About Us
Welcome to The Omega Sports Academy, my name is Damien Thompson.
My objective is to empower wrestlers and young athletes to pursue their athletic ambitions with unwavering determination. I firmly believe that discipline and resilience are key to overcoming many challenges that may arise.
My Story
When I was two, I was diagnosed with restrictive airway disease making physical activities especially challenging for me. Due to breathing complications from the disease I had to stop my participation in wrestling for weeks at a time. Regardless, I didn't let my condition stop me from doing what I loved.
To prevent a discontinuance in my wrestling I paid careful attention to things that would trigger my breathing problems and I learned to manage my inhaler and oxygen machine usage. Though it was a struggle, I was able to participate in youth wrestling from age six all the way through middle school.
Get Inspired
As a youth wrestler, I have proudly achieved numerous milestones that have shaped my journey in the sport. I have earned several medals in local, state, and national competitions showcasing my dedication and hard work.
Things made a devastating turn for me in my freshman year of high school which was during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, I caught covid multiple times which caused my lungs to become inflamed and lose some of its capacity for an extended amount of time. This forced me to stop wrestling for the safety of my health that year. Having to thwart my plans left me devastated and deeply saddened.
Once the pandemic died down, I began to wrestle again but the same sport I grew up with was not the same. I saw first-hand how the conditions in the sport such as the cleanliness, the materials' conditions, gyms, and equipment for wrestlers have depreciated since I began the sport. The fact that there was a possibility wrestling would be removed from the Olympics further cemented the decline and danger the sport could be in.
Bronze Certified Coach
I also decided to put my years of experience and skills into practice and became a Bronze certified USA Wrestling coach and obtained my SafeSport certification. I volunteer my time to help young athletes learn about the sport and build on their skills.
Wrestling provided an experience that has helped me grow both on and off the mat. The sport has given me many valuable life lessons, instilling a sense of discipline, sportsmanship, and resilience that I carry with me in all aspects of life. It’s disheartening to witness such life-changing activity lose its value and energy. This motivated me to take action and support the wrestling community, ensuring that other kids can experience the thrill and passion for the sport just as I did. Seeing this life-changing activity lose its value and energy motivated me to find a way to help the wrestling community so other kids can experience it and fall in love with it like I did.
Over the years I have personally witnessed a decline in the funding towards youth wrestling. Even in Fayette county, where I reside, the middle school wrestling league was eliminated. I found this unfortunate trend is not exclusive to wrestling, but also to other Olympic martial arts. In the US, more and more youth sports are becoming affected by increased privatization and costly training. As a result, in 2022, I created The Omega Sports Academy - TOSA, a 501c3 approved non-profit organization with the mission of helping to fund athletes and clubs that are in need of financial assistance as well as a way to connect potential athletes with the wrestling community at large.
Empower
Growth
My goal is to be able to make a difference in accessibility to athletes interested in training for one of the toughest sports in the world. Wrestling is a sport that aside from physical prowess, I believe has an even bigger impact on the development of mental fortitude , discipline, and maturity ideal for a more well-rounded young adult.
