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ORDER GAME PHOTOS
For the last several years I have spent a great deal of time reflecting back on my childhood experiences participating in youth and high school level sports. Being that I am a longtime coach and writer for several national wrestling publications, these memories remain fresh in my psyche. Reason being, I often have to reflect back on my personal experiences when mentoring wrestlers or during the process of writing my articles. Having over forty plus years of experience competing, coaching, mentoring, and writing has provided me a solid base as well as a conceptional framework to work with.
From my youth through young adult years, I participated in many sports and one thing was certain, there was a significant contrast between wrestling and the other sports I participated in. For instance, the common theme throughout was I played baseball, football, and basketball, but without a doubt did not play wrestling.
Essentially, much like all individual sports, wrestling is not a sport that you play, it’s an exceptionally demanding and arduous lifestyle that one must embrace in order to be successful, and more importantly, maintain longevity. This is not to say that other sports are not tough or demanding, because many are, but I’m yet to participate in an activity or sport that challenged me both mentally and physically at the inner core of my soul as did wrestling. To train, compete, manage nutritional requirements, and maintain a strong mental focus in arduous and demanding conditions from the start of the season to the end is beyond comparison.
Entering the wrestling “circle” is unlike anything else I have experienced and unless you have experienced it, my words alone do no justice. I would be lying to you if I did not admit that from time to time during my competitive years, I contemplated quitting and moving on to a sport less excruciating or demanding. Nevertheless, something within pulled me back in and my resolve to stay in the sport paid in dividends in the long run, and I am forever grateful. The life lessons and mental fortitude I gained as a result are priceless!
There’s the old saying, “get comfortable being uncomfortable,” and the Navy SEAL motto, “The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday,” which for anyone who has ever stepped into the wrestling “circle” realizes from day one that it’s not going to be easy and to move forward requires one to make a tough decision, embrace it or quit.
On occasion, I have been questioned by family, friends, and colleagues about my appeal to wrestling – WHY WRESTLING? It’s too demanding, overwhelmingly tough, and often lacks the prestige that other sports provide. My response has remained the same. Put simply, wrestling is the great teacher in life. When one enters the “circle,” it exposes all of their strengths and weaknesses. The experience can be humbling, intimidating, and is definitely the truth teller where one cannot hide, but necessary at times to grow in life. In my humble opinion, wrestling does not necessarily build character as much as expose the character you already have.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet up with Eagle’s Tanner Frothinger, rated among the top high school Seniors in the Gem state and country. Entering the “circle” at the young age of six, wrestling has been an integral part of Tanner’s life for over a decade now and today he’s on course to reach great heights in life and pinnacle of the sport he has loved since day one, week one.
After observing Tanner compete for the last two years, and talking to him personally, leaves me no doubt that he embraces the rigors and high demands of wrestling and the lifestyle it requires to be successful.
From the earliest of age, Tanner was a very energetic and outgoing kid. His parents recognized absolutely early on and understood that something had to be done. For that reason, they explored an array of options in order to provide him the necessary outlet to burn off his high energy. In the end, his parents sent him to the Bearcats Wrestling Club in Meridian and within a short timeframe came to the conclusion that wrestling was a great fit and a counter balance to his high energy.
After a couple of years on the mat, Tanner showed great potential and an unprecedented love for the sport. Additionally, his skill set was advancing at such an exponential rate for his age group that it became necessary to explore other clubs in the area that would provide him the necessary competition level and challenges to facilitate his continued growth.
The next phase of his journey began around the age of eight years old. It was at this time period that Tanner began training at the Idaho Rattlers Wrestling Club (now Idaho Grizz WC) and then after a couple of years he joined the Bullcatcher Wrestling Club led by longtime coach Kelly Bartlett. The Bullcatcher was a great environment for Tanner to continue his growth, take on greater competitive challenges, and thrive as several of the top youth wrestlers in the state were training in this club.
