Wrestling camp season is in full swing, so I thought it'd appropriate to take a look at some camps that stand out around the nation. After a few conversations with the parents of cadet world champions, I have a pretty good idea of what, specifically, some of the best athletes in the country are looking for in a wrestling camp.

Allow me to introduce you to the Spartan Wrestling Camp in Pittsfield, Vermont, which returns this year on July 2-4.

The Brains

Joe DeSena

Have you ever heard of the Spartan Race? In case you haven't, Joe Desena started a company called Peak Races that puts together adventure-type races. The crown jewel of the Peak Races schedule is the annual "Death Race" -- a 48-hour adventure race through the mountains of Vermont in which participants are asked to complete ridiculous tasks such as retrieving pennies from a 40-degree lake, trekking 2 miles up a mountain with an 80lb log on their shoulders, and putting a Lego structure together in a specific and maddening way.

After doing countless interviews with successful individuals from the business world, the military world, and every walk of life in between, DeSena began to hear a specific theme, wrestling. Once his sons showed interest in the sport, it didn't take long for DeSena to start putting together a camp open to 14- to 19-year-olds that would combine the elements of the Spartan Death Race with traditional wrestling camps.

The Brawn

Zach Even-Esh

Zach, now the head strength coach for the Rutgers wrestling team, has been at the forefront of wrestling strength training for the better part of two decades. Think about all the things that you see lying around wrestling rooms around the country such as kettle bells, tractor tires, and sledge hammers. None of these things were considered training tools until Zach introduced his no-nonsense, no-frills approach back in the early 2000s. Zach's Underground Strength Gyms are open to all athletes, but they cater mostly to wrestlers. This is not by design, but because wrestlers are the ones who keep coming back for more. The union between Even-Esh and DeSena was a natural one.

I fully recognize that Spartan Wrestling Camp is not the first to incorporate "intensive training." J. Robinson and his camp system have been printing "I Made It" shirts for campers that finish their 28-day intensive camp for years. What sets the Spartan Camps apart is a combination of a few things.

Location

The camp has traditionally been held in mountainous Pittsfield, VT, on the weekend after Memorial Day when many times there is still plenty of snow on the ground. Carrying a log up and down a snow-covered trail to train is about as close to Rocky IV as a high school athlete can get in this country.

Ratio

Most of the camps that you see this time of the year boast amazing clinicians. Thats not very new. What's different about the Spartan Camp is that there is no more than 30 athletes there. Having lots of numbers is great for competition if that's what you're looking for, but if you're interested in actual learning from four-time EIWA coach of the year Rob Koll, then having a more manageable group is far more valuable. Check out Koll give personalized instruction to a less experienced wrestler here.

Leaders In The Industry

Again, having top-level coaches at your camp is not exactly groundbreaking, but having coaches like Rob Koll and Nate Carr Jr. at your camp is still pretty awesome. Having Even-Esh, who literally wrote the "Encyclopedia Of Underground Strength and Conditioning," there teaching you how to get stronger and tougher as it relates directly to wrestling is even more awesome. Combine that with a level of professionalism in the production and promotion that only a guy like Joe DeSena can provide and you have great experience for everyone.