Camper's Testimonials

I wanted to let you know attending the 14 day Intensive Camp this year 2010 completely changed the way I think about my life. Before going to your camp I would have never thought about joining any Armed Forces. After attending your camp I took a while to reflect on what I learned while at camp. I learned that there always needs to be a leader in every situation and that’s why I picked to do the Army Rotc Program. I want to be a leader a leader like you, an after my service term is over. I will be a career Fire Fighter still being a leader and helping others just like you thought us at camp. Leaders always makes sure everyone else is okay and cared for an put themselves last and that’s what i want to do with my life . Make a difference in someone else’s life just like you did with me. This camp is totally worth every penny, everyday I look back and miss camp. The drive and everything you get at this camp will be with you forever, You will never forget this camp if you go to it. One of the greatest times of my life and most Intense.

Thanks J,

Andre Ameye

I’m writing this e-mail the day after I won the Massachusetts Division 1 State Tournament at 171 pounds. This past summer I attended the 14 day J Robinson Camp in Susanville, California and I can honestly say the main reason for me winning my state title was attending this camp. I had been to many camps and clinics before and I always thought I had pushed myself to be the best, but after completing your camp I have come to appreciate a new meaning of hard work, sacrifice, and discipline. Although I came home from the camp almost 6 months ago, I can still remember all the drills, all the wrestling, and all the talks you gave us over the course of those two weeks. “Discipline is doing what you don’t want to do when you don;t want to do it.” – I will never forget that quote. Thank you very much for pushing me to become the best wrestler I can possible be. This is definitely worth the 3,000 mile flight from Boston to California.

Sincerely, Ryan M

Coach Robinson and staff,

I attended your camp in 2000 and 2001, the summers before my freshman and sophomore years. At the time, I was an average wrestler at best. Your philosophy on setting goals made me realize that I wanted to be more and that I had to act on that immediately. This past winter, my career culminated in a high school state championship and I just want to thank you and your staff for making me realize what I wanted and how to get it. I decided to move on and not wrestle in college but your philosophy will stay with me forever.

Sincerely,
Ryan S

I just wanted to take this chance to thank J Robinson Camps for all it has done for me on and off the mat. My name is Pat S from New Hampshire and I attended the 14-Day Eastern Intensive camp two years in a row (2002-2003) and recieved the I Did It shirt both times. Your camp made me acheive my best record this past year (my senior year). I went from not even going to state to being the 135lbs. starter and going 38-10, with only two losses at state. I ended up placing 5th at state.

After your camp, not only did my wrestling skills get better but so did my academic skills. I had mediocre grades but then recieved honor roll every term after your camp. Because of you guys, I placed at state and got into College.

Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.
Pat S

Coach Robinson

My name is Allan. I attended your 28-day intensive wrestling camp in the summer of 1998. I proudly graduated that long morning after the 15-mile run and proudly wore my t-shirt home. I felt like I was on top of the world. Your camp gave me the confidence, experience, knowledge, and work ethic to help me for the next three years of my high school wrestling career. I went from starting only half a year with a 6-6 record, to a team captain and a 23-7 record the next year and equally successful junior and senior years. Even though I did not finish as well as I would have liked to my senior year, I felt like I had prepared the best I could and you helped me to do so.

The reason I write this letter is not to inform you of my wrestling career, but to let you know how much your camp has helped me outside of the sports arena. As a junior in high school, I decided that I wanted to attend school at the United States Military Academy. The last two years in high school I did everything I could to gain admission. At the end of my senior year, I was denied acceptance into the Corps of Cadets. However, I did not let this one bump in the road slow me down; I went to college, studied as much as I could and re-applied. In February, I received a phone call congratulating me on my appointment. Though I did not realize it at the time, the discipline that I learned from you camp helped me to achieve my goal.