According to Tanner’s father, Jared, Coach Bartlett played a major role to where Tanner is today. He effectively built upon Tanner’s unorthodox style, which has proven successful in his achievements. Perhaps this was the turning point for Tanner as he began to show great progress in his new training environment in which he won multiple kids’ state titles, regional medals, and two All-American honors at the USAW Kids Nationals in the process.
“The biggest attribute of Tanner Frothinger is his burning desire to be one of the best from a young age. When Tanner first came to Bullcatcher, he had to battle. Success did not come right away, but I could see his competitive nature. Tanner was and has always been a little unorthodox in his wrestling. Once I accepted this and went with his style, the competitive fire took over! Tanner is a fierce competitor and an outstanding person! I am glad to be a part of his journey and excited to watch him to the next level.”
Always moving forward and exploring every opportunity possible to challenge himself against top level competition, Tanner has not ceased to train or learn something new since first entering the “circle.”
In short, from the earliest age, he has adopted the philosophy of continuous improvement, never allowing defeat of failure to deter his resolve of achieving the goal of winning an individual national championship. A student of the sport, Tanner has delved into every opportunity possible to learn from the best and for the last several years has trained under several of Idaho’s prominent wrestling coaches, which include Kelly Bartlett (Bullcatcher WC), Suples’ Ivan Ivanov (World/Olympic level Coach), Chris Owens (Director of Operations, ID USA Wrestling), Levi Jones (ALL-IN Wrestling Academy), and now Mike Stone at Eagle High School to name a few.
It’s my understanding that in his travels across the country, Tanner takes advantage of every opportunity to learn from other coaches and fellow wrestlers. His approach reminds me of the late great Dave Schultz (World and Olympic Champion), known in the wrestling circles around the world as an open book to learning and the premiere ambassador to our great sport.
“The University of Nebraska is getting a great young man in Tanner Frothinger. Tanner has shown big match potential, has a very high wrestling ceiling, is a great teammate and a Top notch student! He is always one of my favorites to coach. The Cornhuskers are getting a great one & I'm sure the Idaho wrestling community will be following his career closely and cheering him on!”
Tanner entered his freshman season at Eagle High School rated among the top underclassman in the state. His age group accolades spoke volumes and wrestling aptitude was well above average, but the reality he faced, like all others in his position, is age group success does not necessarily equate to high school or collegiate level success. In fact, for a significant percentage climbing this difficult rung of the competition ladder, it’s a tough barrier to overcome and at times met with failure and for some the will to progress forward is met with demons of doubt.
This has not been the case for Tanner. From the beginning at Eagle, he adapted to the higher challenges and during his freshman season earned All-American honors at the highly competitive Reno Tournament of Champions and then capped the season by winning a District III and Idaho State title in the 5A Division. Later that summer, he earned a title at the 16U State Greco-Roman Championships.
Fast forward to 2022 and Tanner remains on course in his journey to reach the pinnacle of our great sport. Since his inaugural freshman season, Tanner has earned three All-American honors from the USAW Folkstyle and Fargo Nationals, where he was a finalist in the 16U Greco division in 2021.
Additionally, he earned medals at the United World Wrestling (UWW) Cadet World Team Trials, placing sixth in freestyle and runner-up in the Greco division. Moreover, Tanner has won two titles at the Rollie Lane Invitational, rated among the top tournaments in Idaho and the Western United States. Having earned three individual district and state titles, he enters his senior season (117-14 record) ranked in the top 25 in the nation and in position to earn a very rare fourth state title. To date, there has only been 7 four-time state champions in the 5A division (since 1967), one being Eagle’s Vance Beeson (2002-’05).
“Tanner has been in our wrestling circle since he was a little boy, but it wasn’t until he came to me in in the 6th grade that I officially became his coach…I really can’t take too much credit for his success…Tanner came to us tough. He spent years training and competing as a youth wrestler and his successes are all the result of the sacrifices his parents created for him…driving him all over the country for practice, camps and tournaments that laid the foundation of his dominating high school career. Tanner is special! I mean you have to be to be a 3x State Champion, but he is special because he loves to wrestle. He trains tirelessly and nearly year round. Nebraska is lucky to get this stud!”
