The wrestling program at Iowa State has held summer camps for years. However, this week is the first time the Cyclones have hosted a camp for full wrestling teams.

The camp is being held Sunday through Thursday at the Lied Recreation Center.

High school coaches around the Midwest gathered their wrestlers together and headed for Ames, looking to develop fundamentals and teamwork.

“The wrestlers experience a camp that not only concentrates on the individual, but also the team aspect of wrestling,” said ISU assistant coach Zach Thompson.

Camp coordinator Nick Britton said high schoolers come to become better wrestlers and to have fun.

“They come here to learn techniques and to compete as a team in the atmosphere of teamwork,” he said.

Thompson said the team activities the camp provides pulls the wrestlers together and creates teamwork.

Six teams and a total of 56 wrestlers are attending the team camp. Throughout the summer, ISU officials expect between 300 and 400 wrestlers to train in the various ISU camps.

Tim Serbousek, who coaches at Blue Valley Northwest High School of Overland Park, Kan., said the camp helps his wrestlers bond together as a group.

“I’ve been up here for the summer camps for many years,” he said. “I use the same techniques and drills in my practices that I learn here.”

One of Serbousek’s wrestlers, Ben Boyd, said ISU coaches have a certain way of teaching information that sticks.

“This is my fifth year of coming to ISU’s summer camps,” Boyd said. “Things that I learn, actually get put to use during the season.”

Britton, a former ISU wrestler, said camp officials teach the wrestlers new moves, hoping they will use at least one or two.

“We try to teach these guys that your mind will take you as far as you want it to,” Britton said.

ISU sophomore wrestler Reggie Reyes said head coach Bobby Douglas’ teaching creates more aggressive high school wrestlers.

Douglas, who was attending the 2003 World Team Trials in Indianapolis last weekend, will be coaching the wrestlers this week.

“Our wrestlers will leave this camp 20 to 50 percent better then when they walked into this place,” ISU coach Zach Thompson said.

Britton said the high school wrestlers are not the only ones benefiting from the camp.

“Some of our instructors have eligibility left, teaching throughout the summer fine tunes the little things you forget about,” Britton said.

Reyes said he enjoys making a difference in the wrestlers’ lives.

“These kids really want to learn, and you know you’re making a difference in their lives,” he said.

With the amount of determination put into the camp by all, the rewards are significant, camp officials said.

“Attitude is everything,” Britton said.

Thompson said the camp coaches try to teach that attitude along with correct form.

“We teach how to practice correctly with the right techniques,” he said. “Repetition after repetition makes solid wrestlers.”