Founders

Our mission is to provide opportunities with the sport of wrestling to all-comers and to build the culture of the sport around the nation’s capital. We, the founding partners of the Capital Wrestling Club, have been involved with wrestling our entire lives and have grown frustrated with the lack of quality training facilities in the area. It is our belief that if a facility existed solely dedicated to wrestling, the demand would surface, and exceptional results would follow. That day has arrived, and we couldn’t be more existed for what’s to come.

Michael Lerner

Michael Lerner had lots of options when he graduated American University in 1987 with a BS in Real Estate Finance. One path he knew he could not take was working for somebody else. Eventually Michael would own his own business. He worked for various small to mid-sized builders until he opened his own construction company in 1991. Later he formed Meridian homes with his brother Jonathan in 1994. Meridian Homes is a combination of Jonathan’s sound business skills, and Michael’s passion for customer service and creativity. Over the years, Meridian has enjoyed more awards and accolades than could be listed in this brief snap shot. Michael is very proud to have made Meridian Homes part of his daily work for the past 25 years.

Michael grew up in Bethesda and currently lives in Bethesda with his wife Ilene and dogs Baxter and Ernie. Michael’s grown children Zachary and Jillian and enjoying life outside the DMV. Michael’s passions are diverse and include yacht racing, youth wrestling, mountain biking, golf, and adventure travel.

Indeed, you read that correctly. Michael has spent every winter for the past 45 years involved in wrestling. Michael’s biggest passion is Montgomery Youth Wrestling League. In 2007 Michael partnered with Dan Fisher (genius wrestling enthusiast) to develop Montgomery Youth Wrestling League. This league supports 13 area teams and often as many as 300 wrestlers in a season. This innovative league has produced its share of champion wrestlers, but, Michael takes more pride in the participation and the love of the sport that some non-champion wrestlers will develop. Michael is very excited to step into the higher levels of the youth sport with the Capital Wrestling Club facility in Gaithersburg, MD.

  Max Meltzer

Originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, Max Meltzer had a very successful high school wrestling career. He won the Private School Maryland State Championships two times, while competing for the Bullis School his freshman through junior years and won the New Jersey Private School State Championship while competing for Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey his senior year. He was a 3-time Prep National Champion over his high school career. As a high school senior, Max was named team captain of the Blair Academy High School wrestling team, which was ranked the number one high school wrestling team in the United States and won the prestigious Walsh Jesuit IRONMAN Wrestling Tournament. Max graduated from Harvard University in 2007 with a degree in Sociology. At Harvard, Max was a four-year varsity letter-winner and he captained the Harvard team his junior and senior years. Max was named 1st Team All-Ivy League in 2006 and 2007 and finished his college wrestling career with an 8th place finish at the Division 1 Nationals, earning All-American Honors. At the 2005 and 2009 Maccabi Games in Israel, Max earned a gold medal in the freestyle competition.

Professionally, Max serves as a Director at Bronfman Rothschild based out of Rockville, Maryland. In his role, Max delivers customized financial solutions to high net worth clients and select institutions. Max also plays an instrumental role in the business development efforts of the firm. He finds it particularly rewarding to work with charitably inclined families as well as individuals that represent the second generation of family owned and operated businesses.

Outside of his professional work, Max is equally dedicated to his growing family and giving back to the local community. Max and his wife Tai reside in Rockville with their two young children, Ella and Julian, and two dogs. During Max’s limited free-time, he acts as the Executive Director of Beat the Streets D.C., a non-profit serving at-risk youth by exposing them to the sport of wrestling.

Scott Kirsch

Scott is one of the founders of the Capital Wrestling Club and tirelessly works to promote the club. His vision and desire to create the best wrestling club in the area flows through to everything he does. Scott’s family and kids, Julie, Spencer, and Ellis are his pride and joy and the main catalyst behind his enthusiasm for the Club. He is also the proud owner of a handsome and crazy French Bulldog by the name of Hank whom he adopted from Max.

A native of New Jersey, Scott attended George Mason University, where he was an All-American placing 7th at NCAAs on the wrestling mats, becoming the first student-athlete in school history to achieve this honor. He compiled a 119-25 overall record with the Patriots, including a first-place finish in the NCAA East Regionals in 1990. As a senior he posted a 29-2 dual meet record and finished second in the Eastern Regionals. Kirsch was unable to compete in the 1991 NCAAs because of an injury he sustained at Eastern Regionals, forcing his default. After graduating, Scott earned his master’s degree from Syracuse University, while serving as the wrestling program’s graduate assistant coach.

Professionally, Scott is a 20-year veteran of NFP | The Meltzer Group based out of Bethesda. Scott Kirsch works with a diverse client base to develop innovative group benefit programs for businesses throughout the United States. To say that Scott is high energy would be an understatement. His enthusiasm for his work and dedication to his clients is second to none. Scott is highly motivated to provide cost-effective benefit programs, while building relationships and providing excellent service. He has helped grow the Group Benefits Division into one of the largest employee benefit brokers in the Washington metropolitan area.