Neil K. Warner DAILY HERALD
Brock and Mitch Brown have arrived at Timpanogos High School a few minutes early.
It’s Monday morning at 9 a.m., and the Brown brothers are about to participate in the first wrestling camp they have ever attended, so naturally they are a little nervous, a little quiet and a little tired.
Even though they have both been wrestling since they were 6 years old, attending a weeklong camp is completely different.
They’ve picked a good one. It’s the Sanderson Wrestling Camp. There are 151 kids ranging from age 8 to 18, from 40 pounds to well more than 200 pounds. There are kids from as far away as Pennsylvania and Alabama and kids from Arizona, California, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada and Montana.
When you think of it that way, it tends to make their drive from Payson seem a little shorter.
Chris Brown, the boys’ father, knows a thing or two about wrestling. He was the wrestling coach at Payson from 1987 to 1998. He was a two-time state champion and a Delta High School graduate (class of 1981). He won state titles in both his freshman and senior year, so what could his sons learn at a wrestling camp that he couldn’t teach them?
“I want them to have the experience of being around Cael, Cody and Cyler, “Brown said. “The biggest thing about wrestling is confidence. As soon as you fear, you’ve lost. At Delta, we knew we were going to win every year. We were the team everyone looked at when we got to the tournament. I want my kids to be around people with that kind of confidence. It’s so important. I think it’s true with any sport.”
The brothers are two years apart. Brock will be an eighth-grader this fall, and Mitch is going into the sixth grade. Brock weighs 95 pounds and is about a foot taller than Mitch, who is 65 pounds. Both often use the same facial expressions and both have sandy, brown hair.
But there are still many differences.
“He’s (Mitch) weaker, I’m buffer, taller and better looking, “Brock says in true older brother fashion.
Brock, 13, won a state title this year and was undefeated until he lost twice at Western Regionals to finish the year at 40-2.
He likes macaroni and cheese and strawberry pie. When he’s not wrestling, he spends his time riding his bike, shooting his BB gun and working out.
He watches CSI and Jackie Chan on the Kids’ WB. He likes destroying toys that no one uses and lighting fireworks. He collects coins and sports cards.
Mitch, 11, didn’t win a state title but won the Western Regionals tournament and had just two losses on the year.
He likes lasagna and fudge ripple ice cream. He likes to play baseball, evident by the Chicago Cubs hat he wears to camp each day.
When describing the difference between his two sons, Chris says, “Mitch will run through a wall, while Brock would rather figure out a way around it.”
In the Western Regional tournament, Mitch was so dominant that he pinned all of his opponents.
What did Brock think of his brother’s accomplishment?
“He got the stupid Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament.”
First-day jitters
As expected, the first day is chaotic. Kids are lined up at a table that is located just inside the gym doors. Some kids are registering late, others are looking for someone to give their T-shirt size to, and it seems everyone has a question.
Steve Sanderson, father of Cael, Cody, Cole and Cyler, is at the table. He started the Sanderson Wrestling Camp 16 years ago with just 25 wrestlers. Now he can sit back with satisfaction to see how his idea has evolved.
“We have kids coming from all over the country who come for a chance to work with Cody and Cael. It’s a great opportunity for a pretty inexpensive cost for these kids to work with some of the best wrestlers in the country, “Steve said. “A lot of the kids come here because they want to be here to be in this environment. They’re in a clean, fun camp and you don’t have some of the abuses that you see in some of the camps back east. The language is good (here). It’s just a clean, fun camp where the kids are learning lots of good things.”
Once everyone is checked in, Cody Sanderson, the camp head coach, covers the camp ground rules — like no squirting other kids with water bottles, drink a lot of fluids, and take showers after each day.
The wrestlers begin with a series of warm-up drills. They jog around the gym, do tumble drills and cartwheels, walk on their hands and do leap frog. This goes on for 30 minutes, but this is a warm-up, not a workout.
