High-Caliber Clinicians Conduct Wrestling Camp

The Glasgow Civic Center was the setting for a three-day wrestling camp presented by some high-caliber clinicians. The camp was held Aug. 7-9, and boasted 77 attendees.

Mike Zadick and Derek St. John, both assistant coaches at Virginia Tech, led the camp with help from Billings West's head coach Jeremy Hernandez, as well as GHS coaches and other Montana High School coaches.

Zadick, a 2008 Olympian and 2009 U.S. National Champion, did the majority of instruction on the afternoon of the camp's second day, demonstrating a number of skills and monitoring the kids while they worked on drills.

St. John, a four-time NCAA All-American and NCAA National Champion, spent his time moving around the room, occasionally stopping to offer instruction to a set of grapplers.

As an instructor, Zadick was a dynamic presence on the mat, punctuated in part by his attention-getting whistle. Much of his message to the campers focused on hard work, self-motivation, and independence, as well as the importance of nutrition, adequate hydration and strength-training.

When asked why he would recommend wrestling as a sport, Zadick said, "Wrestling is the most real, athletic sport there is. It prepares you for real-life adversities and struggles, complete with the disappointments, excitements, and fulfillment." He also described wrestling as the most demanding of all sports and said it requires the most commitment. "It doesn't get the attention that other sports get," Zadick explained. "What you see on T.V. are the popular, pretty sports."

When asked about the dedication to wrestling in Glasgow and the legacy of Scottie wrestling, Zadick described it as "unique", noting that when he travels to other areas, he does not see the kind of community and family support that Glasgow has for the sport.

The camp held in Glasgow was the first for Zadick, while St. John has been here before. The pair do a number of camps annually and plan on returning to Glasgow in the future.