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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Mike Taylor added to this discussion on January 8, 2009
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To all of you who are part of this forum, I need some advice. I am a volunteer coach at a fairly successful wrestling program here in eastern Iowa. The technique taugh is very good, but there is just one problem. Some of the kids just seem to be fine counting the lights. Because I'm a newcomer, I work primarily with the JV (which I love, by the way). If any of you have ever been in a similar situation and was able to instill some pride and toughness into that kid, how did you do it? Right now, there are 2 problems I face. First, I DO NOT want to start overrunning the head coach. I'm not that kind of person, and I would never want to do anything to cause dissention. That is no way to repay the kindness he has shown me in allowing me to assist him in the programs success. Secondly, I don't want to become overbearing to the kids...especially the ones who might only be out for the sport for the fun of it. Not a serious wrestler. Problem is at this point in their career I can't tell who the "serious" ones are and who are just out for fun. I look forward to the wisdom that will be shared. Thanks a ton in advance.
Mike Taylor
Cedar Rapids, IA
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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Mark Palumbo added to this discussion on January 8, 2009
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I'm no Dan Gable, but I've see some of what you are talking about. First off for the kids that "just want to have fun" make sure they know winning is very fun. There will always be the kid who is on the team "just to be a part of something" but remember all kids like to be recognized for their efforts win or lose. You should do live situations with one kid starting on their back in a semi tight pinning combo or tilt then tell your JV wrestlers to pretend they are on fire and the only way to put out the fire is to get off their backs. Then go live.
You can also do a “JV wrestler of the week” and/or “JV effort of the week” give team recognition and a t-shirt to the hardest worker of the week or the most improved or a great performance during a JV meet even a great performance in a loosing effert.
That is the positive stuff try it for a month or so some kids will react to it very well. For others. (Be careful with the following you must know how to use it properly) Take a half of a door knob and mount it on a chunk of wood and start to hand out the door knob award to the guy that showed no fight off his back what so ever. (he got turned like a door knob) no one wants this award so they might try to avoid it at all costs. Just make sure you give it to kids that you KNOW can do better.
Some kids need a pat on the back others need a slap on the back.
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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Mike Taylor added to this discussion on January 8, 2009
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Ha ha. Door knob award. That's classic. I've never heard that one before. I believe the kids are trying hard (in their own mind), but I'm not sure how to make them mean on the mat. I was like them once, and I'm not really sure what turned me. What made me enjoy a brawl on the mat. I don't mean to imply every wrestler must be mean as we each have our own style. However, all great wrestlers have the same basic mindset. When I was competing I never acknowledged just how big a part of our sport the mental aspect plays.
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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Mark Palumbo added to this discussion on January 8, 2009
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I must give credit to one of my coaches for the door know award, I’m not that clever. When practice is fun, you want to do it more therefore you get better. Once you get better you want to practice more and so on. The one phrase that stuck with me during my second year of wrestling is “You’re a wrestler, you’re allowed to do it hard!” Which to me means after you’ve learned the technique now you can add the pain/aggression/hardness. I think you must make sure every wrestler under your care can taste success. If that means you have a middleweight struggling give him an executioner match. Pair him up with a sub par lightweight and let him “open up his tool box” (another quote from an old coach) and beat on someone. This will show him his stuff does work. Make sure you mix it up good kids with not so good kids beacuse at some point your not so good kids will be upper classman. Mix matches mix drill partners every now and then. you may find two kids that don't like each other. that may bring out aggression.
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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on January 8, 2009
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Interesting dilema. Mark offers some excellent suggestions. I have a few questions.
Are most of your kids experienced or first year? Do they like wrestling? Is practice challenging? I can't imagine too many high school age kids that don't care whether or not they get pinned. Even kids who lose a lot don't like it.
What kind of tone is being set by the head coach? Is he demanding effort from the squad? I think that a coach, even at the youngest levels, has an obligation to teach that wrestling requires effort. I don't believe in yelling and screaming--it never works (which I found out repeatedly over my 14 year coaching career). What works is consistency and discipline.
Just curious as to the nature of your program. It would help me to offer suggestions.
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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Luke Moore added to this discussion on January 8, 2009
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Allow the kids to have some fun and try to force them into successful situations and make sure they constantly drill good technique. And show them the movie Hoosiers!