Cody talks to the kids and introduces a special guest.
“There are millions of wrestlers, but he is the best ever, “he says. “No one has been able to do what he’s done.”
I give you my brother, Cael Sanderson, wrestling superstar.
This may not sound like a big deal to some, but he is the Michael Jordan of wrestling. Having him at the wrestling camp is like having Lance Armstrong teach a P.E. class on cycling.
Sanderson went through his entire college career without a loss. He won an Olympic Gold medal.
The boys are mesmerized.
It may not have been Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream “speech, but his words hit home.
“Guys who you wrestle next year are at home asleep right now. You can reach your goal. You can be whatever you want to be, but you’ve got to pay the price. We live in America — the greatest country in the world. You’re the only person who can decided if you are going to succeed.”
Cael Sanderson then shows the boys in the camp the technique that has helped him arrive at the wrestling pinnacle.
As he finishes talking, he says “Let’s go. Ready? “and then claps his hands. The campers pick up and follow. Ready, clap, ready, clap. Three times.
After wrestlers get a chance to practice what they learned, it’s time for more instruction.
“I want to focus on your setups, “Cael says. “Get him off balance before you attack him. I want to get him out of his strong position before I attack, “he says. “Keep your feet moving. It’s more effective if I get my hands on him. I want to use my hands to make him step where I want him to step.
If you’ve got a guy who is quicker than you, grab his head and slow him down. Another way to get a hold of him is a fake shot.”
There were other techniques, secrets only those at the camp know.
At 11 a.m. the first session is over and it’s time for lunch. Brock and Mitch didn’t bring their lunch like most of the other campers. They have something else in mind.
They are going out to eat at Taco Amigo with Cael and Cody. Now that wasn’t in the camp brochure.
Olympic glory
Tuesday morning Sanderson is back for his last session. There are more techniques to teach and just to mix things up, campers get to watch a video. This is not just any video, this is the ultimate how-to video. It is Cael Sanderson’s Gold Medal winning performance in the Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Campers relive the glory.
Sanderson scores on a takedown where he got a back exposure. He adds another point on a takedown to go up 3-1.
Chants of U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A, ring through the arena.
The clock ticks down. Sports announcer Dick Enberg says with enthusiasm there are just six seconds left in the match.
Sanderson wins. His arm is held high in the air. He is an Olympic gold medalist. One of the most remarkable runs in sports history is over.
U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A.
Fade to black.
Cael stands up again. “Do you have any questions?”
Dozens of hands shoot up.
First question: Why did you let him score a point?
Talk about a tough crowd.
Answer: I didn’t let him.
Question: How do you prepare yourself mentally and physically before a match?
Answer: By going to practice every day and working hard to prepare.
Question: Will you compete in the 2008 Olympics?
Answer: I don’t know yet. I’m not sure. I’m going to wait before I make my decision.
Question: What did it feel like after you won the gold medal?
Answer: I had a great feeling of peace and happiness when it was over. There was a great deal of pressure on me.
Question: Did you ever feel like quitting?
Answer: Maybe sometimes. I think if you set your goals high enough, sometimes there maybe some time when you feel like quitting. That’s why there’s so few people who make it. There’s going to be tests. No one is going to go through life without any adversity. There’s going to be some ups and downs. You have to expect that.”
Following the question and answer session, Sanderson leaves the campers with this bit of advice.
If you want to be a state champion, or an Olympic champion, whatever you want to be, do what you have to do to become what you want. Remember, someone will be state champion. It might as well be you. Prepare yourself and it will happen.
Following the Q&A, Sanderson sits down at a table to sign autographs. A line quickly forms.
Wrestlers are eager to get anything signed. Some take off their shirt and place it on the table. Some buy a Cael Sanderson Olympic poster and have it autographed. Some have their head gear signed, and one of the more popular items is to have their wrestling shoes autographed.
