My version of coaching wrestling

The more wrestling opportunities that I'm a part of, the more I realize that the way I coach is different than most wrestling coaches. My personality is constructed in a way that encourages me to challenge the process. I'm confused by this at times because I fit into society very well and have friends and look "normal," but I'm quite different than most people I meet or associate with.

Everything I do in the sport of wrestling is carefully thought of in advance and done intentionally. This alone puts me in a different catergory than most wrestling coaches. I'm not one for doing things the way they've always been done just because they've always been done that way. I enjoy tradition, but I also like to know that I'm doing what is best in every situation. I like to ask why we do the things we do and often times I find that the traditional way of coaching wrestling is not the best way to do it.

Generally speaking, most coaches teach moves; I teach principles. Most coaches try to show athletes how to score points; I focus on controlling and winning positions. There are hundreds of matches taking place within every single wrestling match. I want my athletes to focus on the small "causes" that lead to successful "effects." Wrestling should be approached in a systematic way with small attacks that eventually may or may not lead to an opportunity for a committed attack (e.g., a "shot").

As a culture, wrestling is very bad at applying the scientific method. I enjoy formulating theories within the sport and testing them. If they don't work, I'm quick to try something else. If there are unique correlations, I build on them and continue asking why and formulating more theories that can be tested. For example, I notice that a very large percentage of state champions can successfully execute a round-off to a back flip (tuck or layout). So, I begin to wonder if teaching a round-off to a back flip is more valuable than teaching and arm bar. It's an idea to think about.

Something else that I notice and take initiative to change with my athletes is the lack of attention to the "easy work." As wrestlers, we understand hard work. We lead the sports world with being able to push ourselves hard, but we're not very good at doing easy work. We don't take enough time to stretch properly after practice because it will cut into our live wrestling opportunities. We don't take the time to drill positions well because it cuts into wrestling hard. I could go on and on with this one.

Wrestling coaches continuously watch the wrestlers around them instead of those above them. I choose to watch and study the highest levels of international wrestling and teach my youngest athletes the skills that work there. Our minds are lazy and will not expand if we don't look ahead. I'm shocked by how many youth coaches and high school coaches don't know who represented the US in the Olympics in 2008, or worse yet, even what styles are competed in the Olympics. I talk to middle school girl's basketball coaches and they know everything about the most recent Dream Team, but wrestling coaches don't know the top athletes in their sport. It creates a stagnant environment with very little room for growth.

At Victory School of Wrestling, I can assure you that we systematically go through the positions and experiment with new skills, tactics and positions. Ultimately, I want to teach the wrestlers how to wrestle, not just how to drill well and execute techniques in a fixed setting. They need to adapt to changes and be willing to put together one concept with another and continuously move forward (isn't that a perfect picture of life?). I want them to learn for themselves, not just repeat a system of moves (like a parrott). Everything we do is on purpose. Our wrestling style is very intentional, thoughtful and creative. We teach technique because it gives us a base, but we allow everyone to wrestle to their strengths.

I think I'm different right now, but I see a lot of other coaches who think the same and want to break out of the old mold. Sometimes they just don't understand that they can. There are endless opportunities when you become your own man/woman and coach athletes they way they need to be coached and begin to move away from doing things the way they've always been done.