Although I am not directly involved in the camp, I was present at the Executive Council meeting and was the director of the Southern Plains camp for several years before Bob Phillips took over. On that basis, I'm going to try and answer some of the questions posted here:
a. Can club coaches or parents attend the camp? Are we expected to send our 6,8, and 10 year olds to a week long, stay overnight camp without their parents or their coaches?
I'm not sure on this one. If you are interested in attending the camp, I would suggest contacting Bob directly at
bphillips@holtonks.net. As far as sending midgets (born 1997-98) and novices (born 1995-96) to the camp, it's worth pointing out that parents have been doing this for years. Out of curiosity, I looked back at my old records and found that the camp in 1997 had 33 novices & midgets, making up 50% of that year's campers. I believe that was a typical year.
b. Who is allowed to coach the kids at the tournament? Is it only the KS team coaches that are allowed to coach or can the club coaches coach their kids?
The hope by the Executive Council is that the wrestlers and coaches will develop a bond at the camp that will carry over to the tournament. However, there is no restriction against any qualified coach (current USAW membership and certification) coaching at the tournament. Floor passes will be available for purchase at the tournament - be sure to have your coach's card and bronze/copper card available.
c. Since one of the reasons for having this camp was to foster a Team Kansas concept, do the kids that attend camp and compete get a Team KS tshirt, shorts, singlet like the rest of the teams?
Yes on the Team Kansas t-shirt. They will be provided team singlets to use which can be purchased or returned at the end of the event. I haven't heard anything about shorts.
d. (This is a new one, not on the original post) It was stated that cost should not be an issue and that financial assistance could be given. How do I get the criteria for getting assistance and what is the process for applying for this assistance?
I don't know specifically what this referred to, but I can confirm that many of the past campers at the camp have done fundraising within their communities in order to finance their way to the camp. For wrestlers planning on competing in both styles, the cost of the camp is an additional $100 over what they would have spent on entry fees. Getting the wrestlers involved in the fundraising also gives them a feeling of accomplishment as they "earn" their way to the camp. I don't think that this answered your specific question, but felt that you shouldn't overlook the possibilities of soliciting local citizens and businesses.
I hope this was some help.
