By Chris Matthews
Oklahoma State Sports Information
They barely speak English. All they know is Greco-Roman. Yet, a team from Croatia ventured some 5,425 miles to participate in the Oklahoma State Wrestling Camp.
It has been a learning experience for a team making its first trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Dalibor Vracan, the coach for the Croatian team, says his boys are a little confused.
Four boys from Zagreb, the Croatian capital, aged 13 and 14 made the trip to attend the camp. It has been a positive experience for the group that are getting this opportunity.
Croatia is part of the former Yugoslavia in a part of Europe that has been at war for much of the last two decades. The boys were very young at the time, but are now in a time when Croatia can help kids.
The country is in a position where it can now help kids develop through sports. This opportunity came about from a sports director that had studied at Oklahoma State and told Vracan of this opportunity. It has been something entirely new for the four teens and their coach.
,³In Croatia, everybody practices Greco,² Vracan said. ,³This is something new for us. We train in only Greco. This is a different style.,²
The Oklahoma State camp they are attending lasts until July 14. It is an intensive camp that includes workouts beginning at 6:30 a.m. and lasting until 9 p.m.
,³Their biggest struggle is that they participate in Freestyle and Greco and know very little about Folkstyle wrestling (collegiate style),² Oklahoma State head wrestling coach and camp director John Smith said. ,³They get into some positions that they are unfamiliar with, but I think in the long run that it can help them be a little bit better in finishing their attacks.
,³There is not much of a barrier. A couple of the kids speak English and you can tell they are kind of excited to practice their English here in America.
It has been fun having them.,²
Having a group come from so far away only enhances Smith,¹s wrestling camp.
The camps have been full for several years, but Smith enjoys having a group from overseas and would welcome another group in the future.
,³It would be nice to have a few more people from overseas,² Smith said. I think it is a good experience not only for them, but also for the student-athletes that are from Oklahoma or wherever.
,³They get a chance to visit with them and compete against them in practice, it is definitely a different feel and a different style. Overall, it is a good experience for not only them, but us as well.,²
The young Croatians will spend an extra three days in Oklahoma before returning to Europe where they will attend a camp in Hungary before finishing their summer at a camp in their native Croatia. Vracan says they have enjoyed their stay in Oklahoma, and they have learned stuff that they can incorporate into their own style back home.
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