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Discussion Topic: Video Review (2023)
Rex Holman added to this discussion on October 28, 2023
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Recently I missed out on an opportunity to present on video review at the coaches clinic due to prior obligations. Shout out to my friend Mark Neiman for the referral.
Sort of bummed; so, I decided to write out my thoughts, experiences, and opinions about the matter.
There are a lot of ways to talk about wrestling. Just objective, logical and rational thought need be applied. Sometimes coaching sounds a lot like bro science or rather a collection of superstitions based on observations that have little to no bearing in the real world. If you have seen the movie Moneyball, recall the scene in which all the old scouts sit around the table and give their opinions about an athlete.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNDj-H1jxV0
The significance of this scene is overwhelmingly important. Why?
Because when you get to the root of an issue and think about it the right way, huge things can be accomplished.
Common Language and ideas:
The 3 rules of wrestling are position, position, position.
Scope of practice describes positions a wrestler will engage competently.
Blind spots and inadequacies describe positions a wrestler will engage incompetently and are the genesis of mistakes.
As one, advances along the developmental curve, fewer blind spots and inadequacies occur. But they still occur and result in mistakes and consequently determine outcomes.
Why is this important?
Because it takes a coach to identify the blind spot or inadequacy and then set a course of action to strengthen or eliminate the position of contention.
Yes. I said eliminate. It’s just as important to eliminate things against certain wrestlers due to the fact that some guys are extremely dangerous when given the right position.
How is this best done?
Video review and Coaching.
Chris Andrews of New Albany wrestled Eric Cubberly of Eastwood in a dual at the beginning of the 2005-06 season. Cubberly won on the strength of a slide by takedown. We knew Cubberly was excellent and likely to be a semifinal or finals state championship match. But, due to unfortunate circumstance, they met in the first round of the state tournament. It was a state finals quality match in the first round.
But we had video on Cubberly. Mind you, this was before the proliferation of Youtube and Flowrestling. We had what we needed to beat him. We watched the video multiple times to determine his greatest strength. Per Chris, it was 2.5 hours of watching a 6-minute match. Part of that was due to the lack of technology and the process of rewinding and watching in slow motion. It goes much quicker nowadays. Cubberly’s best technique was the slide by. He could hit beautifully even with the lightest pressure from a collar tie. We specifically addressed that position in terms of wrestling matches without allowing Chris to collar tie. He developed confidence and discipline that he could wrestle a match and overtime without resorting to a collar tie. He knew the objective and task. It was up to him and he stepped up with the patience and fortitude to carry out the plan.
That doesn’t happen without video review and emphasis in training on avoiding the collar tie. Just watching and talking about it are not enough. Drills that emphasize the necessary mastery are a must. In a practical setting this translates into :30, 1:00, 2:00 minute go, on your feet with only wrist and elbow ties being allowed. In essence, you are conditioning the mind and body to carry out the task.
That’s not all.
I worked with sports psychologist Dr Jim Reardon in the 90s. He introduced me to a productive form of guided imagery. I used it successfully. It helped me. While it’s difficult to pinpoint a match or circumstance with an aha moment. I can subjectively say that it helped with relaxation, confidence and belief.
I used this technique with Chris, who says it is one of the most positive and impactful adjuncts to his wrestling training.
So, by identifying the task though video review, physical and mental conditioning during practice, and guided imagery, we implanted a belief and path to victory in his brain.
Was this a labor and time intensive process? Yes.
Did it turn into a huge win and life lesson? Yes.
Was it worth it? Yes.
Two variables play a large role in determining the outcome of position.
Skill Proficiency and Fatigue.
Proficiency is how competent one is at the position. Cael Sanderson at the height of his career had the most proficient ankle pick in all of wrestling. Same goes for John Smith and his low single leg attack. Both had primary and contingent attacks that would score against the Worlds’ best. That is what I think of when I think of proficiency.
We are talking state championships here though. Proficiency is relative to the opponent.
The 1980s is when VHS hit the market. It was an easily accessible way to watch videos. My junior year, I was to wrestle Tom Randolph from Wadsworth in the finals. My dad had taped a little bit of his semifinal match with Brian Walczak from Maumee. The only thing noticeable was that he dug into an underhook and drove forward.
I placed 2nd in the Junior Nationals as sophomore in Greco Roman and was highly proficient in the Fraser and sag headlock. My dad made the comment to go with it if it’s there. Yes, it was there. Five points and him fighting off his back for most of the first period. Again, another instance of video review dating back to the 1980s.
However, as one fatigues, proficiency decreases. Basically, quality reduces.
This is the premise behind old school Iowa wrestling. Get on the head and physically wear the opponent down until position was compromised and then start scoring points.
Which recalls the first-round state tournament match between New Albany’s Brett Terry and his Clyde opponent. We saw the draw and I made the call to Cliff Cahill who was the videographer for Bob Dieli’s Mat side. Clyde had competed at the Delaware Hayes end of season tournament. Upon request, Cliff dropped off the footage at the firehouse while I was working.
