Freestyle while in College

[crablegs 39]

I agree with many of the posters on here that focusing too much on folk style hampers our success at the international level. So it makes me wonder why many of our top wrestlers don't do much freestyle during college?    

 

A lot of our top wrestlers might do freestyle during their first year or two of college while they are still in the Junior age group, but then they seem to drop off for the next couple of years until they graduate.  

 

For example look at Tony Ramos.  Tony was a very good freestyler in high school and early in college placing fifth at the Junior Worlds and winning another Junior national freestyle championship.  Then he went two years without doing any freestyle, and after his senior year makes the national team.  

 

This is a common trend among many of our top junior freestyle athletes.  Dieringer is a current example.  Why are they taking this time off?  Wouldn't entering the us nationals and WTTs as college sophmores and juniors provide valuable experience? 

[Alwayswrestling 227]

Conflict with school I am sure part of it also time to rest/heal after the college season is over. JMO

[Jim L 328]

As scholarship athletes they are basically professional folkstyle wrestlers and need to concentrate on what they are being paid for which is NCAA results.

[crablegs 39]

There are a couple reasons that I can't take either of your responses as a legitimate explanation for this scenario.  Something else has to be going on here.

 

1.  If rest and school work were an issue why are these kids doing junior tournaments during their first two years of college.  Junior nationals, Junior WTTs, and Junior Worlds would take the same travel/training responsibilities as Senior level.  

 

2. Coaches are being paid for their NCAA results a lot more than any one scholarship athlete, but then go off and coach freestyle all spring and summer long at their club or even on the US team level.  

[Axe_Spartan 205]

Good article and video posted today by Ben Askren -> http://awawisconsin.com/is-folkstyle-good-for-freestyle/

 

 

According to the article, what is surprising is that the period of time which american wrestlers have their best performance on freestyle wrestling, analyzing their placement on WTT, is the one between college and a year after graduation (just a few evolve after that), being their best year the one when they graduate.

 

What would be the main factor for this? College grind?

Edited September 24, 2015 by Axe_Spartan

[dclark145 16]

There are a couple reasons that I can't take either of your responses as a legitimate explanation for this scenario.  Something else has to be going on here.

 

1.  If rest and school work were an issue why are these kids doing junior tournaments during their first two years of college.  Junior nationals, Junior WTTs, and Junior Worlds would take the same travel/training responsibilities as Senior level.  

 

2. Coaches are being paid for their NCAA results a lot more than any one scholarship athlete, but then go off and coach freestyle all spring and summer long at their club or even on the US team level.  

 

1. There is a HUGE difference between doing gen eds and electives the first two years of college and doing your Major-specific classes as an upperclassman. Also, there is life beyond wrestling - a job, internships, external academic experiences, etc. Beyond that, what might be a casual "I'll go to Junior Nationals this year with my teammates (which is a common situation)" is a world away from "I want to be the best in my country at this" as far as training and priorities go.

 

2. Can't speak to this as much but coaching is also a full time job on its own. As an NCAA athlete you are a full-time student before you are a full-time athlete. Again, it's just different agencies.

 

 

I think as fans we tend to get greedy and forget that these wrestlers are people off the mat and may or may not want to do things outside of wrestling.

[Tofurky 633]

For example look at Tony Ramos.  Tony was a very good freestyler in high school and early in college placing fifth at the Junior Worlds and winning another Junior national freestyle championship.  Then he went two years without doing any freestyle, and after his senior year makes the national team.  

 

This is a common trend among many of our top junior freestyle athletes.  Dieringer is a current example.  Why are they taking this time off?  Wouldn't entering the us nationals and WTTs as college sophmores and juniors provide valuable experience? 

 

Your comments make it sound as if Tony waltzed in to WTT and made the team without having trained at all. I'm certain that's not what you meant. However, you have to remember that he is being coached by World and Olympic champions and the former head coach of the US Team. Tony is a very motivated young man, so that's most of the battle right there.

 

Dieringer is being trained by the best Freestyler to wear a US singlet to date and a guy who has been a member of the Team USA staff on multiple occasions. Dieringer also had the benefit, during his first three years in college of regularly working out with Kenny Monday, who himself was a two-time Olympic finalist and one time champion.

 

Similarly, the PSU guys and tOSU guys are being trained and working out with World and Olympic medalists and coaches. Quite obviously ASU is making effort to be among that group.

 

I think that a lot of these guys are just not competing, which is not the same thing as not training. Yet, the hierarchy among college programs which also fully embrace international styles cannot be ignored.

[armspin 257]

There are exceptions of course, but many guys want/need a break and don't want to train, cut weight and compete at a high level all year.

[newyorkwrestler 258]

I think a lot of college coaches may not have the freestyle knowledge to properly coach their athletes as well, yes there are many that spent time training after college and competing internationally,but most did not, and would be missing a massive source of knowledge, so they just keep focusing on what they know and that is folkstyle, sadly.