June 14, 2023 at 1:26 p.m.
Hodag wrestlers welcome 9 teams to camp
Hodag wrestlers welcome 9 teams to camp
Nine schools and more than 90 athletes took part in the Hodag team camp, put on by the RHS wrestling team. The day featured instruction by three clinicians with connections to the program in the morning and a series of dual meets in the afternoon.
"All of our kids need more mat time in order to get to all of their goals, where they want to be," Hodag wrestling coach Scottie Arneson said. "To be able to do that at home is just an awesome opportunity for the kids. Last year we went down to Platteville, which is 4 1/2 hours away. Now it's in our own backyard."
Arneson credited assistant coach Tyler Figueroa for doing most of the legwork on the camp.
It was a bit of a family affair as Figueroa's father, former U.S. Olympian and Valders head coach Rodney Figueroa, served as one of the clinicians. Scott Arneson, Scottie's dad and long-time Merrill head coach, also helped out. The elder Figueroa was in charge of the working with the upper weights while the elder Arneson worked with the lightweights.
"We're blessed to have the clinicians that we had and it looked like everybody was engaged this morning," Scottie Arneson said. "I know, just out of the technique session, everybody was able to benefit. Very thankful for those going showing up today."
The middle weights also had a familiar voice on the mat in School District of Rhinelander superintendent Eric Burke, who was the former head wrestling coach at Port Washington before moving into administration.
"Not too many sports programs get their superintendent to do part of a team camp for you," Arneson quipped.
The afternoon featured a number of dual meets. No team scores were kept and matchups were set by nearest weight, not necessarily by weight class, in an effort to get kids as many bouts as possible.
Participating teams included local squads from Rhinelander, Lakeland, Tomahawk and Merrill, but also teams from as far as New Holstein, Valders and Manitowoc. Pittsville and Phillips also took part, along with a handful of wresters from Crandon and Edgar.
"We're just trying to grow the sport of wrestling up here," Scottie Arneson said. "Every team is lacking numbers up here, especially above Highway 8. We're just trying to do one thing at a time to try to grow the sport up here."
The Hodags had roughly a dozen wrestlers on the mat, including two-time sectional third-place finisher Owen Kurtz and several other members of last winter's RHS squad. Scottie Arneson said the turnout on Friday, coupled with those who participate in the Northern Exposure wrestling camp over the spring, will bode well come November.
"We had a good number coming and we have a good number coming today. I think for us to say that we're going to be better than we were last year is easy to say," he said. "When you put in time in the offseason, even the eight practices that we had on Monday nights, on the last day we're like, 'Holy cow, that's the same kid we ended last season with?' Proof is in the pudding. If you put in time in the offseason, you have to get better. There's not really an option besides getting better if you actually put in the time, you ask questions and you care. The biggest thing is to care because when you care you'll start showing up more. When you show up more, you'll have reason to get better."
Arneson noted the team will schedule some open mat time for all interested incoming high school participants on Sundays later in the summer. Information will be available on the team's Facebook page.
"If anybody wants to come try it out, we've got extra shoes in the room, so you can give it a try and, once the season starts, we'll get them strapped up," he said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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