On June 30 2003, I started my West Point life by reporting for the start of our basic training, BEAST. I was quickly surprised at the similarities I saw between the way you ran your camp and the way BEAST was run. West Point even has its own relaxation and visual training department. They use the exact same methods that we would use every night. During training and morning PT, I would watch my fellow classmates fall out and stop when I knew they could push on. Several times, I would run along side of them pushing them and encouraging them to keep going much like your Cadre would. Of course, there were mornings where I really felt like staying in bed and not getting up. However, I remember the mental toughness and discipline that I learned during your camp and I would drive on. The thing that really made the connection between my basic training and my experiences at your camp was the event that marked the graduation from BEAST: a 15-mile ruck march. Many times throughout the night when my feet hurt, my legs and back ached, and I was ready to sleep, I would remember the fact that I had run 15 miles, and all I had to do here was walk. I saw several of my classmates not finish the march because they mental caved, not physically.

In closing, I would just like to say thank you. You told us that your camp would prepare us not just for wrestling, but also for life. It was not until this summer that I truly experienced this. Good luck with the upcoming season. I look forward to following your team’s success. Thank you again for all of the wisdom and training.

Respectfully,
Allan S

Mr. Robinson,

My name is Evan. I am 22 years old. I attended your intensive wrestling camps back in 1995(Oregon, 14 days), 1996(28 day), and 1997(28 days). I think I owe it to you to let you know just how your camps and motivational talks have impacted my life. After my high school career, I wanted to do the most challenging thing I could come up with. What I came up with was joining the Army and becoming a Ranger. Keep in mind that I had never even heard about Rangers unless I was at one of your wrestling camps. Well I arrived at 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in February of 1999. I graduated Ranger School, Class 9-99, on September 24 of the same year. After an honorable discharge, I now live in San Diego and I am pursuing a degree in criminal justice so I can achieve my long-term goal of joining the FBI.

Because your camps teach not only wrestling technique and conditioning training, I believe you have greatly impacted the direction my life has brought me. I have also put a percentage of my earnings away religiously every time I make a deposit.

I just wanted to say thank you, and I guess that while I was at your camps, all I could think about was trying to get a positive and of course that I wanted to go home and see my girlfriend. I had no clue that your intensive wrestling camps would teach me so much and instill so many excellent values about life and how to achieve my goals, how to get the most out of every single day. Don’t get me wrong, I have great parents as well, they were and always will be behind me until the day they die, but I hope you know that you are always going to be a huge part of the way I live my life.

Thank you so much,
Evan R

My name is Derek and I went to your 28- Day camp last summer. To tell you the truth, I hated waking up every day and working out all the time. I’m glad that I went and you and your wrestlers pushed me to work harder than I have ever worked before. Because I went to your camp, I learned what it takes to become a great wrestler and a good student in school. Before I went to your camp, I was 27-20. This past year after going to your camp, I was 42-4 and 4th at the state tournament. I am coming back this summer again hoping and wanting to became a state champ next year. I know that the only way to do this is to work harder than anyone in your weight. So I guess I’m just trying to say thank you for what you have taught me and what I am about to learn this summer. I will see you in the summer.

Derek S.

Hi my name is Will and I attended the 28-day J Robinson Intensive Wrestling Camp two years in a row. The First time I went the following year I made to the trip to state, but was beaten twice and I had to bow out. I was pleased with my success from the following year but new I had more. So last year I attended the camp again and honestly worked my butt off. I never got the black hat but I had plenty of positives and was pleased with my work. This year I kept that hard work and mental edge and had a dominating season. I noticed that I wasn’t tired in the third period like other kids and in practice I was always the last to leave because I did EXTRA. Well J, I made the trip to state again and I hope to get a state title. The first day I won both my matches and was in the finals. I couldn’t believe it, here was a kid that wasn’t even a conference champ last year and barley followed another kid to state, and I was in the finals. Well the night before the finals match I took a look at my journal and read it and thought about camp and WWJD (What Would J Do). Well I can proudly say to you SIR that my success was from you and your camp because now I am a STATE CHAMPION. I ended my senior season with a 44-3 record and a state champion, the way I wanted to. You made my dream come true. I just wanted to say thank you Sir and god bless you. If it weren’t for you and the counselors, I know I wouldn’t have been in the finals. THANKS AGAIN

Will S.

