By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – When Rich Clementi looks into the face of the 8-year-old boy with shaggy, blond hair, he probably can’t help seeing himself.
That young boy is now the oldest of his two sons known as “Little Richie,” and he recently returned from the national USA Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. by winning three first place national titles.
Clementi remembers growing up as a child, but after the age of 7 it was without a father who died of cancer.
Even though he is thankful for a step-father who was good to him, that didn’t last long enough either as his mother and step-father split up by the time he was 11.
So it’s not surprising he went through troubled teenage years that saw him in-and-out of youth correctional systems. He avoided a life of disaster thanks to father-figures, such as coaches in sports, and then when he entered the military.
“I was pretty much fatherless after the age of 11, but my coaches really tried to help me, and then when I went in the military it changed my life,” he said.
Clementi grew up a “tough guy” so it was no surprise he became an outstanding high school wrestler, which led him into Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competition after the military. He rose to become ranked eighth in the world in the 155-pound lightweight class and found his home by operating his own athletic club, Gladiator’s Academy in Slidell, that now specializes in MMA and now CrossFit—the newest workout rage that has swept the country.
But Clementi has never forgotten his childhood and is teaming with Slidell Police Det. Danny Bush to head the local Gladiator’s Wrestling Program for kids, affiliated with the USA Wrestling program. After four years they have 60 young boys involved.
“I’ll never forget the coaches who kept looking out for me and trying to help me,” Clementi said. “That’s what this is about. We want to teach young boys to be competitive, accountable for who they are, and to see that working hard will bring good results in life.”
Clementi said that when he got involved in wrestling, it was the one-on-one aspect to the sport that challenged him.
“Wrestling is one of very few sports that teach kids they are 100 percent accountable for what happens,” he said. “The training is hard and takes a lot of courage, but these boys learn a lot. It teaches them to accept failure as it’s going to come in life, but to see that the only option is to quit, or work hard to be better.”
His oldest son seems to love the sport and is clearly excelling, having won 11 straight matches in Las Vegas to win the three national titles in the 7-8 year old division for 56 pound boys.
Clementi had to fight back tears remembering one experience where the program has proven what it is really about—helping young boys become confident in themselves.
“I had a single mother come to see me and told me she was dying of cancer and had an older daughter who was doing well as a teen, but a young son she was worried about. She asked if we would work with him to build his confidence,” Clementi said. “I worked with him for nearly two years and you could see what a difference it made in the kid. Just hanging out with the team helps them so much.”
Clementi is 39 and has hung up his competitive uniform after competing in MMA style matches on a professional level for 16 years. He finished with a 58-21 record and along with the eighth place national ranking, was among the popular names in the sport that is now on one of the MMA video games.
“My boys find it pretty neat that I’m in a video game they play,” he said with a laugh.
He was also cast for action roles in several movies and “made a living” in the MMA sport, although “I certainly didn’t get rich.”
Opening Gladiator’s Academy years ago in Slidell has paid the bills, now 15 years into his business, before moving into the CrossFit training regimen as the main offering at his Fremaux Avenue club.
“We still teach martial arts, but CrossFit is a great workout and so many people want to do that now,” he said.
With age 40 on the horizon he seems more focused on how he can give back to local kids with the wrestling program he and Bush are operating. Bush’ son, Bo, is ranked second in the state as a wrestler for Brother Martin, something that could earn him a college scholarship.
“One thing about wrestling is that it becomes a great skill to help you get hired for jobs because anyone who knows about the sport knows wrestling teaches strong work ethics, perseverance, dedication—all the qualities businesses want in their employees,” he said. “And you can also get a college scholarship with it too.”
Moving forward with the wrestling program, Clementi said he is using the philosophy he found for MMA success is working in his gym.
“The goal of the wrestling program is to teach these kids to be the best they can be,” he said. “It’s the same with any form of working out. We get you out of your comfort zone because that’s where the most growth and success will come for anything in life.”
For more information on the wrestling program or about Gladiator’s Academy, call 985-768-0411.