When you go to a camp like the “World Class Camp” at the Young Guns Wrestling Club Ranch in Pennsylvania, the live wrestling period to end each day can be a little wild and extremely intimidating.
“It’s intimidating at first. Going live, it’s a toss-up, are you going to get your butt kicked or kick butt? But it’s great to be around that talent. You always can learn something,” said Dom Lee, one of 11 Timberlane Owls who recently headed South for the prestigious week-long wrestle-fest.
“What I would do is find someone between 150 and 170, since I’m at about 155 right now. You ask them if they want to wrestle, and if they say yes, you get out there on the mat. I definitely beat some people, and I definitely picked a lot more who beat me.”
The lessons the Owls picked up along the brutally intense week should certainly pay dividends this winter.
“It was my first time going, and it’s a really fun camp. I learned a lot of stuff, but it wasn’t easy,” said Owl Joe Consalvo. “It’s not something that just anyone can do. It’s hard wrestling. You’re wrestling almost the entire day with four sessions a day, every day.”
The event features top wrestling talent from up and down the East Coast in a high-intensity environment, being led through the days by college coaches and NCAA All-Americans.
“It was amazing, one of the best wrestling experiences of my life,” said Timberlane’s Kyle Lindblad. “Four workouts a day in the Pennsylvania heat, every day with a different world class technician teaching us.
“It was pretty physically demanding. Four workouts a day definitely tests you physically and mentally.”
To a man, the Owls said they were ecstatic about the trip and what they got out of it.
“What made me go is the drive to get better. I heard so much good stuff about the camp, it really pushed me,” said Lee.
“It was 100 percent worth it. Everyone there is good, coaches were great. I took away a lot from it. It’s so hard-core that it was hard to not get something out of it. As a team, I think we pulled away a ton of stuff from it. After the first day, it was something I’ve never done. Man, it was tough. Tuesday and Wednesday, I was really sore, but by Thursday, I got acclimated to it, and it was awesome.”
Added Consalvo, “I think I learned a lot of wrestling and boosted up my conditioning. It was more than just wrestling. It teaches you a better mindset and makes you a better person overall.”