Bonding on and off the mat

WARDEN — Featuring instruction from former collegiate wrestlers and WIAA state champions, the Warden Wrestling Camp brought in more than 30 Warden wrestlers from rising fifth-graders through seniors on Friday and Saturday.

“We’ve got seniors that have relationships with the fifth-graders through wrestling, where they come in and coach those little guys and help out with the little guy program,” Warden Head Coach Johnny Hernandez said. “These guys that are juniors and seniors now, they know who these fifth- and sixth-graders are because they’ve already helped them out. There’s no one who’s a stranger to each other here.”

Wrestlers had four sessions with Chris Castillo, a four-time WIAA state champion and former wrestler at Boise State who was at last year’s camp, and Frank Almaguer, a three-time WIAA state champ and a wrestler at California Baptist.

“The more clinicians you have, the more one-on-one time they’re going to get,” Hernandez said. “That’s why we brought in (Almaguer) this year. With the money we raised from the golf tournament, it was easy to do. The support the community gave us, it was a no-brainer to bring up another guy.”

Wrestlers worked on stills from takedowns to hand fighting over the two-day camp, giving Warden wrestlers a chance to get some mat time during the summer months.

“Just a little bit of everything so that we’re ready for this winter,” Warden senior Anthony Contreras said.

Contreras, who placed second in the 1B/2B 285-pound bracket at the Mat Classic in February, said that last year’s camp gave him a boost heading into his junior season.

“(The camp) was phenomenal,” Contreras said. “It helped me with my stamina, with technique, foot movements, hand fighting and stuff like that.”

Along with working on skills, campers get the chance to bond with one another off the mat at the camp. Whether it’s eating together, camping out, playing games or telling stories of past success, the camp experience allows wrestlers to bond before the season rolls around in the winter.

“I think that’s what the kids really enjoyed last year, that’s when you really bond,” Hernandez said. “You play volleyball or have a slip-and-slide, kickball, whatever; you get around the campfire and tell some stories, that’s where the kids really share themselves with each other.”

While the beginning of wrestling season is still nearly four months away, the momentum from the camp has already begun, according to Contreras.

“The energy’s amazing,” he said. “It’s like a family all year round; summer time, fall time, winter time, springtime. What I’m hoping to get out of this camp is state placers. This is my senior year, and it’s going to be an amazing year, I’m hoping. I want to bring back one of those banners.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.