Shawn Crossen (born in Anoka, Minnesota) is the creator of "NWF Kids Pro Wrestling" back in the mid 1980s. At the age of 14, he formed a youth based professional style wrestling league that eventually held live events drawing hundreds of fans with even thousands more that tuned into the weekly cable television program they produced and aired all across the country, with Crossen acting as wrestler, promoter and producer.
Early years
The wrestling league was formed by Crossen and childhood friend Charley Lane in early 1984. The matches took place in a basement and were taped and edited for community television. The league went by several names in the first year until it was eventually and officially known as "NWF Wrestling". The quality of wrestling was still developing in this early stage, but the rivalries and storylines were quite entertaining. This popularity growth would eventually lead to large crowds at public NWF events.
National cable television
By 1985, Crossen took the NWF from Anoka, Minnesota to a national audience all across the country by way of cable television. Crossen did this by circulating his weekly wrestling program he produced to cities across the United States. It was the first professional wrestling for children in the United States.
Live public events
By 1986 at the age of 16, Crossen was the youngest-ever wrestling promoter in the United States. On May 9, 1986 at the Anoka Armory, Crossen promoted his first "live" professional wrestling event at the Anoka Armory drawing close to 350 fans, with events later that year, selling out with over 450 fans.
Pro Wrestling America
After receiving training and guidance from Eddie Sharkey in 1986, on November 8, 1986 Crossen and Sharkey worked together and promoted a double header card in Champlin, MN at the American Legion Hall. This event was sold out with standing room only. Crossen and Sharkey became friends and wrestling opportunists. In 1989, after dissolving the NWF, Crossen wrestled for Eddie Sharkey between 1989-1990 capturing the PWA Middleweight Championship.
Book
In 2004, Crossen paid vanity press AuthorHouse to print a book titled "Pro Wrestling Kids' Style" (ISBN 1-879000-12-1), a memoir of his life as a kid running his own professional wrestling league. It details all the obstacles and setbacks they faced as they grew from the basement in Anoka into thousands of living rooms nationwide.
Film
In 2005, Crossen produced a documentary titled NWF Kids Pro Wrestling: The Untold Story, which contains several interviews of past participants from the NWF talking about what it was like as a kid being a part of the league. The production won several awards including the ScreenCraft Award for "2006 Best Feature Documentary" from the New York International Film and Video Festival.
Championships and accomplishments
* NWF Wrestling
** NWF World Championship (5 times)
** NWF World Tag Team Championship (3 times)
Early years
The wrestling league was formed by Crossen and childhood friend Charley Lane in early 1984. The matches took place in a basement and were taped and edited for community television. The league went by several names in the first year until it was eventually and officially known as "NWF Wrestling". The quality of wrestling was still developing in this early stage, but the rivalries and storylines were quite entertaining. This popularity growth would eventually lead to large crowds at public NWF events.
National cable television
By 1985, Crossen took the NWF from Anoka, Minnesota to a national audience all across the country by way of cable television. Crossen did this by circulating his weekly wrestling program he produced to cities across the United States. It was the first professional wrestling for children in the United States.
Live public events
By 1986 at the age of 16, Crossen was the youngest-ever wrestling promoter in the United States. On May 9, 1986 at the Anoka Armory, Crossen promoted his first "live" professional wrestling event at the Anoka Armory drawing close to 350 fans, with events later that year, selling out with over 450 fans.
Pro Wrestling America
After receiving training and guidance from Eddie Sharkey in 1986, on November 8, 1986 Crossen and Sharkey worked together and promoted a double header card in Champlin, MN at the American Legion Hall. This event was sold out with standing room only. Crossen and Sharkey became friends and wrestling opportunists. In 1989, after dissolving the NWF, Crossen wrestled for Eddie Sharkey between 1989-1990 capturing the PWA Middleweight Championship.
Book
In 2004, Crossen paid vanity press AuthorHouse to print a book titled "Pro Wrestling Kids' Style" (ISBN 1-879000-12-1), a memoir of his life as a kid running his own professional wrestling league. It details all the obstacles and setbacks they faced as they grew from the basement in Anoka into thousands of living rooms nationwide.
Film
In 2005, Crossen produced a documentary titled NWF Kids Pro Wrestling: The Untold Story, which contains several interviews of past participants from the NWF talking about what it was like as a kid being a part of the league. The production won several awards including the ScreenCraft Award for "2006 Best Feature Documentary" from the New York International Film and Video Festival.
Championships and accomplishments
* NWF Wrestling
** NWF World Championship (5 times)
** NWF World Tag Team Championship (3 times)
Destined For Greatness is an upcoming Cyssero album to be released December 21st.
