Holden Wrestling Alumni Daylen Greene Hosts Youth Camp
Greene Gives Back… Holden High School graduate Daylen Greene hosted a youth wrestling camp in the wrestling room of the Multipurpose Building at Holden Schools Monday, July 22 – Wednesday, July 24. Greene was joined by graduated Lee’s Summit North wrestler Charlie Dykes in leading the camp. Youth wrestlers ages 6U – 8U took part in an early session during the camp with wrestlers ages 10U, 12U, and 14U taking part in the later session. Greene (back right), Dykes (back left), and the 6U – 8U wrestlers are pictured breaking a huddle at the conclusion of the final day of the wrestling camp. Photo by Steve Edwards
Recent Holden High School graduate Daylen Greene hosted a three-day youth wrestling camp Monday, July 22 through Wednesday, July 24, as a way to give back to the wrestling program in which he gained his start in the sport.
Coming off of his senior wrestling season in which he earned a state title and his fourth all-state finish in total, Greene was joined by 2024 Lee’s Summit North graduate and fellow wrestling state champion Charlie Dykes who helped lead the camp which was held in the wrestling room in the Multipurpose Building at Holden High School.
The camp consisted of two sessions each evening with 6U – 8U wrestlers taking part in the early session, and 10U, 12U, and 14U wrestlers taking to the mats in the later session.
“I think kind of our purpose was just to give back to the kids in the community,” said Greene in between sessions on the final night of the camp. “It’s really important to kind of go back to where you started and just give back to the younger kids. It’s a great sport to show everybody and to expose everybody to the sport.
“I started in first grade, about this age,” added Greene who took to the sport of wrestling at an early age and developed into a state champion while developing a desire to give back to the Holden program and the sport, in general. “I think I was five or six, or something like that…pretty young just like them.”
Dykes also brought a successful resume with him to the camp as a three-time state medalist. The former Lee’s Summit North Bronco wrestler also shared a desire to give back to the sport by helping lead last week’s camp.
“I started in eighth grade so I didn’t get to see all this, so it’s really cool to see how kids can wrestle like this,” said Dykes. “Daylen definitely gave me an idea. I’m probably going to do my own camp up there one time, and hopefully he’ll help me out. It’s definitely a cool little system you’ve got out here.”
The two 2024 graduates met in high school through the sport of wrestling and will join each other as teammates at the next level as members of the UCM Mules wrestling team in Warrensburg this coming school year.
“We’re actually roommates in college, so we train all the time,” said Dykes.
“He’s the guy that’s above me in my spot,” chimed in Greene in reference to the friendly rivalry that exists between the two future college wrestling teammates vying for a spot on the Mules roster.
“We’ve been wrestling since freshmen in high school, so we’re pretty good buddies,” continued Dykes. “It’s just fun doing this stuff, especially for the youth. It’s cool just to give back.”
The pair used not only wrestling drills, but also various activities including spontaneous games of dodge ball during the camp. The main focus of the camp was to gain the interest of the wrestlers as they develop their skills to grow within the sport.
“For the younger kids, definitely just getting them exposed to a lot of stuff that they’d never been exposed to before, just kind of teaching them the basics of wrestling, how to listen well, how to stay on a task, things like that,” said Greene. “For the older kids, just really taking what they already know and kind of igniting that and pushing even farther.”
For Greene, the camp afforded him the unique opportunity to guide his youngest sister Marley who took part in the 6U – 8U camp sessions. Daylen was also joined by his sister Macey, who will enter her junior year of high school this fall. Macey assisted Daylen and Charlie in leading the camp on the final night. Lady Eagles wrestler Haley Brooks, graduated Eagle wrestler CJ Reifsteck, and current Eagle wrestlers Graysen Thieman and Conner Carver also offered assistance in leading the camp.
The opportunity to instruct his sister Marley, her friends, and also the older youth put the camp in perspective for Daylen who ended the 6U – 8U final session by reminding the wrestlers to be thankful for the opportunity to compete in the sport, and to be appreciative for the people who support them throughout their wrestling experiences.
“You know, it’s a weird thing to see them kind of grow up, but I think it’s good to have somebody that’s still close to the kids,” said Daylen. “Even on the younger team, I think it’s good to be there for them, and kind of give them someone to look up to. I’m just hoping I can be that person that they can look up to. I mean, it’s a small town, so to bring a group of people together to allow you to do something like that is really important so just to be thankful for that. Being able to have the opportunity to wrestle in a small town. That’s really it.”
