June 21 - Day 6

Who truly likes to practice on Saturday mornings instead of laying in their bed and watching cartoons or some grown up show?  Especially when you've pushed everyday over the week in practices both on and off the mat.  The athletes although lacked enthusiasm at first quickly got back into the swing of things for the one practice today.  Senior and University age athletes had a one hour individual drill session.  Athletes dictated their own focus areas and worked at their own speed.  It was a perfect day to slow down things and truly focus on improving technique in their favorite areas as well as weaknesses.  Following the drill, the group met up with the Juniors for a friendly game of soccer.  The Seniors and University team destroyed the poor Junior team who scored in the first minute, but were unable to score again for the remainder of the game.  The final score was 6-1.

The rest of the day was a rest and recovery period.  Most athletes laid by the pool, went to the mall, or slept throughout the afternoon.  We did have a pick up game of capture the flag meets tag in which teams tried to capture the other teams shoes while being beaten with pantyhose filled with flour and chalk.  Athletes came back covered in flour and dripping in sweat from playing out in the late afternoon sun.

Athletes also will take tomorrow to recoup, reset, and prepare for the week ahead.  Next week camp will pick up intensity as Juniors end camp Tuesday and the Senior/University teams begin three a days.  FILA Cadets arrive Wednesday and begin practices Thursday.

June 20 - Day 5

The day the wifi died.  I'm sorry for my lack of posts both on here as well as our Facebook page, but the lack of wifi was actually great.  The athletes were forced to sit in the halls and speak to each other more than sitting in their rooms online.  Last night instead of sitting in their rooms, athletes joined together on a self-led game of Manhunt (a team hide and go seek mixed with a little bit of tag).

Today's practice was a lift and live.  Seniors started the lift about an hour prior to the juniors.  About three fourths of them has specific lifts designed by USOC strength and conditioning coach Brandon Siakel.  Others followed a whole body lift also put together by Brandon. The juniors had their second lift while here at camp. They also have a full body lift put together by Brandon. Check out our lift session by visiting our US Women's Wrestling Facebook Page.

The evening practice was live combat combined with Juniors and Seniors.  Coach Jenna Pavlik (Day) put athletes through a warm up.  Athletes completed speed drill executions and went straight into live.  The live consisted of period goes.  We began with five, one minute Greco goes and five, one minute freestyle goes.  Live ended with three, six minute goes.  You can also check out our combat session video on US Women's Wrestling Facebook Page.

June 19 - Day 4

Camp is growing!  We hit forty athletes today and more just keep coming.  Although it's hectic to manage continuously growing group, you cannot help but be motivated and energized by these hardworking athletes.  Today was the first day of Senior and University National Team Camp and fourth day of the FILA Junior National Team Camp  This morning the two groups practiced separately, but joined together for a live combat session.

Both age groups' morning workout was a run and a team drill, but they alternated workout focuses.  Senior and University athletes completed the run portion first while Juniors reviewed their set ups to leg attacks.  The goal was to provide age group coaches an opportunity to work closely with their team in their particular focus areas.  The Senior focus areas for the technique session was creating pressure to attacks.  The run for both age groups was put together by Brandon Siakel our USOC Strength and Conditioning Coach.  The run consisted of eight, two-hundred meter sprints (70-85% effort) and two-hundred meter jog.  The athletes handled running in the heat and humidity well.  The Juniors even stepped up to finish their last teammates' run together.

The combined age group live combat session was the first in which the age group athletes and coaches got to work together.  The warm up was led by former World Team Member Jenna Pavlik (Day) who will be serving as FILA Junior World Volunteer Coach.  Following the warm up, National Head Coach Terry Steiner showed gut wrench and high gut wrench defenses.  After focused drilling, athletes joined into groups of three for live.  Groups worked offense and defense on their feet as well as gut wrench situation live
Check out the combat practice video on our facebook page US Women's Wrestling

 

June 18 - Day 3

Today is a light day for the junior athletes with only one mat practice in the morning and an afternoon for recovery.  This morning's focus was pressuring our opponent to create a set up to an attack.  Coach Seiko reviewed the underhook and 2 on 1 set ups we worked on yesterday as well as brought in new techniques to improve our snaps.  Check out our practice video on our facebook page at US Women's Wrestling.   