Track listing
1 Intro
2 Philadelphia
3 Nobodys Fool
4 Click Click
5 Let the Beat Knock
6 Been Getting My Cash
7 The Chronic
8 Birds Flying High
9 Friends
10 When the Smoke Clears
11 Philadelphia Dreaming
12 Money Making Is a Wonderfull Thing
13 Saturday Night Street Fight
14 Work
15 Why You Hate'n
16 Get to Know You
17 Return of the Bad Guy
18 So Fly
19 Which Way (feat. Dion Primo)
20 Gz and Hustlaz
21 Be Alright (feat. Nappy Roots)
22 Dolla and a Dream
23 Paper Chashers
24 Victim of a Homicide
Track listing
1 Intro
2 Philadelphia
3 Nobodys Fool
4 Click Click
5 Let the Beat Knock
6 Been Getting My Cash
7 The Chronic
8 Birds Flying High
9 Friends
10 When the Smoke Clears
11 Philadelphia Dreaming
12 Money Making Is a Wonderfull Thing
13 Saturday Night Street Fight
14 Work
15 Why You Hate'n
16 Get to Know You
17 Return of the Bad Guy
18 So Fly
19 Which Way (feat. Dion Primo)
20 Gz and Hustlaz
21 Be Alright (feat. Nappy Roots)
22 Dolla and a Dream
23 Paper Chashers
24 Victim of a Homicide
Cougar Camp is a Rockville, Maryland based year long camp. It was founded in 2006. It originally began as only a summer camp for kids between the ages of 6-11, but has since expanded in both size and season availability.
History
Cougar Camp was founded in 2006, by co-founders Steve Achhammer, Michael Becker and Jeff Binder. All three are also employed with the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy. The camp's first communications director Ilene France designed a brochure and website and began advertising the camp in February 2006. The camp ran four sessions its first summer, with a total of twelve campers per session. The first summer saw a total of twenty seven campers in grades 1 - 6 participate in camp programs. During the summer of 2007 enrollment more than doubled as a total of almost 60 students participated in camp programs. By summer 2009 a total of 200 campers in preschool - 8th grade participated in various camp programs. In the summer of 2010 the camp introduced its travel camp program, which took campers on trips to places such as paintball, Busch Gardens, and Six Flags, New Jersey.
The summer of 2011, will be the camp's sixth summer, older programs will return and several new programs including teen leadership and the CIT program will be added.
Cougar Camp's other programs include Winter Camp, Sukkot Camp and Pesach Camp.
History
Cougar Camp was founded in 2006, by co-founders Steve Achhammer, Michael Becker and Jeff Binder. All three are also employed with the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy. The camp's first communications director Ilene France designed a brochure and website and began advertising the camp in February 2006. The camp ran four sessions its first summer, with a total of twelve campers per session. The first summer saw a total of twenty seven campers in grades 1 - 6 participate in camp programs. During the summer of 2007 enrollment more than doubled as a total of almost 60 students participated in camp programs. By summer 2009 a total of 200 campers in preschool - 8th grade participated in various camp programs. In the summer of 2010 the camp introduced its travel camp program, which took campers on trips to places such as paintball, Busch Gardens, and Six Flags, New Jersey.
The summer of 2011, will be the camp's sixth summer, older programs will return and several new programs including teen leadership and the CIT program will be added.
Cougar Camp's other programs include Winter Camp, Sukkot Camp and Pesach Camp.
Hunter Foote (b. 1994 in Worcester, United States of America) is a violinist/fiddle player and composer. He is the fiddler for the Irish band named The Boys of the Town, as well playing with a variety of other musicians and solo. He is an active performer and composer. He has done studio work at the Batcave Studio, as well as the Slaughterhouse Studio.
Hunter is highly accomplished, important and sought after for studio work as well as performances nation wide. He is currently working on a solo CD. The release date has not been determined. He is also a violin instructor, having been in the instruction world since 2008.
Hunter is viewed by many as a musical prodigy and is expected to become a very influential and significant fiddle player and composer throughout the next decade.
Educational Background
Hunter is an alumnus of the HCC Violin Performance Degree Program (A.A.) has studied with many influential fiddlers such as Donna Hebert and Myra McLeod.
Performance History
Hunter has played for audiences of over ten thousand at arenas in New England such as the DCU Center. He embarked on a Christmas tour spanning from December 4, through December 29.
Hunter and the Boys of the Town have shared the stage with Solas, Cynthia MacLeod, Makem & Spain, among many others at the Worcester Irish Music Festival.
Discography
*The Boys of the Town, "The Boys of the Town" - 2011 (TBD)
*Hunter Foote, "Sixteen for Christmas" - 2010
*The Scratches, "Screaming Softly" - 2009
Hunter is highly accomplished, important and sought after for studio work as well as performances nation wide. He is currently working on a solo CD. The release date has not been determined. He is also a violin instructor, having been in the instruction world since 2008.
Hunter is viewed by many as a musical prodigy and is expected to become a very influential and significant fiddle player and composer throughout the next decade.
Educational Background
Hunter is an alumnus of the HCC Violin Performance Degree Program (A.A.) has studied with many influential fiddlers such as Donna Hebert and Myra McLeod.
Performance History
Hunter has played for audiences of over ten thousand at arenas in New England such as the DCU Center. He embarked on a Christmas tour spanning from December 4, through December 29.
Hunter and the Boys of the Town have shared the stage with Solas, Cynthia MacLeod, Makem & Spain, among many others at the Worcester Irish Music Festival.
Discography
*The Boys of the Town, "The Boys of the Town" - 2011 (TBD)
*Hunter Foote, "Sixteen for Christmas" - 2010
*The Scratches, "Screaming Softly" - 2009