One minute into the video, I’m thinking this kid is tough, state placer material for sure. He had a proficient power shot, but after that he skated. He didn’t maintain pace and I could see his inability to maintain position due to fatigue. In preparing Brett for that match, it was about mental management. Brett could get upset. Jeff Woo came up and pointed this out. I agreed with him.
So, coaching was reinforcing that this guy was a beast for maybe a period and that if you get taken down, not that big a deal; just work on getting up and continue wrestling. Keep your cool. We might not win the first period, but you are going to win the match. That is the message he heard all week. True to form, this kid is a beast for the first minute and gets a takedown. Brett stays cool. Long story short. The other wrestler slowly fatigues, and we get a takedown in overtime for the win. Brett knew what to expect. We circumvented that negative feedback loop by explaining the situation prior to the event. It allowed for a necessary mental adjustment ahead of time and to not be encumbered by a negative setback.
One guy that always impressed me was Matt Demaray. 2X NCAA Champion for Wisconsin, National Open Champion. Plus, he was smart. He won the National Freestyle Open back in 1992. Next morning at the airport, he was seated calmly reading an engineering book by himself. I congratulated him, but the thing that struck me is that he had moved on. He was a total professional about the whole thing. Show up, win, back to work. Similar to a Dan Gable story in which Hellickson woke up the morning after the World Championship. Gable was already back from a morning jog. Hellickson questioned what Gable was doing as he had just won the Worlds, to which he replied, getting ready for next year.
An interesting thing about Demaray is that his graduate work is in analytic finance and there is an article about him in which he worked on quantifying information to understand the movement of markets. Basically, he was evaluating metrics in a novel way. Another way to put this is that he identified a metric that went unnoticed by others.
https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/kwo/win04/indepth/strength.htm
So, my daughter just concluded her sophomore soccer season. I love watching her compete. It was a frustrating this year as she was varsity but did not start. She would rotate in games for varying amounts of time. Some games she didn’t play much and other games, she played a lot. I’m her dad and know my bias for her.
Recently they played in a district soccer game. I watched it on the television via NFHS network. The camera work was mediocre and it’s hard to see the nuances of the game due to the wide angle and sometimes late tracking. Anyway, Reese was in the first half for less than 10 minutes and in the second half for maybe 15 minutes.
In talking with her after the game, I became more frustrated. The girl who subbed for her (not the starter) was the cause for a penalty kick which scored and allowed the other team to go up 2-0. Also, in the second half, she was responsible for kicking the ball into the opponent’s hand which set up the free kick, which scored. After the score, she was immediately taken out. Her presence and non-presence impacted that game. They lost 2-1.
It's an example of a metric that went unnoticed by everyone. I missed it but would have caught it with better resolution and ability to review the video.
Regardless, I am most proud that she spent 2 hours working on aspects of her game earlier in the day in the backyard after taking the PSAT that morning. I have a guided imagery story about her which I will save for later.
Lastly, this is not a dig on Michigan Football, but rather an explanation of an advantage.
Football coaches and players watch hours upon hours of film in preparation of an opponent. It’s central to the mission. Developing strategies to win the game.
Let me enumerate.
1. Watching film on your opponent 2. Prepare with a scout team that runs the same plays and formations 3. Know before the ball is snapped the play being run. 4. Call the appropriate defense for said play 5. Every player on the defense understands what is happening before the ball is snapped.
If one team has that advantage and the other doesn’t, all other things being equal: the team with that advantage wins.
My senior year of high school, we played Princeton, the #1 team in the state. We recovered a fumble near their goal line. Coach called the same play four times in a row. Wing 86. By the third time their linebackers were yelling its’ coming right here. We didn’t score.
If you are paying attention to the details and understand the patterns, the world is your oyster.
Video reviews can reveal the details and patterns.
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Discussion Topic: Video Review (2023)
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on October 28, 2023
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Thank you, sir.
Keep writing.
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Discussion Topic: Video Review (2023)
Brady Hiatt added to this discussion on October 28, 2023
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This post combines video review with what I talked about - developing match strategy. I spoke more in general terms about preparing your athletes and preparing you and your staff as coaches, with some specific applications & examples as so much specific match strategy, at the level you referenced above, is very specific to your opponent and your athlete - though the discerning reader can apply principles you wrote about.
I would have loved to hear you present this — and I would have asked this question. How would you use video review in regards to having athletes watch their own matches? FYI: Many/most coaches have access to Hudl.
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Discussion Topic: Video Review (2023)
Bob Preusse added to this discussion on October 30, 2023
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Rex, good stuff as usual. Im thinking Amateur Wrestling News would like to include your articles as a Guest Writer like they do with Pat Milkovich.(however often u wish?)
You are a keen observer and express yourself well, u have the cred of course. John Hoke is always interested in new quality material (if its free). ..i started out on a whim with them 28 years ago. Will u give me permission to recommend you and give Hoke examples of your work?? BobP
ohiobobp@aol.com
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Discussion Topic: Video Review (2023)
Rex Holman added to this discussion on October 30, 2023
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Brady-
I've used Hudl a couple times to review matches for coaching friends. I would say that review is best when watching with a coach that can initiate change and offer insights. A wrestler doesn't understand the mistakes they are making otherwise they wouldn't be making them. Wrestlers can watch film if they want by themselves; but a discerning eye to detail is the catalyst for growth. I'm not sure if that answers the question you are asking.