Camp isn't just about mat techniques and live goes!  At some point you have let the athletes and staff enjoy themselves and each other's company.  After lunch many athletes visited a pool on the McKendree campus and others caught a much needed nap.  Just before dinner we met for a water balloon fight and fun in the McKendree fountain.  (Don't worry as good civilians we picked up all the broken balloons)  

Everything has been great so far.  The recovery afternoon and the incoming athletes have brought a fresh wave of energy back into camp.  The rest of the week is only going to keep getting better!  A big thank you to Coach Sam Schmitz!  He has done airport runs all day to pick up University and Senior National Team Members and coaches.  We are so grateful!

June 17 - Day 2

Another sunny day here in Lebanon!  Today athletes have two workouts: strength and conditioning followed by live in the evening.

Both our lift workouts and runs were provided by USOC Strength and Conditioning Coach Brandon Siakel who works with our Olympic Training Center Resident Athlete Program daily.  After a dynamic warm-up, athletes partnered up for a basic core lift.  Exercises included back squat, chin ups, partner hamstring leans, dumbbell bench presses, and planks.  Athletes completed three sets of ten for all lifts except the plank in which they did three sets of forty-five second holds. We finished the workout with a five station circuit.  They completed exercises for forty seconds, two times through.

The team felt sluggish and sore before the workout so we began with partner massages.  The warm up consisted of dynamic movements, gymnastics, leg attack executions, speed drills, and pummeling drills.  This afternoon's practice focus was on set ups to a leg attack.  Coach Seiko reviewed both how to get an  underhook and 2 on 1 as well as attacks from the tie.  After drilling in our focus areas, athletes went through  situation live goes.  The live goes finished with two, six minute goes.  Check out our practice video by clicking the link to our US Women's Wrestling Facebook page!  

The Senior and University teams arrive tomorrow!  Safe travels to all!

June 16 - Day 1

Today is the first of nearly one month of Women's National Team Training Camp in Lebanon, Illinois.  Our host, McKendree University has gone above and beyond to make us feel welcome.  Everywhere you turn there are Team USA and USA Wrestling logos and staff/faculty members helping out!  Today both the Athletic Director Chuck Brueggemann and University President James Dennis stopped by to introduce themselves to athletes and coaches.  Women's Head Coach Sam Schmitz has done a tremendous job helping with any and every camp need!   The first team to camp is our FILA Junior National Team.  There are 23 athletes here so far.  This Wednesday the Juniors will be joined by the Senior National Team and University World Team Members.

This morning's practice was a team drill and a run.  Practice began with a long warm up of gymnastics and speed drills led by FILA Junior National Head Coach Seiko Yamamoto.  As the first practice it was important to get the travel out!  The wrestling workout ended with individual drilling.  Coaches observed the athletes in order to create our camp technique focus areas.  Immediately following the mat workout, athletes began a sprint workout.  The team ran 12, 40 second sprints with a 40 second recovery time took a short break and finished with 12, 30 second sprints with a thirty second recovery.

This afternoon's practice was live combat.  Athletes warmed up with body exercise circuit sprints and speed drilling attacks followed by live wrestling goes.  They completed 5 goes of 1 minute offense, 1 minute defense live with 5 different partners.  Next was par terre on the mat live goes (4 x 30 second top/bottom with 4 different partners).  The live ended with 3, 6 minute goes with 3 different partners.  We ended practice with 100 suicide push-ups.  To watch practice clips check out the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152564954856177&set=vb.452712791440898&type=2&theater 

Thank you to all those who have helped put this camp together and our Volunteer Coaching Staff attending camp!  These individuals are: Jenna Pavlik (Day), Ron Tirpak, Melissa Simmons, Archie Randall, and Sam Schmitz!  A final shout out to our athletic trainer for the week from Kansas University, Aimee Miyazawa!

We had a great first day and plan to keep it going!

Check out today's pictures!    

Brand new wrestling room!

Here is our residence hall

Signs everywhere!

Outside the new wrestling facilities

  

Our ride for the week!