With soaring COVID-19 cases statewide, a Florida wrestling camp continues on.
Each summer, Andrew Gugliemini takes some of the wrestlers from the Manatee Kids Wrestling Club to various camps.
Recently, that included a trip to Alpharetta, Ga., for a camp. And this week, he has 14 club wrestlers ranging from the sixth grade to high-school aged at the week-long Florida Pride Wrestling Camp at Webber International University, located inin Babson Park in Polk County, Gugliemini said.
“It wasn’t hard at all,” Gugliemini told the Herald in a phone interview about the decision to go to the camp with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Kids are working their tail off, being very cautious with everything we do, making sure that they’re doing the proper things. I have my own radar gun taking their temperature every session. ... We haven’t had anything at all. Choosing their partners wisely. Trying to stay with the same guys, so you’re not exposed to a bunch of different people. Everything’s going great over here.”
Thursday marked the single-day high for positive COVID-19 cases in Florida, with 10,109 new cases, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The camp, which was started in 1989 and runs from June 29-July 3 this year, lists its coronavirus guidelines on its website.
They state the following:
- Florida Pride Wrestling Camp will be following all CDC guidelines and will be implementing many safety protocols.
- Upon arriving to camp for check-in, there will be staff taking temperatures before being cleared to enter.
- At the conclusion of each session we will be mopping, sterilizing, and fogging the practice facility.
- There will be plenty of sanitation stations for anyone that may want complimentary gloves or hands sanitizer.
- We will also have custom made Florida Pride (face masks available) for purchase
“Obviously, everybody has their own opinions,” Gugliemini said. “I feel as safe as can be. I don’t feel like I’m in danger of anything at all. ... If I start feeling some type of symptoms, then obviously I’ll deal with it. But everything feels normal.”
A video Gugliemini posted on Facebook this week at the camp shows wrestlers going through drills, jogging and huddled for instruction.
“I know that there’s a lot of people that have a lot of concern,” Gugliemini said. “If you have any type of health issues, obviously you’ve got to be concerned. If you don’t, at some point and again this is just Coach Gug’s opinion, at some point you’ve got to get back to life. I would never want to put someone’s loved one at risk for anything.”
Later in July, Gugliemini said they may go to a camp in St. Petersburg, but “we’re going to pick and choose what we’re doing, places I trust, people I trust.”
Gugliemini, who is also the head coach of Manatee High’s tradition-rich wrestling program, said they’re using AAU and USA Wrestling’s guidelines on COVID-19 precautions.
USA Wrestling has a four-phase approach, which was last updated June 11, to slowly return to the mats and resume activities, and Gugliemini said they returned to the mats on June 15.
While the camps are not affiliated with Manatee High, the high school sports fall season could be delayed in resuming, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The outlet reported a fall sports task force recommended the state’s governing body, the Florida High School Athletic Association, push the start of football practice date back from Monday, July 27 to Monday, Aug. 10.
Manatee County School Superintendent Cynthia Saunders made return to school recommendations June 25, which included:
Sixth-graders would attend in-person classes four days per week and online learning one day per week.
Students in grades seven through 12 would fall under a “hybrid schedule,” rotating between in-person and online classes throughout the week.
Middle and high school students in self-contained classrooms, meant for children with special needs, would return full time.
Manatee Technical College would also follow a hybrid model.
Those recommendations are subject to change and the school board plans to meet later this month for final recommendations prior to the 2020-21 school year beginning.
