You will note the changes in {}. This letter was being sent to a fellow club member and copied to me.

"The Ohio Tournament of Champions is the toughest overall tournament {our sons} have been to. I looked at some of the other brackets around them and they were much the same way. I am sure there were brackets that were easier than Tulsa Nationals/USA Nationals, but it is my opinion that this tournament is tougher than either of those tournaments. The reason is that many Pennsylvania and eastern seaboard wrestlers don't travel, and as much as Oklahoma/Iowa/etc. want to think that they are the toughest wrestling states, I don't think they are as proved by the results we see in the summer (and the number of college All-Americans Ohio and Pennsylvania produce).


I absolutely endorse the idea of {our area clubs} sending a large number of kids to this tournament. I think many of our studs/stud parents will have their eyes opened that the world of elite wrestlers is bigger than they think. I know my eyes were opened last April."

A follow up letter also received from the same parent:

Bart,


"What I didn't say, and probably should have, is that your tournament is also one of the best run tournaments I have been to. My kids have placed every time they have went to Tulsa. One placed 7th at your tournament and the other lost right before being in top eight. Now to be fair that was the worst they have wrestled in a long time, but the level of competition required they wrestle at a high level i.e. there was no room for error. {My sons} will be back this year and I am going to try to bring as many {of our area} kids with me that I can. Last year you had {6}, hopefully we can get more there this year.