From: Subject: The Value of Off-Season Wrestling - Bruce Gabrielson Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 19:26:06 -0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.smwc.org/tips/sumwres.html X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 The Value of Off-Season Wrestling - Bruce = Gabrielson

The Value of Off-Season Wrestling

by Dr. Bruce Gabrielson
Head Coach
18 Time = National AAU=20 Club Champion
Southern Maryland Wrestling Club
Fall 1992=20

Note: This article explains what off-season wrestling programs = are=20 like, what benefit they can provide to a wrestler, and how they can = easily fit=20 into a busy calendar of activities.

Introduction

Each spring numerous off-season wrestling programs are formed at = clubs=20 throughout the US. These clubs are primarily freestyle oriented, but=20 occasionally a spring club will maintain a traditional folkstyle = program.=20 Beginning around March, and often extending through early summer, the = clubs are=20 intended to offer wrestlers a chance to practice or compete in a much = less=20 intense and also more weight relaxed environment.

Wrestling is not an easy sport, and there are few natural winners. = Paying=20 your dues with sweat and some disappointments are to be expected. Like = any other=20 sport, success requires a commitment from both the athlete, and, in the = case of=20 younger wrestlers, plenty of active support from their parents. No rides = to=20 practice or competitions, no money for shoes, dues, or entry fees, and = parental=20 pressure to devote 100% to a different spring sport (such as baseball or = track)=20 will guarantee failure.

Personal commitment is also a must. A wrestler must realize that it = will be=20 very difficult to achieve his competitive goals if he isn't willing to = make the=20 personal sacrifices required, including committing himself to his = wrestling=20 objectives. Wrestlers must ask themselves first if they want wrestling = to be one=20 of their best sports (or maybe their primary sport). If their answer is = yes, and=20 if they are committed, then they probably have the necessary = determination to=20 maximize their potential for success.

What is Spring Wrestling?

There are five wrestling styles practiced in the United States. = Folkstyle is=20 the traditional US style practiced in schools and universities. Of the = five=20 styles, Judo, Sombo, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman are competed = internationally.=20 Judo, the oriental style of wrestling, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman are = also=20 Olympic sports. While Judo is a year around sport and Sombo is primarily = a=20 spring, summer, and early fall sport, Freestyle and Greco-Roman are = historically=20 spring sports.

Since Freestyle is similar to Folkstyle, its techniques and rules can = be=20 easily learned in a short time. Also, since it not a recognized HS = sport, HS=20 eligibility rules for competitions and coaching are usually not a = problem in=20 most states. With plenty of local and national competitions, coaches, = work-out=20 partners, and practice sites available, it is the most popular spring = style in=20 the US.

In order to be accommodating to other spring sports, Freestyle = activities are=20 often very flexible. Clubs generally arrange non- mandatory practices = two or=20 three evenings a week, often late enough so as not to conflict with = baseball or=20 soccer. Work-outs are not oriented towards conditioning or weight loss, = but=20 towards mat work and live wrestling. This format allows the wrestler to = get=20 plenty of work into the 1 1/2 to 2 hour sessions a practice usually = lasts.

For spring competitions, club teams have no need for full roosters. = Fun=20 scrimmages are just "get togethers." Wrestlers compete in age groups and = weight=20 pools. Tournaments are usually held with "Madison" weight classes. The = Madison=20 system allows pools to be formed where wrestlers can be within 2 years = and 10%=20 weight of other members of their pools. Dieting is therefore ineffective = for=20 locals events, and is seldom seen except at major open competitions. =

Local late spring tournaments are small, often less than 100 entries. = Two=20 mats are frequently all that is needed, with most events over by about 2 = pm.=20 Local tournaments are held on either Saturday or Sunday every few weeks. = Entry=20 fees are low since the emphasis at these spring events is more on = matches than=20 making money and awards. Some local events, such as Challenge Cups, = don't even=20 have an entry fee. While there are major tournaments held all over the = US, most=20 clubs attend local tournaments, within a one hour drive of where the = club is=20 located.

What Can a Wrestler Gain From Summer Programs?

Summer participation allows a wrestler the chance to greatly = accelerate the=20 training program without the normal pressures and hassles of the winter=20 folkstyle environment. A small sacrifice on the wrestlers part will pay = major=20 dividends during the seasons ahead. In addition to direct advanced = training and=20 high level coaching, spring programs offer other benefits not available = in=20 winter programs.

