The Alberni Wrestling Club is once again hosting their annual Kids Wrestling Camp July 5 to 7 in the Alberni District Secondary School gymnasium.
The camp will run over three days from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and will feature instruction from local coaches, alumni, and high school wrestlers.
As well as learning some basic wrestling moves and technique, the camp participants will also take part in fun wrestling themed activities.
During the month of June, high school wrestlers visited the local elementary schools to introduce and promote the sport of Olympic wrestling.
On June 24, Brianne Charles of Hupacasath visited students in Kindergarten to Grade 4 at Gill School to show them some wrestling moves and to tell them why she likes the sport so much. She’s excelled over a number of years in wrestling, both locally and on the provincial and national stage.
Charles has been wrestling for eight years.
Through games and skill development the participants were given the opportunity to try the sport while being in a fun and safe environment.
"When we [the wrestling club] introduce wrestling at elementary schools and the kids camp, we always stress the importance of fun and safety," said Michael Cappus, an ADSS high school wrestling alumni one of the local programs’ summer coordinators. He too attended Gill School and told the kids hi enjoyed the travel the wrestling has allowed him to do.
"We always go through a proper warm-up and stretch to limit the possibility of injury and try hard to reveal the enjoyment of wrestling rather than the competitive side."
The camp will be a great opportunity for kids to stay active and meet new friends over the summer break.
Even if participants cannot attend all of the days of the camp and can only attend the camp for a day or two, they are invited to try it out. For some it will serve as a kick start to summer and being a part of the wrestling programs at the local middle schools. Others may come try the sport out.
The camp focuses on participants in Grades 1 to 6. All kids will be grouped according to Grade/Age. Participants that are in Grades 1 and 2 are able to participate if they have a parent or acting guardian in attendance at the camp watching each day.
Registration will be held each day starting at 9:30 a.m. There will be registration forms available at the gymnasium if your child did not bring one home from school. These forms need to be filled out by a parent/guardian.
Participants are asked to bring gym strip and clean running shoes or socks (no bare feet). If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact either; Cody McEvay at 250 724 0577 or Michael Cappus at 250-723-0355.