Off the mat, Tanner is an exceptional student in the classroom and currently maintains a 3.5 GPA while taking college prep and advanced placement courses (AP). Furthermore, he is also working towards earning an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certificate at Renaissance High School with the long term goal of graduating from college and running his own business someday.
If that’s not enough, in addition to training and maintaining a demanding academic load, Tanner also spends a great deal of time giving back to his community. For example, he has spent time coaching at Eagle Middle School and local clubs. Additionally, he is an official for local Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco tournaments.
Moreover, Tanner has been a chaperon/guidance counselor at camps held by the Bullcatcher WC and during his free time loves spending it in the outdoors; fishing, snowboarding, and hunting Big Game. That said, I had the opportunity to catch sight of his prize buck and elk hanging on his family room wall. Impressive!
Tanner has not been alone on his journey. Since he began wrestling, as well as the ten years he spent on the gridiron playing football and coupled with his sibling’s activities, it has been an all hands on deck family affair. His parents, Jared and Lynn, have been very supportive and unquestionably provided the necessary resources and commitment to make it possible.
Up to the present, the Frothinger family has not only driven throughout the state of Idaho a multitude of times, but every state in the west and as far as Michigan to enter competitions and train. Add to that the number of airplane flights to the south and east coast and it’s not difficult to surmise that the Frothinger family has logged in uncountable miles in the last ten years.
Also joining Tanner inside the “circle” is his younger sister Emma and brother Dylan, both attending Eagle High School. Emma, a junior, has been competing for several years and was a member of the Girl’s State Championship team in 2022. Younger brother, Dylan, is an incoming freshman and on a similar trajectory as Tanner. To date, Dylan has won age group state titles in freestyle and Greco, placed at regional competitions, and recently earned All-American honors at the Folkstyle Nationals.
Tanner’s oldest sister, Morgan, currently attending Boise State University, never competed in wrestling but was very supportive of her siblings and the wrestling program at Eagle. While attending Eagle, Morgan supported the program by managing the individual wrestler’s statistics via trackwrestling and all computer related functions.
In summary, Tanner has had a very successful mat career to this point. From day one entering the “circle,” he has not stopped learning and growing in the sport that he loves and has made wrestling his lifestyle both on and off the mat. Without a doubt, he loves to compete and challenge himself against the best competition possible. For instance, in the last year, he has logged in about 100 wins and has wrestled at over 250 tournaments since first competing, having success in all three wrestling styles.
According to Tanner, “I’ve been wrestling for 10 years and love it more than ever before, and for the record, it was love at first sight!” The common denominator for his success is not only his desire to learn and grow in the sport, but the infinite amount of family support, coaching, and friendships encompassing him, which has helped shape where he is today.
Entering his senior season with a long and impressive list of accolades is not his focus. Winning a fourth Idaho state title and the ultimate goal of winning an individual national title is in his sights. At the completion of his prep career, Tanner will be heading to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln to compete for Coach Mark Manning, among the top collegiate and international level coaches in the country, who coached and shaped the career of 7x World and Olympic Champion Jordan Burroughs.
Tanner’s journey has been long, demanding, and very rewarding to this point. Only a very small percentage of athletes have what it takes to sustain in an environment as demanding as wrestling, especially at the elite level. Nevertheless, his journey continues and his focus remains the same and that is to reach the pinnacle of our great sport, and if history is a leading indicator to where he will end up in the future years to come, it looks promising. He is on a vision quest and whether he reaches his ultimate goals or not, the only failure would be to not try at all. Follow your dreams, go for it!
Q&A INTERVIEW WITH EAGLE’S TANNER FROTHINGER
HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN THE SPORT OF WRESTLING?
