Coaching

[executionery4145 1]

What’s the best way to coach a team that has a limit skill set ? 

[fightingsioux 51]

What else is there to say: the basics. Start teaching a few of the basic takedowns, a few rides, a few escapes and reversals, a few pinning combinations and how to counter them. Two or three of each category, no more.

Drill, drill, drill. Then drill some more.

Keep trying to raise their fitness level: plenty of books and videos on that.

Perhaps hardest of all: make all of the above fun. Lots of games, contests, etc.

One of the things that many coaches, schools and even communities don't realize is that there's a huge difference between a team and a program. To have consistently good teams you need a solid program, and that takes decades. It's a long haul, my friend. Best of luck!

[BobDole 1,203]

Cradles are a great equalizer

[executionery4145 1]

4 hours ago, fightingsioux said:

What else is there to say: the basics. Start teaching a few of the basic takedowns, a few rides, a few escapes and reversals, a few pinning combinations and how to counter them. Two or three of each category, no more.

Drill, drill, drill. Then drill some more.

Keep trying to raise their fitness level: plenty of books and videos on that.

Perhaps hardest of all: make all of the above fun. Lots of games, contests, etc.

One of the things that many coaches, schools and even communities don't realize is that there's a huge difference between a team and a program. To have consistently good teams you need a solid program, and that takes decades. It's a long haul, my friend. Best of luck!

So you are saying use 2-3 series from each position ? Which series would you apply ? Does it depend on what kind of team you have ? Like abilities , personality, body type overall ? 

[fightingsioux 51]

On 8/18/2019 at 8:46 PM, executionery4145 said:

So you are saying use 2-3 series from each position ? Which series would you apply ? Does it depend on what kind of team you have ? Like abilities , personality, body type overall ? 

We're probably saying the same thing, although instead of "series" I would say "moves", and instead of "position" I would say "situation."

In other words, both wrestlers are on their feet, moving in and out, circling, whatever. A standard takedown situation (or position). You're first making sure that their feet, legs, hips, upper body, arms are ready for attack and defense. They simply practice circling, feinting, half-shots, light sprawls, etc., in a smooth and natural manner. Beginners just need to learn how to move around the mat correctly. All this will depend tremendously on how advanced the wrestlers are, but if you're saying that in general your team has low skills, then the repetition of basic drills will help everyone: learning for the real rookies, practice for the better guys. This type of drilling will probably go on all season, when you're warming-up for a match, etc. You can't do too much of it, elite wrestlers do it their entire careers.

Pick two or three basic, standard takedowns from the many available, keeping it simple: a double-leg, a single-leg, an ankle pick, a duck-under, an arm drag, many more. Demonstrate, pair the guys up and have them learn and practice. Keep at it, it takes a long while. Eventually, beginning wrestlers will  pick what works best for them and make it their own. Better for someone to know one move very well, like second nature, and be able to use it smoothly and effectively in a live situation than to half-know ten moves, the attempt at which will only get them into trouble.

The same for all the other standard positions or situations, whatever word you use. Teach two or three basic rides, no more, all of which should transition into basic pinning combinations. Resist the urge to get too fancy! Keep it simple. Teach two or three basic reversals: an outside switch, an inside switch, a whizzer, many more choices available. Two or three basic escapes: a stand-up, a Granby roll, etc. Don't try to teach too many and don't overload them with ultra-sophisticated advanced stuff! It will only get them into trouble. Again, a beginning wrestler will always gravitate towards what works for them and eventually perfect that. Jordan Burroughs uses a double-leg and Kyle Snyder uses an ankle pick that both probably learned in grade school!

As I said in my first reply, all this must be accompanied by work on general fitness and somehow must be kept FUN! That's tough to do.

Show them as much film as you can. Have them go to as many live matches as they can. These days action movies and video games are certainly attention-grabbers, but you've never seen a person more enthralled and almost hypnotized as a beginning middle school or freshman wrestler at a college meet!

There are many, many experienced wrestlers and coaches on this site and others who will be glad to help.

