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BTS-Philly Wrestlers Attend Lock Haven University Summer Camps

BTSPhilly   |   Aug 8, 2014

Many Beat the Streets Philadelphia student athletes continued to train/compete out of various off-season training sites during the Spring and Summer months following the 2013-14 season, knowing that “Summer training builds winter champions.”  To reward those who did, scholarships were awarded to attend overnight wrestling camp hosted by Lock Haven University.   BTS-Philly sponsored 27 middle school students for Lock Haven University’s  Junior High School Competition Camp from June 26th-29th, and 40 high school students for Lock Haven’s Intensive Technique Camp running June 17th-19th.  Accompanying the student athletes from Philadelphia were several local coaches, mentors, and recent HS graduates to facilitate learning and supervise during free-time around campus. Led by Head Coach and NCAA All-American, Scott Moore, Lock Haven’s coaching staff and wrestlers organized an excellent camp experience.  Campers received top-notch instruction from several seasoned veterans of the sport, including NCAA All-Americans Scott Moore and Steve Fittery (LHU’s Head Assistant Coach), Central Mountain High School’s Head Coach Doug Buckwalter, and many current NCAA competitors from LHU, University of Pennsylvania, and Drexel University.  In addition to wrestling sessions, Coach Steve Fittery ran campers through an intense cross-fit workout.  Cross-fit is an excellent form of training for any athlete and is a growing trend throughout the health/fitness world.  The growing popularity is due to the way each workout is designed to improve one’s overall fitness (strength, speed, agility, endurance, etc.) while engaging all parts of the body with a wide range of motions.  During the little free time they had throughout the camp, participants enjoyed spending time at the pool and hanging out with friends/coaches at the dorms on campus.  Each camp was completed with a tournament on the last day. Though camp is an integral piece of year-round training, it is also an opportunity to encounter new cultures, meet new people, have new experiences, and build on relationships between students and coaches.  The fact that this all takes place on a college campus also makes camp an opportunity to build students’  interest in attending college, while providing a glimpse into that world. Between the excellent group of coaches/wrestlers provided by Lock Haven Camps and the staff we brought along, there was a very high ratio of instructors to students.  When this group of wrestlers/educators were combined with the hard-working campers and given access to the great facilities of Lock Haven University, the product was a unique environment for skills development and an overall positive experience for everyone. Beat the Streets Philadelphia’s staff, coaches, mentors, and participants are grateful to the many generous donors who make opportunities like these a reality.