Latest news with #TheBaySchool
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Six-year-old 'Chaos Kid' Charlie could be UK's youngest wrestler
A SIX-year-old Isle of Wight boy is believed to be the UK's youngest wrestling performer. Charlie Jennings, from Cowes — aka The Chaos Kid — opened Outcast Pro Wrestling's Easter show at The Bay School in Sandown. It was a landmark for the youngster. His mum, Hayley Attrill, said: "I used to watch wrestling on the telly, and, as Charlie got a bit older, I took him to an Outcast Pro Wrestling show in May last year. Charlie Jennings, aka The Chaos Kid, had his opponent on the ropes. (Image: Hayley Attrill) (Image: Outcast Pro Wrestling) "Going to that ignited a passion in him. He just came alive." Hayley then took Charlie, aged five at the time, along to an open day at the Outcast Pro Wrestling academy in Sandown last year, and he did a trial session. "He just loved it — and he's been going to training there ever since." Charlie, the club's youngest member, attends Lanesend Primary School. He is not yet old enough to compete, but he does 'performance' wrestling. The club's head coach, wrestler Matt Jackson, aka Jackson Arrow, trains wrestlers of all skill levels and ages, starting from seven — with the exception of Charlie. Charlie Jennings, aka The Chaos Kid, egging the crowd on. (Image: Hayley Attrill) The club has adapted its coaching to cater for Charlie's age and size. "He's shorter than most," Hayley joked. "But the coaches are so good — teaching him discipline, respect, good technique and how to do wrestling safely, in a friendly environment." Charlie is such a hit at the academy, he was invited to take part in the Outcast Academy Show, watched by more than 100 wrestling fanatics, which included his mum, brother and grandparents. The second annual family show featured trainees taking on adults, with Charlie opening it against 17-year-old Corey Ace. When Charlie appeared, from behind a curtain, to Kaiser Chief's I Predict a Riot, there was raucous applause and cheering. Charlie Jennings, aka The Chaos Kid, poised for action (Image: Hayley Attrill) "He entertained the crowd and got them going. They loved it," Hayley continued. "He was high-fiving everyone, standing on the ropes," continued Hayley. "Regarding the show, Charlie said he wants to do it again. "His favourite part was coming out through the curtain and the crowd cheering him." Since joining the club, his mum says wrestling has "brought him out of his shell". "Charlie was shy before he started doing wrestling," said Hayley. "He now wants to be a WWE wrestler when he's older. I'd be happy to see him do it, definitely."
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Spell of the ball: Hancock County student wins Maine State Spelling Bee
Mar. 22—BRUNSWICK — Seventh grader Esme Filippo from The Bay School in Hancock County is headed to the nation's most prestigious spelling bee after securing a win on Saturday at the Maine State Spelling Bee with the word "domesticity." Saturday's competition, held at Bowdoin College in Brunswick and presented by the Maine Trust for Local News, lasted 22 rounds and featured 13 middle school-age students from 13 different counties. The annual Maine State Spelling Bee determines which of the state's savviest spellers will go on to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, in May. Students qualified for the state bee through winning their school and county competitions. Filippo and her parents were thrilled following her win and excited to make the trip to the Scripps bee. "My friends said they'd watch me on TV," Filippo said. The contest kicked off with a few perfect rounds. Competitors slowly tapered off as they attempted to spell more and more difficult words. There were some tough misses, like "kernel" spelled "colonel" and "phishing" spelled "fishing." Former longtime Press Herald sports writer Glenn Jordan led the judging team alongside his wife, Nancy Jordan, managing editor at National Geographic Learning English Language Teaching. Jeannine Uzzi, Thomas College president, served as the word pronouncer. "I think it's great for them to stand on stage in front of a microphone, and you're pretty vulnerable out there," said Glenn Jordan, who has been judging the Maine State Spelling Bee for about a decade. "And some kids really love spelling; it's fun for them to learn words and learn about words and languages." At the round 10 break, there were just five spellers remaining in the bee. Students could ask for clarification on definitions, word origins and word use — but the spelling was all them. Kytanna Loring, an eighth grader at Central Middle School in Corinth, represented Penobscot County and was among the final few spellers. Loring won second place in her school bee, qualifying for the Penobscot County bee, which she won. "I like trying to memorize all the letters, trying to guess what the words are going to be that they're going to ask. I think it's very fun," Loring said. Nerves were high leading up to the big competition. "I'm incredibly nervous. I'm also excited," Loring said before getting on stage. "This is an amazing opportunity, but I definitely got some jitters." By the time the competition whittled away to the final two contestants — Filippo from Hancock and sixth grader Addie Rosato, representing Cape Elizabeth Middle School in Cumberland County — it was neck-and-neck. Both students made it through one round with the words "polyester" and "embryo." When Rosato slipped up on "chemise," Filippo had a chance to secure the win with "depreciate," but missed. The two continued spelling for four more rounds, reciting words like "stegosaur" and "schooner" with ease. At round 21, Rosato misspelled "cochin" and Filippo spelled "pinnate" correctly, followed by her final word, "domesticity," and was named Maine's spelling bee champion. "I did not think I was going to win; (Rosato) definitely knew what she was doing," Filippo said following the bee. Filippo said she was studying her words throughout the car ride to the Bowdoin campus on Saturday. Her parents said she's loved spelling bees from a young age. "She started participating when she was a little kid, and then COVID hit, and she didn't for a while," said her mom, Alison Rudel. "This year, at her school, she actually requested that they do the spelling bee, because they don't always." Filippo will head to the Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 27-29 for a chance of taking the win — and the $50,000 prize — home to Maine. The finals will air live on the ION network. Copy the Story Link