Dear J and staff, thanks for showing me and teaching me all of the things that you showed at the 28-Day Intensive. You guys taught me so much and I will never forget it. This camp gave me an experience both physically and mentally. I now look at life and the sport of wrestling with a different perspective. I know that I will succeed this year in wrestling due to the tough training this summer, thanks for teaching me how to be a champion.

Thanks,
Kennie P.

Mr. Robinson, I recently came back form your 28-Day Intensive Camp. On the first day of camp, you asked what the meaning of hard work was and I thought it was a six-minute match. At the end of camp, my meaning of hard work was 2 hours of wrestling and condition on top of that. When I got back and told stories and everyone thought they were all a lie. I told them about berpes with Hartung and hitting the wall with McGivern. They thought I was crazy to go to camp and I now miss it more than ever. I would give anything if were shorter until I got there again and realize that I am there forever. What I’m getting at is, please don’t change your camp one bit. I will see you next year.

Evan L.

Dear J Robinson,

You get a lot of these letters but I’m grateful for lessons you taught me.  Before I came to your 28 Day Intensive Wrestling Training Camp I had no idea who I wanted to be.  I was honestly heading down a road full of bad choices.  I was always late, I stopped caring about school so I didn’t do any work at all, I was disrespectful to my elders including my family, and I was thinking about doing drugs and drinking.  I never wanted to help anybody unless it benefit me in some way.  All I thought I cared about was wrestling that’s why I came here to this camp only thinking that my wrestling was going to improve.  When I came here I was an angry child angry at the world and expecting that everything had to go my way and that I wouldn’t have to work for it.  J Robinson I feel as if you completely change my meaning of life.  I now want to help people.  I now know I can out work 90% of Americans and be in the top 10%, the elite.  I’m glad I stuck to it because I had my days where I come back to the dorms saying I wanted to quit but then thanks to counselors and those talks you gave us inspired me to continue and keep giving it all I got.  Everyday now I’m always going to try and improve myself 1% more in everything I do.  If you do read this letter could you also please tell your staff they did an awesome job and thank them for me for the lessons they also taught me.  This camp has shown me anything is possible if I want it and if I’m willing to put the work in for plus some more.

Dear J:

        I attended the 14 day intensive camp in 2011 and wish to write to you about how I feel you impacted me. When I attended I was heading in for my Junior year hoping to win a state title. The Monday I got home I began a training regimen so I could win that championship. Everyday I was devoted doing everything I could and more. When the season came I was in good shape and was well prepared. I am not going to tell you about how that year went but rather skip to the middle of the season after a big tournament, I came to practice the next day ready to make a shift to do better in the season. Unfortunately for me shoulder popped out of practice and would not go back in. I had to have my mom pick me up and take me to the hospital to get it back in. I wasn't going to able to wrestle for 6 months. So that season was shot. But I would not be able to come back for a senior year either due to the fact that I needed surgery on it later with a recover time longer than the season. I am currently typing this to let you know, that I am grateful for the lessons you taught me. You taught me that everyday you live life to accomplish your goals, and I will do just that. I re-evaluate myself everyday to make sure I am on the right track for those goals. Your intensive camp is the hardest thing I have ever done. Anytime people bring up things that they say is physically challenging  I say "I can do that, because I say so". Before my injury I put up a sign on my door to remind me of my goal to be a champ, and I don't take it down to remind me to keep living life to the fullest, and I keep up the sign you give us to put above our beds, to remind me that I need to work as hard as I can everyday to become the best me. Thanks again J Rob and God bless you in turning boys as you continue to influence youth like myself.