[executionery4145 1]

Thank you for giving me terrific advice. I remember someone saying they would probably only teach 2-3 series for standing, top, bottom and defense. Like maybe a cradle and arm bar series on top for example. If I recall they said the main series will be the main emphasis even he’ll teach some moves outside of the series. I’m mainly trying to get other people’s perspective. 

[fightingsioux 51]

He's exactly right, just what I'm saying. Human beings learn things from the bottom up: the simplest bit of knowledge or action, then another, then another as the structure gets more and more elaborate. An expert in nuclear physics or cross-country skiing could learn a complicated new theory or technique in a short amount of time, while I--who know nothing about either--might take all day understanding what an atom is or how to put on my boots!

Keep it simple. Drill, practice, repeat over and over again. Try it in a mini-match in the room. Try it in a real match. Eventually, if the young wrestler likes the move/series and can execute the move/series effectively, he or she will make it their own. Then on to the next.

Best of luck!

[AnklePicker 646]

As a HS coach each year I get a set of kids who have never wrestled before and I have to coach them alongside kids who are training to win state titles. I teach them the same stuff. I start very basic but can progress rather quickly.  I think it’s important to develop drills around the 7 basic skills. Here’s a good resource for you:

http://content.themat.com/CoachesCorner/7-Basic-Skills-Guide.pdf

[TripNSweep 765]

I would say be even more simple.  Just drill in basic concepts and ideas of things you should always do and things not to do.  When I first started coaching I was transitioning from actually competing to coaching and I had no idea what I was doing.  I just did the same stuff that my coaches did, but didn't really understand how to coach.  All of the things I did and took for granted, it took me some time to figure out that not everybody had been exposed to wrestling so they might not understand certain concepts or ideas.  I likened it to trying to teach somebody a language you speak fluently, but had no idea about the grammar, structure, etc.  So what I started to do was watch more, and I didn't watch the elite guys wrestle as much because they know what they're doing.  My idea is that a typical high school wrestler isn't going to run into that elite talent all that often, unless you live in PA or somewhere.  I watched a lot of the not as good kids, JV matches, etc. And what I looked for was common positions and tactics to win those positions.  From there you sort of have an idea of what you need to be doing.  Once you have that idea of where you need to wrestle from, and what skills, strengths and concepts you need to master then combine that with great conditioning and basic all around wrestling skills and I think it'll be great.  Like an example for me was I had a kid who could always get to a leg from neutral, but he seldom finished.  So what we did was had to explain to him that he had to take an angle on his finish and couldn't just bull rush through people.  Then you can get a little more in depth about how to finish, but first you have to teach that basic concept of why you're doing it and why it works.  

[Lurker 2,039]

Brandon Slay's 3x5 system.  I used to teach seven basic skills to all rookies first and foremost.  That was replaced at the end of my coaching career by the 3x5. I really feel like it is better to teach those concepts before any technique.

[TripNSweep 765]

On 8/21/2019 at 12:56 PM, Lurker said:

Brandon Slay's 3x5 system.  I used to teach seven basic skills to all rookies first and foremost.  That was replaced at the end of my coaching career by the 3x5. I really feel like it is better to teach those concepts before any technique.

I'd never heard of that before but I watched a few videos and it looks like good stuff.  It's pretty similar to a lot of the same concepts that I've compiled in my notebook. 

[1032004 1,461]

Never coached but if I did this is what I’d probably focus on:

1.  Good stance: as one of my old club coaches used to say, “you got no stance, you got no chance,”

2.  Takedowns:  double, single, high crotch.     Being able to take someone down is arguably the most important skill in wrestling.  Double is probably the easiest, if you have football players on your team, it’s not really much different than a good tackle.

3.  Bottom: standups.  In high school especially, being able to get out from bottom isn’t really about skill, it’s about how bad do you not want to let the other guy hold you down

4. Top: half.  And if all else fails, let ‘me up and take ‘em down.

5.  Run.  If you don’t have a lot of skill, at least be in better shape than your opponent so that that isn’t the reason you lose.

Edited August 28, 2019 by 1032004