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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Mike Taylor added to this discussion on January 9, 2009
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Quote from Hank Kornblut's post:
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"Interesting dilema. Mark offers some excellent suggestions. I have a few questions.
Are most of your kids experienced or first year? Do they like wrestling? Is practice challenging? I can't imagine too many high school age kids that don't care whether or not they get pinned. Even kids who lose a lot don't like it.
Out of the 40 kids we have on the team, roughly 30 of them are freshman or sophomores. About half have wrestled since 5th grade, but there are quite a few who have never wrestled before or this is only their 2nd year.
What kind of tone is being set by the head coach? Is he demanding effort from the squad? I think that a coach, even at the youngest levels, has an obligation to teach that wrestling requires effort. I don't believe in yelling and screaming--it never works (which I found out repeatedly over my 14 year coaching career). What works is consistency and discipline.
One thing I really respect about the head coach is he has made it very clear that "results" are not what matters to him or any other coach on that team. The one and only thing that matters is their very best effort for the entire match. The coaching staff doesn't yell all that much. We get excited a little bit in the practice room (as indicated by our increased volume, but there is the obvious distinction between yelling AT someone and getting excited w/ the match they are wrestling). We place them in situations where they are challenged and provide consequenses for failure (something cheesy like 10 pushups if you don't escape in 10 sec or less). You know, give them a goal and give them a consequence for not achieving that goal. The consequenses are never severe. We want it to be a more enjoyable environment. Just not sure how to connect the pride of the indiviual w/ his wrestling. Nobody likes to lose, but now I need to figure out how to get these guys to see getting pinned is the ultimate insult in wrestling.
Just curious as to the nature of your program. It would help me to offer suggestions."
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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Todd Vennis added to this discussion on January 9, 2009
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I have a saying that I think applies.
'You can't make them tougher if they aren't with you"
Consequently, I think the same applies for wanting to win. Even if it isn't a stated goal. It is inherrent in athletic competition and will result of effort.
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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Mike Taylor added to this discussion on January 9, 2009
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Quote from Todd Vennis's post:
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"I have a saying that I think applies.
'You can't make them tougher if they aren't with you"
Consequently, I think the same applies for wanting to win. Even if it isn't a stated goal. It is inherrent in athletic competition and will result of effort."
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So, here is where we get into the ancient "Chicken or the egg" discussion. Which one serves as the foundation for the other? Does effort yield success/results or do results then yield effort? I know once you start experiencing success the two build off one another, but what I'm talking about is the new guy. I'm also aware each athlete is different, so let's attack it from this angle...which approach will yield the highest probability of success?
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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Jeff Sitler added to this discussion on January 9, 2009
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We had a drill in Jr high and HS that was fun to "catch" the other guy.
Wrestler A lays on back hands at side
Wrestler B lays on his back with his back on A's chest, hands at his side.
Coach blows the whistle, Can you get turned over fast enough to belly out or can you grab your opponent fast enough to hold him there and get the fall.
Essentially it was how some of these scrambles end up with one kid on top of the other and hanging onto nothing, how do they react...
Just a suggestion, it was nice break during practice that was fun
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Discussion Topic: I need some coaching advice from this fountain of knowledge.
Scott Shaw added to this discussion on January 9, 2009
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I have always found it to be a good idea to ask questions with inexperienced wrestlers. "Why did you reach back like that?" "What did you think was going to happen when you did that?" "What were you trying to accomplish there?" Most of the time, they will have an answer for you and to me, that shows effort. These questions (and subsequent responses) allow a great teaching moment for you and the other coaches. When an inexperienced wrestler is getting pinned alot, more times than not, it is a lack of good technique and not a lack of effort. Even the athletes that seem to "just be fine counting the lights" have more than likely committed an egregious error in technique and judgment of it's outcome. Asking questions of these kids will get them thinking about their reasoning, then you can point out why it doesn't work the way they tried it and what technique that they have been taught that would have been better to use in that situation. Before you know it, one or two of them will start to turn the hip down and look away and peel it and so on and so forth. Once a couple of them start doing things the right way, the rest will follow suit.
Good luck, and if all else fails, throw some Star Wars at them.
"Try not. Do or do not, there is no try." - Jedi Master Yoda
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