Farm Week '19: Youth Wrestlers Go Rural

Board President of BTS Chicago, Dan Willis, opens up his farm in Washburn, IL to the wrestlers every year for the traditional “Farm Camp”. I have heard good things about the camp and this year I had the chance to head over and see what all the buzz was about. It was approximately a two and a half hour ride from the city to the farm, but that time was filled with country music, open windows, and snacks. I was accompanied by one of the interns who inquired about my country music tastes. Knowing that I am from Hudson County, New Jersey, this is certainly a fair question to ask. I explained that I was drawn to the sincere lyrics, the ability of the artists to tell a good story, and the “happy go lucky” feeling that you’ll find in many of the songs. It didn't take long before my new found companion was belting out catchy choruses while we hit the open country road. 

Upon arriving, I was greeted by two of Dan’s boys, about 7-9 years old. “Welcome to the farm”, I was told warmly. As I took in my surroundings, I accounted for a large pond, a few acres of land, trees that outlined the boundary of the property, the main house where the family slept and the “rec building” where the kids would be sleeping and wrestling. Conveniently, I came just in time for dinner, so everybody bowed their heads and took a moment to pray or be thankful for the food that the host’s wife and two daughters prepared for everybody. After dinner, coach and guest speaker, Frank Aiello, began story time. As everybody gathered around Frank in the living room, he began to tell his life’s story. A successful wrestling career that was riddled with injuries year on over led Frank to an important lesson: “You never regret trying”. That was the message he had for everybody; even though injuries held him back, Frank always went onto the mat  and gave it his best. “You usually hear people saying that they regret not trying or not going after what they wanted (pause).. You never hear people say that they regret trying and giving it their best, even if they fall short of their goals”. 

After storytime, we would have an outdoor game night. The first night we played glow in the dark ultimate frisbee, followed by capture the flag and other outdoor activities. Due to my wrestler’s competitive spirit, I do have to point out that my team won most of the competition, but it’s all in good fun at the end of the day! In the morning we would wake up bright and early for an optional breakfast to soon make our way to the wrestling room for our practice of the day. These practices were led by multiple coaches and clinicians who have collegiate backgrounds and even All-American statuses. The most prestigious of the coaches was guest clinician, Ben Peterson. Peterson has two NCAA titles, a 1972 gold medal and a 1976 silver medal under his belt. It was truly a privilege to be trained by Peterson and to hear his stories from his time training. Peterson and Dan Willis have a close relationship that dates back to Dan’s collegiate wrestling days where Peterson was his coach. What was interesting to hear was the training style that Peterson used and passed onto Dan. They both had experience training in the countryside where one could focus, enjoy the fresh air, and train the body in a natural way. 

Throughout the day, we would work on a derby car, a van to be more specific. Every year we enter the derby and try to win the competition. Before the vans gets wrecked in the competition, a lot of work must go into it so that it is functioning and ready. The inside is gutted and stripped, the windows are taken out, the tires are changed, a bumper is welded on, the battery is moved to the car seat, and we flipped the car over as a team to take out the muffler. Kids worked on designs for the paint job and we all agreed on what the finished product would look like. The friday before midwest nationals, we went to the county fair as a team and watched Beat the Streets very own Ben Bergen, drive the van and smash into other cars! Unfortunately, we did not win, but the entire experience was new to us all and very exciting. 

The farm camp is always held the week before midwest nationals due to the locational convenience, it is only an hour away. However, training for the national tournament is always concluded by “the farm run”. What can only be compared to a tough mudder, the farm run is approximately a 3-4 mile obstacle course filled with tires, hills, a swim course, walls, and numerous other hurdles. Nobody runs the race alone; wrestlers partner up and their time is only counted when both people cross the finish line. I partnered up with one of Dan’s boys, about 8 years old, hoping his experience would help us navigate the course quicker. Ezekiel and I finished in the middle of the pack with a time I am fairly proud of. All participants are rewarded with muddy clothes, cheering at the finish line, drinks, and most importantly watermelon. 

The camp was fun, wholesome, and hard at times. There was a lot of physical work throughout the week, but that’s the point. There was a perfect balance of fun activities, workouts, stories from the councillors, and deep discussions. The important thing is that I believe the kids had a rewarding experience and many of them are eager to go again next year. On the way back to Chicago, my truck was filled to capacity with wrestlers, all of them giving into country music and singing that catchy chorus!