Scottie Wrestling Camp Draws Crowd of 120 from Across Montana

The Glasgow Scottie Wrestling Club held their annual wrestling camp at the Glasgow Civic Center last week. The program drew a crowd of 120 wrestlers ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade, and spanning from Glasgow to Billings. By comparison, last year the program drew 97 wrestlers, and the first year, held four years ago, brought in 50.

Organizer and Glasgow High School coach Jory Casterline, developed the camp four years ago bringing in Iowa State University Assistant Coach and NCAA National Champion Derek St. John who has returned every year since. This year St. John returned accompanied by another Iowa State Assistant Coach and 2014 and 2015 World Cup Gold Medalist Brett Metcalf.

Casterline praised the success of the program adding credit to the quality of the camp thanks to the Iowa State coaches and wrestlers who helped put on the program. "It's nice having some of those names kids recognize," said Casterline, referring to the NCAA level wrestlers guiding the camp.

Metcalf and St. John were assisted by two current Iowa State wrestlers Skyler St. John and Jarrett Degen.

Of the 120 participants 19 were from Billings Senior High School. Casterline said it has become a tradition for Senior to bring their wrestlers up to the camp and simultaneously enjoy Fort Peck Lake as a kind of reprieve from camp. "Sometimes they're (wrestling camp) not a lot of fun," said Casterline describing how wrestling camp can be a demanding and rigorous experience adding, "Sometimes you have to do things that are fun for the kids, it's better."

Casterline said the camp and the Highlander program really add up for the high school team. "Obviously when it comes to the high school, it is really the result of the youth program and the camp," said Casterline before going on to say, "We send these kids all over the state and nation, so when they get to me (at the high school level) I just have to steer the ship."

Casterline was also aware of the amount of community support the programs get in Glasgow. He thanked the community for its support in helping keep the camp and program alive. "I really try to keep costs down, to avoid pricing out any kid," explained Casterline while describing how support and the program truly improves the community.

He also attributed the large crowd this year to the fact that the camp not only attracts national and world class instructors, but it also attracts a number of high school level champions as well. Casterline estimated that there were roughly ten high school state champs walking the mats at last week's wrestling camp.

Metcalf described the camp as great adding that he was impressed with the community support and involvement as well. He told the Courier, "[The camp] is good, a lot more kids than I expected. It is really a testament to the coaches, the program and the whole gambit."

When asked what he tries to focus on in a camp like Glasgow's, Metcalf acknowledged that technique and fundamentals really cannot be his focus for the one day he spends with the kids. Instead Metcalf described trying to change their mentality, "I think the biggest thing for me to do is get across a message, a mentality or a style, and hope to hook them into dedication[...] or to inspire them to focus."

As for the wrestling camp in the middle of nowhere, Metcalf was impressed not only with the community support and the wrestling program, but also with the region as a whole comparing it to rural Iowa. He was also grateful for the chance to teach the camp stating, "Thanks to Jory (Casterline) and the support it is obviously a first-class program all the way."