Posted: 8/8/07
'I learned what it takes to win'
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Luke Carlson, a senior at Rush City, returned home at the end of July after a month long intensive wrestling camp held at the University of Minnesota. Carlson hopes the camp will help him qualify for the state wrestling tournament this winter. |
By Steve Morris
Luke Carlson paid $2,500 for a T-shirt.
It's not just the shirt, but what he had to endure to get the shirt that makes the story worth telling. Carlson, 18, and a senior at Rush City High School, recently returned from a month-long intensive wrestling camp held at the University of Minnesota campus.
Carlson joined more than 300 high school wrestlers from around the country to attended J Robinson 28 Day Intensive Camp. The camp was from June 30 to July 27 at the Gophers Indoor Arena.
"If you want to get better, that is where you go," Carlson said.
The J Robinson 28 Camp is one of many athletic camps organized or run by head Gopher wrestling coach J Robinson. Along with wrestling camps, Robinson also runs intensive basketball and hockey camps.
The J Robinson 28 Day Wrestling Camp has a reputation of being more intense than boot camp.
It was so difficult, around 50 kids quit the camp after the first week Carlson said. Some kids completed the camp, but didn't score enough "points" to graduate.
The camp was based on a point system. Each student started the camp with 1,000 points and could earn or lose points depending on behavior and performance. For instance, if Carlson was late for a morning run, he would lose points. On the last day of camp, if students completed a 15-mile run, they earned 150 points. Students needed 700 points at the end of camp to graduate.
At the end of camp, Carlson earned enough points to graduate the camp with honors.
"Only a small percentage of kids graduate with honors," his mother Bonnie said in a phone interview to the Post Review.
Carlson said around 25 kids didn't graduate. The thought of quitting certainly crossed his mind.
"I just laid in bed and wondered why am I here, this just sucks" he said of his thoughts during the first week of camp. "I was so sore during the first week, I could barley walk."
Part of the problem was Carlson battled a chronically sprained hamstring he suffered during the spring track season. To offset the pain, he took pain killers every three hours for the duration of camp.
The intensity of camp didn't help his injury at all. The kids wrestled seven days a week for a month straight. Carlson said each day started at 6:30 a.m., with a morning run and ended around 11 p.m. They had about four practices a day. The days were spent working on technique, listening to motivational speakers, and weight training.
"What I thought was hard work was nothing," he admitted. "I learned what it takes to win."
He had even brought a TV along but soon realized all he wanted to do was sleep when he had free time.
The level of competition at the state meet was diverse. Carlson said he wrestled state champions and kids who had never wrestled before in their lives.
"To be the best, you have to be with the best," he said.
Many of the kids were from out of state, mainly from New York, California and New Jersey, Carlson said.
Of the more than 300 kids at the camp, Carlson met less than five people from Minnesota.
During camp, Carlson roomed in Sanford Hall located on campus and had roommates from New Jersey, Michigan and Iowa.
Even though he was a little more than an hour from home, he didn't go home during camp. His mother, girlfriend and Rush City wrestling coach Tim Bowland visited him to give him a little sense of home and help him get through the camp.
Bowland was proud of his senior wrestler and said it was nice to have him attend the camp.
"It should do him well this season and I am very happy for Luke," he said.
THE PLANNING
Carlson, a four-year varsity starter, began scheming for his month-long wrestling camp shortly after his wrestling season ended.
The 18-year-old was unhappy with the way his season ended in the quarterfinals at the section meet. Soon, he talked to Bowland about what he could do during the summer that would make him better.
"I talked to my coach and asked him what I could do. He said if I was serious I should go to this camp."
Convinced and ready to go all out for his senior year, Carlson next had to figure how in the world he could raise $2,500.
To help pay for the camp, Carlson worked as a life guard at the Rush City pool and at Happy Hounds Hotel. He realized the two jobs alone weren't enough so he began doing whatever odd jobs he could find to earn cash. Putting out docks on Rush Lake was one such job. He also asked family for financial support.
"He raised everything he needed except $150," Bonnie Carlson said. "He did everything he could to get to this camp."
Preparation for his summer camp went beyond extra summer jobs. Carlson joined the Rush City track team to help condition him for camp.
Part of his desire to attend summer camp was to get an edge for the winter season. Carlson's goal is to make it to the state tournament and wrestle in college. Bowland told Carlson this was his first step toward making it to state.
The dedication and hard work may already have paid off in a subtle way. Bowland said he is considering Carlson as frontrunner to become team captain.
After the school year, he would like to attend the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and study to become a Department of Natural Resources officer.
Itasca Community College has been the only college that has sent him a letter to wrestle at their college.
Whatever his future college plans may bring, Carlson will always have his $2,500 T-shirt as a reminder of what true hard work is.
"It's an ugly shirt, but this shirt means so much to me. I call this my $2,000 T-shirt."
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