FROTHINGER – I was about six years old and pretty rowdy and as a result, my parents felt that joining the local wrestling club would be good for me. A way to burn off all my energy. I haven’t stopped since.
WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN THE SPORT?
FROTHINGER – There are many people in my life that I look up to, especially all my workout partners. I learned so much about wrestling from each of them. They include Christopher and Matthew Martino, Carson Exford, Kyle Rice, and many more. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.
HEADING INTO YOUR SENIOR SEASON, WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT AND LONG TERM GOALS AT EAGLE HIGH SCHOOL?
FROTHINGER – I want to finish my high school career with a fourth state title. I also want to secure my first national title, as well as help my team at Eagle have a winning record.
HAVING HAD SOME GREAT SUCCESS AT THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER, DESCRIBE YOUR TRAINING ROUTINE AND YOUR OUTLOOK IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
FROTHINGER – I practice at least once a day leading up to my matches. Weight training at least three times a week. When it comes to competing at national level tournaments, I realized through experience that it’s going to take more of a hyper focus training regimen to succeed. Also, I want to improve upon my dieting in my normal training routine.
IT’S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU WILL BE COMPETING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS AT NEBRASKA?
FROTHINGER – My initial goal is to become an NCAA All-American, but also follow in the steps of Ridge Lovett by becoming an NCAA finalist and much more.
IS THERE AN OLYMPIAN, COLLEGIATE LEVEL WRESTLER, COACH OR SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF THE SPORT OF WRESTLING THAT YOU WANT TO ASPIRE TO BE SOMEDAY?
FROTHINGER – I look up to Ridge Lovett and Jordan Burroughs. They are positive role models for me and what I have learned from each of them has guided me through my wrestling journey.
WHAT LIFE LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED IN WRESTLING THAT APPLIES IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE?
FROTHINGER – Wrestling has changed my life, both physically and mentally. It’s made a big difference in my day-to-day life. The friends and relationships I have made in wrestling mean a lot to me and will last a lifetime.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A YOUNG WRESTLER WANTING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE SPORT OF WRESTLING OR IN LIFE?
FROTHINGER – I would emphasize that wrestling is the best sport in the world. To be patient…expect it to be very challenging, demanding, and not easy. Never give up, it will set you up for success in life. Always surround yourself with great people.
WHAT OTHER GOALS DO YOU HAVE IN LIFE?
FROTHINGER – Graduate from college and run my own business someday. I also want to have my own family and provide for them.
ONCE YOU ARE DONE COMPETING, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO STAY INVOLVED WITH WRESTLING?
FROTHINGER – I plan to support my younger brother until he is done wrestling. Maybe someday I’ll coach my own kids.
OUTSIDE THE SPORT OF WRESTLING, WHAT HOBBIES AND FAMILY FUNCTIONS DO YOU ENJOY MOST?
FROTHINGER – I like big game hunting, along with fishing and snowboarding.
ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC PROFILE
SCHOOL: Eagle High School (5A)
WRESTLING CLUBS: ALL IN WC, Best on Best, Suples WC, and Bullcatcher WC
PROJECTED WEIGHT: 132/138
GRADE: 12th (Class of 2023)
NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL RANKINGS
ACCADEMIC ACCOLADES
COLLEGE COMMITMENT
WRESTLING ACCOLADES
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3x Idaho State Champion (5A) 2020-‘22
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3x IHSAA District III Champion 2020-’22
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USAW Folkstyle All-American ’22
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Fargo All-American/Finalist (16U GR) ’21
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USAW Folkstyle All-American (16U) ’21
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UWW Cadet World Team Trials – 2nd (GR) ‘21
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UWW Cadet World Team Trials – 6th (FS) ’21
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2x Rollie Lane Invitational Champion ’21, ‘22
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2x Idaho State Champion – Freestyle (16U) ’21, ‘22
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2x Idaho State Champion – Greco-Roman (16U) ’20, ’21
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Reno TOC All-American ‘19
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