Parents at the camp are quick to arrange to shoot photos of their kids with Cael. When all the autographs are signed and the camera cards are filled, Sanderson leaves for the airport to fly out to attend the ESPN ESPY Awards. He’s nominated for “Best Olympic Moment.”
Sanderson didn’t win an ESPY (the show airs Sunday night), but got to rub shoulders with some of sports’ biggest names.
“It was nice to be part of it and nice to be acknowledged even though he didn’t win, “his father, Steve, said. “It’s incredible the people you get to see there. It’s kind of incredible to be rubbing shoulders with those people and watching their reaction to Cael. When Cael won an ESPY a few years ago, Kobe Bryant came all the way over across the room and said, ‘I wanted to meet you. I’ve been reading about you and you’re something’. This time LeBron James shook hands with Cael and told him he thought he could pin him. It was just a lot of fun.”
After Cael leaves, Cody, who is UVSC’s head wrestling coach, takes charge.
Practice makes perfect
Wednesday the campers get down on the mats to work on “the referees position “and the “freestyle Par Terre position. “They pair up and those on the bottom position are taught where to position their leg to try for a reversal.
Thursday, Cody introduces another special guest. This time it’s Nate Gallick from Iowa State. Gallick is currently training for the University World games and is second in the country in wrestling in his weight class.
When it’s lunch time, Brock is happy because he remembered to bring a spoon for his chocolate pudding. He gets out his lunch. Today’s menu is lunchables — pizza. There are a few pepperonis, crackers and cheese.
Lunch time at camp is a time for the kids to relax. Some play games, some sleep, some sit in the stands and listen to music.
Some work on the moves they’ve learned.
Friday’s highlight is the take-down tournament. It’s here where Brock and Mitch prove they have been paying attention.
Brock wins nine of his matches even though he is the lightest in his weight division. Mitch dominates.
The winner stays and Mitch stays for 20 straight matches, one after another. He pins, takes them down or slams his opponent to the mat. Only occasionally does the match last longer than 10 seconds.
He uses his lighting strike move to go low and get the legs of his opponent, then like a spider toying with its prey, he has him wrapped up, helpless.
Each wrestler is honored for winning the take-down tournament in their weight class. They are called up in front of the group to be recognized.
They line up to get their T-shirts, and after they have each received a black “Sanderson Wrestling Camp “T-shirt, the camp is over.
After five days and 20 hours of instruction, it’s over.
What have they learned?
“I really liked watching the video of Cael and being able to ask him a question. It was awesome, “Mitch said. “A lot of kids don’t have the chance to ask him a question or get something signed by him.”
Reversals, escapes, conditioning, ankle picks and takedown shots. Over 100 moves. Like any other class or camp, they’ll use just a fraction of what they learn because there is too much instruction to digest.
And if they learned nothing else, maybe someday when they need it the most they will remember the words spoken by some of wrestling’s greatest athletes.
“It’s impossible to process even half of what they go through here, “Cody Sanderson said. “Hopefully, there is two or three techniques they will implement that they learn and they will remember the things we talked about on how to prepare mentally. That can be the most difficult aspect of the sport is learning to prepare yourself to think and be positive and work for your goals. What often happens is sometime after the camp, a light will go on and they’ll realize how much better they’ve become.”
As for the Brown brothers, it’s time to go home.
“It was a great opportunity to learn things from the best in the world, “Brock said. “We learned how he does some of his shots and to have fun.”
The brothers aren’t sure what they’ll do tonight. Mitch says he wants to sleep. Brock would like to watch a movie.
Even though they have had a full week of wrestling, Brock says he’s going to try out some new moves.
He wants to try the “Ball and Chain “and the “Guillotine.”
But he needs a volunteer.
“He’ll try it on me, “Mitch says begrudgingly. “He always does.”
But that’s OK. One of the things Mitch learned at the Sanderson camp was the winner is usually the one who wants it more.
The winner is the person who has prepared more and practiced harder and stashed away a few moves about how to take down someone who is bigger than you.
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.
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