Editor? note: Women? Junior World Head Coach Rusty Davidson is keeping a notebook concerning the preparation and competition activities of the 2003 Women? Junior World Team, which will compete in Turkey this summer. We will update the entries with the most recent postings at the top of the article. Wednesday, August 27th Notebook entry This will be the last entry in our ?raining Notebook? I sincerely hope that this, along with the hard-copy training log we prepared for each athlete will be tools for development. I hope, too, that the rest of you were better able to stay involved with our World Championship experience. Coaches always want support. Relatives always want information. It seemed logical to use our available technology to help you help us. It? important to not that this required considerable effort from our Media Relations staff at USAW? Thank You! We started training camp with ten simple goals. Now that the dust has settled, I want to revisit each goal briefly and give my gut instinct as to our level of satisfaction. Here goes: * Represent the USA with dignity? Done, 100%. We received compliments from the entire officiating group, from our Turkish hosts, and from FILA. Most of you realize these don? come easy. * Put the well being of the group before any individual?50%. This is where we need the most work, to reach that next level. I am fully aware that we are an ?ndividual?sport. Nevertheless, experience has taught that cooperation helps us reach our own personal goals. It is difficult for young athletes to put themselves second to the group, in appropriate situations. It is absolutely necessary, in order for these athletes to reach their full potential. * Develop positive routines for preparation?80%. This is closely related to the last goal. Talent can do quite well, up to a certain level. After that, it comes down to focused commitment. We need to continue to put these athletes in World Class environments, so they can experience the demanding pace required for continued success. * Stay healthy? 100%. We had our share of bumps and bruises, sore backs and ow-ies. Thanks, I think, to the preparation at home, our training camp strategy, and our trainers and doctor, we had no significant injury or illness. * Make new American friends for life?90%. We definitely made some new relationships and solidified existing ones. In our sport, perhaps more than any, this is critical to our ongoing emotional needs as athletes. * Make new foreign friends for life? 80%. Our environment wasn? overly conducive, but we were successful. I believe the athletes saw positive examples in our officials, coaches, and leaders. Again, it is this universal camaraderie that makes wrestling unique. * Create stories that people will ask to hear again? Without a doubt, 100%. Where were you when the blackout happened? Ever cruised the beach on the Black Sea? Been to the Grand Bazaar? The Blue Mosque? * Laugh a lot? 100%. At each other?with each other?and especially at our beloved Greco Coaches! * Win the World Championship? 85%. Our competition is getting better?fast. Societies with traditionally closed systems (Russia, China) do have some advantages. We have to keep using all our resources to make our open system more successful. I believe our National Coaching Staff are leading us in the right direction. Third was actually a treat for us! We had no idea we were in the chase. I have to say again, this was due to the efforts of all eight women. Thanks to all eight for giving me the thrill of standing on the podium to get the trophy. * In closing, I want everyone to know what an honor is has been for me to travel, train, and compete with this group of young women. Congratulations and best wishes to all eight, as you continue to struggle?in wrestling, in the classroom, in life. Tuesday, August 26th Notebook entry We all got out?early, but healthy. Everyone? on their way, either home or directly to school. It? important to remember?these women are all full time students. School started for most while we were away. Late last night I received our final placements. Here they are: 44kg Liz Short - 5th out of 17 48kg Mary Kelly - 3rd out of 23 51kg Debbi Sakai - 17th out of 20 55kg Cathy Migita - 14th out of 21 59kg Brandy Rosenbrock - 7th out of 19 63kg Alaina Berube - 4th out of 19 67kg Ali Bernard - WORLD CHAMPION out of 14 72kg Juanita Russell - 7th out of 17 Team Standings: 1st China 55 2nd Russia 47 3rd USA 39 4th Japan 36 5th Poland 34 6th Germany 29 7th Canada 24 8th Belarus 20 9th Ukraine 18 9th Bulgaria 18 11th India 15 11th Czech Rep 15 13th Hungary 14 14th Mexico 12 15th Romania 11 16th Switzerland 8 17th Moldova 7 17th Italy 7 19th Taipei 6 20th France 5 20th Kazakhstan 5 20th Austria 5 23rd Greece 4 24th Slovakia 3 25th Finland 1 25th Sweden 1 With no points Armenia, Australia, Great Britain, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Republic of South Africa, Turkey A total of 150 women competed. Ten countries had full delegations of eight. Of note, team champions China did not. China brought seven women?took two gold, three silver, one bronze. They were 11th at 51kg. Still processing all that we?e been and done in the last 21 days. After pondering it on several flights today though, I? coming to the conclusion we got real close to the bulk of our goals. I have no doubt some of our team were unhappy at times. We made an effort to introduce the discipline and structure that our senior women live with. This can be shocking to some young athletes, just turning the corner. One of our big aims is for each athlete to become her own best coach. For this reason, we tried to add the principles of a sound, long-term training program to each girl? tool box. We want them to have plenty of background to get them through. I get one more day to communicate with you and with them. I?l finish crunching all the numbers, try to reach some conclusions, and touch base with all of you one more time. Thank you all, so much, for taking an interest in this team. Go Greco! Finish well. Best wishes to Coaches Steiner (Troy) and McPherson and the Freestyle men. And?to our Seniors?Good luck in New York and Creteille! Monday, August 25 ?Final Day of Competition How does WORLD CHAMPION sound? It sounds pretty good to us... and it describes Ali Bernard. Ali (67kg) became USA's newest World Champion Monday evening, defeating Maya Hristova (Bulgaria) by a convincing score of 14-7. It was, by far, the most exciting match of the finals. Bernard had beaten Ashlea McManus (Canada) in the semi's 5-3. McManus went on to place third. Mary Kelly won the BRONZE MEDAL at 48kg, defeating Yuri Funatsu (Japan) by technical superiority 10-0 at 2:57. Kelly lost to eventual Champion Larissa Oorzak (Russia) 0-8 in the semi's. Alaina Berube finished fourth, losing by fall at 2:28 to Emilia Drzewinska (Poland). Berube had beaten nemisis Jakhar Geetika (India) 2n the quarter finals, before losing to Anna Polovneva (Russia) 3-8 in the semi's. Polovneva went on to become World Champion. Other Champions included: Lyudmila Balukhka (Ukraine) at 44kg. Liz Short was pinned by her in the quarters Sachiko Akasaka (Japan) at 51kg. She had four points scored on her during the tournament... Debbi Sakai scored three of them. Zho Huo Yan (China) at 55kg Mariya Smolakova (Russia) at 59kg Yan Fang Li (China) at 72kg. OK... here's the icing on the cake (It certainly was a pleasant surprise for us)... The USA placed THIRD in the team race. China won it, with five in the finals and a bronze. Russia was second, with three in the finals. Team Leader John Welch will pick up the final results Tuesday, while we are in the air. Until then, use your search engine to locate the Turkish Wrestling Federation or the Junior World Wrestling Championships. I think they are running complete results. As for us... all we can figure