Bob-
That would be great. I would enjoy being a guest writer for a wrestling publication. I will send you my email to your AOL account.
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Discussion Topic: Video Review (2023)
Brady Hiatt added to this discussion on October 30, 2023
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Quote from Rex Holman's post:
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"Brady-
I've used Hudl a couple times to review matches for coaching friends. I would say that review is best when watching with a coach that can initiate change and offer insights. A wrestler doesn't understand the mistakes they are making otherwise they wouldn't be making them. Wrestlers can watch film if they want by themselves; but a discerning eye to detail is the catalyst for growth. I'm not sure if that answers the question you are asking."
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Yes it does. I use Hudl -- and make comments, notes prior to having them watch. Time constraints are too great to watch video with every wrestler individually with the staff that most high school teams have.
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Discussion Topic: Video Review (2023)
Jim Behrens added to this discussion on October 31, 2023
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Quote from Rex Holman's post:
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"
Bob-
That would be great. I would enjoy being a guest writer for a wrestling publication. I will send you my email to your AOL account."
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Welcome to the club! I have written a couple of things that Bob published. I don't know if I am anywhere close to your league but it was fun.
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Discussion Topic: Video Review (2023)
Bob Preusse added to this discussion on October 31, 2023
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a handful of things Jim, all outstanding-- latest:
High School Rules Changes with Referee Jim Behrens
Rule 1-4-3 and Rule 1-4-7 Representation
After a year's worth of trials in the postseason, wrestlers are now permitted to wrestle a 6th match, in one day, in a tournament. Forfeits are not included in the 6 match limit.
However, as I understand it, wrestlers are still restricted to no more than 10 matches in a two day event. The rationale for this is that the 6 match limit was for event management and not to allow for more matches for the season
Rule 1-4-4 Representation
This is a change that every tournament director will like. The required time between matches has been reduced from 45 minutes to 30 minutes. I think most people would agree that the 45 minute limit was excessive.
Rule 3-1-1 Referee's uniform
This won't matter to anyone except officials. They are now permitted to wear shoes with white or grey trim. How much trim? Who knows! Previously the shoes had to be all black.
Purely my opinion, there was no need for this change. Black shoes are easy to find and there should be nothing on our shoes to attract attention.
Rule 4-1-1 Wrestler's uniform
This allows for the wearing of tights but the requirement for stirrups on the tights has been removed. Modern tights are so close fitting that the stirrups are no longer needed (and they were impossible to check for). All clothing is to be school issued.
Rule 4-2-1 Wrestler's appearance
Facial hair is permitted. A face mask is no longer required if there is facial hair. However, this does not allow for facial hair to cover a skin condition. If there is a question of a skin condition, either the proper form from a physician or examination by the on-site approved medical professional (AHCP) is required. If there is no form or AHCP, the wrestler would not be permitted to compete. The length of the facial hair does not impact this decision.
Rules 5-13, 10-2-4, 10-2-5 Forfeits/Medical Forfeit
This defines a "medical forfeit" for the purposes of advancing in the tournament. This addresses a situation where a wrestler becomes ill or is injured during the event. This decision is made by the tournament director. A medical forfeit does not count against a wrestler's record.
For the opponent to receive the forfeit, he/she must appear at the mat and be dressed to wrestle.
Rule 5-15-2a Inbounds
This change adds foot/feet to the list of parts that are considered as being supporting parts of the body when viewing whether a situation is inbounds, or not, while on the mat.
Rule 6-5-2 End of match procedure
This is a throwback to the Covid times. At the end of a match, the official can declare the winner by raising the wrestler's hand or raise the appropriate color on the official's arm or have the wrestler raise their own hand. The thought is to keep officials from touching the wrestlers.
I have mixed thoughts on this as we, as officials, have been raising a wrestler's hand for longer than I have been officiating. The NFHS wording on the rule change is that it was "widely liked" by officials. I do not know of a single official who was asked their opinion. (Feedback to Jim at jim.behrens@gmail.com) (Bob at ohiobobp@aol.com)
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Discussion Topic: Video Review (2023)
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on November 2, 2023
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Quote from Brady Hiatt's post:
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"
Yes it does. I use Hudl -- and make comments, notes prior to having them watch. Time constraints are too great to watch video with every wrestler individually with the staff that most high school teams have."
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I was just commenting this same thing to our head coach. Even setting aside a full day would be such a huge undertaking. The same can be said for a coach (or staff) watching film in order to pick up on common themes.
NFL coaches watch film for 8-10 hours a day because they have the time and resources. Maybe I'm wrong on that - are their coaches in the NFL that have a full time 9a to 5p, and then coach football on the side? I doubt it but I am willing to be shown otherwise.
I also commented to my coach that I'd want the film time to be positive as well as constructive. List the things that the wrestler is doing well along with something that they can improve.
Here's hoping we can make it happen.
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