Cadet Worlds: Greco

[AnklePicker 649]

You think it's the Cuban coaches? Maybe, but you might not want to look over the fact that Cubans are explosive, athletic freaks. I'll take their overall athleticism over any country in the world.

 

 

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[ConnorsDad 596]

I understand what a rhetorical question is and, get this, I can even identify one, but you've missed my point entirely.  You don't need Cuban coaches to understand and/or employ their method of training wrestlers--that's what's important, the method, not that it's done by a Cuban guy (or a Russian, Bulgarian, Iranian, Turk, Azeri, etc.).  A head coach should have studied successful programs and methods of training the world over, observing, studying, picking people's brains.  He should bring a solid base but also explore new and developing methods.  And it will take years.  That said, the Rio team actually regressed from the year before.  Growing pains?  Adjusting to a new system?  I guess we'll see, but if we're being honest it was not a grand entrance.

 

And in answer to the non-rhetorical question, I think the Cuban coaches or Americans coaches borrowing from the Cuban system would have made a difference, even if a small one (scoring one takedown or completing one gutwrench).

Coach I like reading your posts. Well thought out and coherently written. One point I may disagree with is I don't know that our Rio performance was a step back or more of a regression towards the mean. I think we over performed when the worlds were in Las Vegas. I just don't think we're that good. I think Lindland is certainly a guy that can get us there it's just going to take time. Our Cadets hardly get any Greco training at all. I mean look at the team now compared to the previous administration. I don't think there's any question that we are head and shoulders above where we were then. And that's not just in terms of medals but our approach to training, realizing we must get people to commit full-time to Greco and so on?

[de4856 379]

Coach J, and Connor's Dad I agree with both of you. Coach J, I agree that an American Coach who has the right knowledge, expertise, and has studied extensively, should be able to implement a system of training used by the other successful countries. I also think that Connor's Dad has a point in that, while our kids are out doing other things, their opponents are living and breathing Greco. I believe that we are just behind the curve so to speak, when it comes to mat time and competition. I think this is one of the big reasons, we are having a tough time right now.

[Coach_J 2,188]

de4856 and ConnorsDad, thanks for the thoughtful responses. Perhaps we can all agree that our team and system can be better. These kids need to be tracked from youth, with state USA directors notifying the national greco and freestyle coaches of whom to keep an eye on and invite to specialized elite camps to fuel the kids' interest in free/greco and to become acquainted with the national staff. Once they are placing at cadet and juniors, that focus on getting them to the next level must intensity (not enough time here to detail that). And once they get to college and begin competing they should be fast-tracked to move to a training center upon graduation; at a kid's junior year in college, the national staff should have identified the best candidates and be laying the groundwork to move proven/promising individuals to a full-time commitment. Now, we seem to have a hodge-podge of lone wolf wrestlers and coaches working their own deals at different sites throughout the country--it's not working.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Coach_J