Wrestling in Oxford Hills has always been a big deal. Now it has its own holl, a place where athletes of all ages can hone their skills in the Norse tradition.

Seth and Christina McAlister have opened Odin’s Holl, a wrestling club at 243 Main St. in South Paris. The concept, including its Norse name, is rooted in Oxford Hills’ Viking spirit.

“Odin’s Holl translates to Valhalla,” Seth McAlister explained. “We’re aligned to the Oxford Hills Viking mascot while honoring Odin’s mythology.”

In Norse mythology, Odin is the god of war and the slain. His magical hall, Valhalla, is where he houses his warriors. The boys’ wrestling team of Odin’s Holl is known as the Berserkers and the girls’ team is Valkyrie, symbolizing the warrior groups dedicated to the Norse god.

McAlister’s vision is to not just grow regional participation in wrestling but to fill a niche that will expand into other physical and mental fitness training like yoga, Brazilian jiu jitsu, mixed martial arts, kickboxing and self-defense classes.

Oxford Hills has long supported youth wrestling and the McAlisters’ goal is for Odin’s Holl to become the community hub for its wrestlers.

“A lot of wrestlers tend to not fit into other sports,” McAlister said. “It’s from a whole different mentality. We joke that wrestling comes from within instead of without.

“And we have never had a dedicated training facility (locally),” he added. “At the high school, the team practices in the cafeteria. They bring out the mats and roll them up after every session.”

McAlister is one of those Oxford Hills kids who grew up wrestling. He won his first tournament in eighth grade, won two state championships in high school and competed as a Division 1 athlete in college. He has filled the years since by coaching the sport, including at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in Paris.

During his days as a youth athlete, McAlister had to travel four hours round trip to southern York County, or up to the Farmington area, to train and compete. 

Attending college and competing in Division 1 wrestling at Pennsylvania Western University – Edinboro was an experience that exposed him to elite coaches. “It transformed me to levels I didn’t think possible,” he said. “I competed in a number of tournaments there. The most notable I ever won was an Ironman Tournament.”

In addition to classes and the competitive youth league, McAlister plans to launch in 2027, Odin’s Holl will host community, networking and booster fundraising events: watch parties for televised competitions, and family and social gatherings like parking lot block parties or a pie night, to coincide with Thanksgiving.

Odin’s Holl is a family affair, according to Christina. Seth is head coach and director, and she runs marketing and operations, taking on whatever needs to be done, whether it is logo and brand design, cleaning or general task juggling. The couple’s daughters, Zaidyn, Effie and McKenzie, split front of house and customer service responsibilities.

The wrestling club is also a Vikings affair. Oxford Hills’ wrestling coaches Tony Stevens and Keith Brown are on staff, as is Nick Racioppi of Edward Little High School in Auburn and newcomer Coy Lyford, a two-time Vermont wrestling state champ.

Kayla Racioppi leads Tuesday yoga and Savanna Martin leads Thursday yoga.

Odin’s Holl is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 4:30-8 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30-9:15 p.m. Current classes offered are beginner, intermediate and advanced, girls-only wrestling classes, and yoga classes. The final hour each night is adult open mat.

Club memberships vary by program and age. Scholarship rates are available for those who qualify for assistance.

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