Probably the greatest advantage to spring clubs is the level of = workout=20 partners. Finding coaches and practice partners of quality is a = difficult task,=20 especially when top wrestlers are spread out at various schools and = clubs during=20 the winter season. Spring clubs are widely separated with members made = up of the=20 best wrestlers in a larger area. Wrestlers would never have the = opportunity to=20 work with and learn from very good peers if they stayed only within = their local=20 Folkstyle environment.

Many ex-college wrestlers who now coach in school programs know = enough=20 Freestyle to get by. However, most spring clubs have an abundance of = quality=20 coaches with experience in all the international styles. In-addition, = the=20 majority of famous past and present wrestlers that live in an area = usually=20 belong to a local spring club. Since these individuals mostly work = outside the=20 school environment and don't have the time to coach or work with local = folkstyle=20 teams, their only alternative is freestyle. Some also have their own = kids in a=20 program, and this activity gives them a good opportunity to help both = their own=20 sons and also everyone else around.

Special clinics by many prominent wrestling figures are a common = event at=20 spring club practice activities. Many famous wrestlers and coaches = travel to=20 other areas during the spring, and during these travels they always = manage to=20 visit an area club. The clinics they put on help wrestlers observe a = variety of=20 different successful wrestling styles and techniques in an informal = environment.=20

One other important advantage of off-season wrestling often = overlooked in the=20 mental conditioning. When you become part of a group with many champions = working=20 together, your mental orientation starts to change. The "Champions = Philosophy"=20 in psychology basically says that a champion never looses, only gets = beat=20 sometimes. Conditioning your mind to be a winner is the first major step = in=20 becoming a winner. With all those around you working to become the best, = it=20 won't take long for you to think the same way.

There are some family benefits to spring wrestling as well. Different = age=20 brothers can work together and help each other. Parents can get down on = the mat=20 to coach or cheer, plus action photos and video taping is easy for = anyone at=20 spring events. Since crowds are small, photographers, spectators, and = parents=20 can get right up to the match if they wish. Professional wrestling = photographers=20 also frequent spring events, often taking action photos of matches at no = cost.=20

The Old Folkstyle vs Freestyle Controversy

Surprisingly, there are still a number of old time high school = wrestling=20 coaches who promote the philosophy that somehow Freestyle wrestling will = effect=20 the performance of a Folkstyle wrestler. This opinion is usually offered = by=20 coaches who either don't understand Freestyle, or who don't want their = wrestlers=20 to be exposed to more progressive wrestling programs and techniques. =

Rest assured virtually no modern NCAA champions, or for that matter = local=20 high school state champions, restrict themselves by only competing in = Folkstyle.=20 In fact (at least in Maryland), there are very few recent high school = state=20 champions that don't belong to a spring Freestyle club.

Freestyle is close enough to Folkstyle that it can be learned = sufficiently to=20 participate in a couple of practices. Many wrestlers learn Freestyle = simply by=20 entering a tournament. Also, since the emphasis in Freestyle is on = action rather=20 than control, many Folkstyle wrestlers find they prefer the faster pace = of=20 Freestyle once they get used to it.

Freestyle helps develop footwork, aggressiveness, balance, takedowns, = and low=20 attack techniques. It also incorporates a number of moves which are = easily=20 modified for Folkstyle use. In addition, if the wrestler also learns the = Greco-Roman style, his throws and hip motion will drastically improve as = well.=20 Any coach who doesn't recognize the these benefits and won't endorse = off-season=20 Freestyle participation is holding his wrestlers back in the dark ages. =

In Conclusion

If you are a small wrestler and would like to become a national = contender=20 someday, you really need to go wherever the quality competition and a = variety of=20 talent is located. If you are a high school age wrestler looking for a=20 scholarship, you will have a much better chance with a spring club than = on your=20 own. A great many college coaches use the spring season to look for = talented and=20 committed wrestlers for their programs.

The results of spring program involvement has been very visible over = the=20 years. A great many wrestlers have progressed from average to contenders = in just=20 one off-season of work. Looking at those who have been the most = successful at=20 the state or national level, I would be willing to bet that every one of = them is=20 an active freestyle wrestler during the spring. Certainly those who have = the top=20 state rankings are also those who compete off-=20