Julian Metzger is not a loudmouth. Having just turned 17, he prefers actions to words – whether on the mat or off it. The Hemsbach native is one of the strongest wrestling talents in the region, moving from his home club, KSV Hemsbach, in the association league to KSV Ketsch in the regional league in 2023. And despite being just 16 years old at the time, he was seeded in the 57-kilo freestyle class and even won the majority of his eight fights against renowned opponents, five of them even as shoulder victories.
WNOZ WhatsApp-Channel
The Weinheimer Nachrichten and Odenwälder Zeitung on WhatsApp! Current news from your region. The top topics every lunchtime on the WhatsApp channel.
imprint
To person
Julian Metzger was German vice-champion in the U17, second in the cadet tournament, winner of the renowned Römer Cup in Ladenburg, and the only North Badener at the international tournament in Hungary.
The 17-year-old Hemsbacher learned wrestling at KSV, then moved to the regional league in Ketsch in 2023.
Now it’s time to study at NJC College to Colorado, where sport plays a big role.
The Ketschers would have liked to keep Metzger, and his license will remain in the Enderle community. But after completing his technical college entrance qualification at the Johann Philipp Reis School in Weinheim, he is drawn even further away: with a sports scholarship to study at the Northeastern Junior College in Sterling in the US state of Colorado.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that supplements the article. You can either give your consent for social media in the cookie settings, or agree to the processing of device information and personal data for all third-party platforms.
Always load external content
I agree to allow external content to be displayed to me. This means that personal data may be transmitted to third-party platforms. Read more about this in our privacy policy.
Preparations for the regional league season, which starts in early September, are currently underway with his team in the Ketsch town hall. From August 14, Metzger will be moving into a college room with a wrestling colleague not far from the Rocky Mountains. “We’re already following each other on Insta,” says Metzger, who is excited about his new roommate and has already packed his bags. Nervousness is increasing, the surprise farewell party with family and friends, including his first Hemsbach trainer Ismail Güner, has been celebrated. And after months of preparation, it’s now time for the plane to leave on Tuesday.
Fast and agile
Saying goodbye is not easy for Julian Metzger, especially since he has found a real community at his new club in Ketsch. “I don’t like wrestling on my own at tournaments anymore. I prefer the team feeling. That’s why I wouldn’t say that my goal is an individual championship. I would much rather wrestle in the 2nd or even 1st Bundesliga. I’m not that far away from the 2nd league,” says the young man, who can be an unpleasant opponent due to his speed and agility.
Photo: Building: Zaid Kaisi
That’s why individual successes were not lacking and they didn’t harm Metzger’s CV. And neither did the application on Scholarbook, a platform for finding students, which he had to fill out. His profile, including the application video of his previous sporting highlights, was online as soon as he got the first response from America. “After a conversation with the wrestling coach in Sterling, it was clear that we would be a good fit,” says Metzger, who was only allowed to apply with his parents’ consent due to his young age.
A high school diploma is actually a prerequisite for admission, but after passing the Duolingo language test, the college also gave the green light for me to study. “My club in Ketsch had to swallow hard at first, but then they were happy for me.” After all, the ambitious youngster will attend two training sessions in addition to three to four hours of lessons every day. “I already have my schedule. In the morning I go to the gym, at lunchtime I hit the mat. Tuesday is regeneration day, when we can use the physiotherapists on site as well as the ice bath, sauna and wellness area. I thought Ketsch was already professionally set up, but from what I’ve read about the college so far, it’s even better.”
Very popular in the USA
Metzger is not only looking forward to the good infrastructure, he also hopes that he will make further progress in the sport. “Wrestling is very popular in the USA. In freestyle, the Americans are among the best nations in the world. They interpret it a little differently, the rules vary. But I will be able to implement the technique I learned in Germany there too.”
In Ketsch, the wrestlers are already supported by their loud ultra fan club, and in Colorado the noise level at the college wrestling matches is likely to increase significantly. Not only because of the traditional enthusiasm of the audience, but also because of the significantly higher number of spectators than in Germany.
Initially, Julian Metzger will mainly compete in tournaments with his 20 or 25 teammates. The season in the USA doesn’t start until January. “I’m allowed to come home for four days over Thanksgiving in November, then I’ll go straight back,” says Julian Metzger, who isn’t worried about homesickness given his busy schedule. His brother Dominik is toying with the idea of a visit, and even Ketsch’s board member Özkan Bas wants to come. “My trainer Scott Gottschling is interested too,” laughs the young man with the fast legs and strong arms.
“We haven’t been asked yet whether we want to come,” says Julian’s mother, shrugging her shoulders with a smile. She is proud of her son, who has spent the last six months working on his application and the exams that go with it, in addition to finishing school.
Bridging becomes study
His parents were not uninvolved in his stay in the USA. It was his father who had the idea to register with Scholarbook. “I want to do an apprenticeship as a chemical laboratory technician at an American company in Mannheim. But to start that you have to be 18. So I have to bridge the gap. So studying in the USA, with a focus on chemistry and English, was the obvious choice.” Continuing his education in sports also rounds things off really well. In his Application video Julian Metzger has to describe himself. “I always want to be the best and I never give up,” he says. Characteristics that will make it easier for him to settle into his temporary home.
