Financial concerns could prevent youth wrestling team from traveling to state tournament
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A dozen young athletes on Milwaukee's northwest side worked hard and qualified for a state wrestling tournament, but a financial hardship could keep some from going.
"I think it builds confidence. These kids go out here. They compete. They work day in and day out," said Coach O'Bryan Mungon.
They call him Coach O.B. He, himself, was a standout wrestler. Now, he's giving back.
"It is a sense of giving back, because it was always somebody doing it for me, and I don't want their talent to be at a standstill because of financial barrier," said Coach Mungon.
Some 40 kids from 1st through 8th grade take to the mats at the Ma'Ruf Center on Milwaukee's north west side several times a week.
"It helps the underprivileged youth, right, that don't have the opportunities that other kids have," said Anthony Guzman, assistant youth wrestling coach.
"Well, all my brothers were wrestling first, and we were doing jiu jitsu before we were doing wrestling," said Khadijah Ahmad, 8th grade wrestler.
Khadijah Ahmad competed at state last year too.
"I'm over here just pacing the hallways and literally shaking before my match, so when I win, it's like, all let out," said Ahmad.
It'll be Jaylen Ingram's first trip.
"This one was at the Raiders tournament," said Ingram.
But Ingram's already got a lot of wins under his belt.
"And I won against him, and I was like woah, and that's when everybody started walking up next to me and talking about, 'you is one of the best people here,'" said Ingram.
But the team's struggling to get all their players to state. The tournament's got a $50 registration fee, plus hotel and transportation costs, and multiple families have expressed difficulty in that.
"A lot of kids, I target less fortunate kids, cause this sport can be very expensive, so I kind of target the kids that can't afford it by coaching for free," said Coach Mungon.
A GoFundMe's out there now, trying to raise the funds. You can find it here.
The WWF Kids Folkstyle State Championship will be held at Alliant Energy Center in Madison this weekend.