Is there any path for US Freestyle/GR wrestlers that does not go through the NCAA?

[MonagFam 41]

I enjoy the collegiate wrestling product in the US, but I have come to realize that college isn't for everyone.  That said, it sure does seem like it is a requirement for wrestlers that want to compete internationally.  I am aware that these wrestlers can and do learn/compete in Freestyle/Greco-Roman, but it feels like it's an off-season thing until their college days are over (or maybe this Olympic redshirt, but still has the potential for going back to college).

The US may be unique in the way that most athletes need to go through college in some fashion to compete at a higher level.  The best soccer players probably go abroad and start playing professionally, while baseball and hockey players may have opportunities outside of college, but it feels like most don't.

Is there a path for a US wrestler that decides they really prefer Freestyle/Greco-Roman at an early age, don't want to attend college, and want to get a head start on an international career?

[MadMardigain 1,273]

There are several Regional Training Centers.  While many are connected to colleges you do not have to attend that college to be a member of the RTC.  Other athletes have went the route of the Army World Class Athlete Program.  It has a huge showing in Greco, but supports the other styles too.  Finally you can attempt to get into the Olympic Training Center as a resident athlete.  None of these require college, but for many it’s nice to get a college scholarship while also improving upon your wrestling before or while trying to jump to international wrestling. 

Edited February 6, 2020 by MadMardigain

[LJB 1,485]

see henry cejudo, aaron pico, kamal bey, tracy hancock...

see army WCAP, Air Force Sports Program, corps' National Caliber Athelte Program...

see USAW Elite Accelerator Program...

it can be done... it is being done... there is quite a bit of success in the greco and women's prgrams...

[MonagFam 41]

1 hour ago, MadMardigain said:

There are several Regional Training Centers.  While many are connected to colleges you do not have to attend that college to be a member of the RTC.  Other athletes have went the route of the Army World Class Athlete Program.  It has a huge showing in Greco, but supports the other styles too.  Finally you can attempt to get into the Olympic Training Center as a resident athlete.  None of these require college, but for many it’s nice to get a college scholarship while also improving upon your wrestling before or while trying to jump to international wrestling. 

 

1 hour ago, LJB said:

see henry cejudo, aaron pico, kamal bey, tracy hancock...

see army WCAP, Air Force Sports Program, corps' National Caliber Athelte Program...

see USAW Elite Accelerator Program...

it can be done... it is being done... there is quite a bit of success in the greco and women's prgrams...

I knew I could count on this board!  What is funny is I know a number of those names, but had no idea!

[TripNSweep 470]

4 hours ago, MonagFam said:

I enjoy the collegiate wrestling product in the US, but I have come to realize that college isn't for everyone.  That said, it sure does seem like it is a requirement for wrestlers that want to compete internationally.  I am aware that these wrestlers can and do learn/compete in Freestyle/Greco-Roman, but it feels like it's an off-season thing until their college days are over (or maybe this Olympic redshirt, but still has the potential for going back to college).

The US may be unique in the way that most athletes need to go through college in some fashion to compete at a higher level.  The best soccer players probably go abroad and start playing professionally, while baseball and hockey players may have opportunities outside of college, but it feels like most don't.

Is there a path for a US wrestler that decides they really prefer Freestyle/Greco-Roman at an early age, don't want to attend college, and want to get a head start on an international career?

I don't know if many people have done this, but I know it has happened.  There have been a few, and I don't know who exactly, but they have been first generation Americans, their parents came from somewhere else, who were sent back to the country they came from for a period of time by their parents specifically for wrestling or another sport.  I do know that some wrestlers from the US have spent an extended period of time abroad training for various reasons.  Andre Metzger spent a year or two in Japan in high school, Kevin Bracken was in Cuba for a while, Andy Hrovat was in Russia for a year or so.  

[rod_frufit 5]

10 hours ago, LJB said:

see henry cejudo, aaron pico, kamal bey, tracy hancock...

see army WCAP, Air Force Sports Program, corps' National Caliber Athelte Program...

see USAW Elite Accelerator Program...

it can be done... it is being done... there is quite a bit of success in the greco and women's prgrams...

Why is Pico included in this group?  What did he win?  

[Plasmodium 1,603]

28 minutes ago, rod_frufit said:

Why is Pico included in this group?  What did he win?  

I remember him winning a few senior level tournaments and had a lot of success domestically, without mentioning age group success..  That certainly qualifies as an international career and he didn't go to college.

[DuckFor2 177]

10 minutes ago, Plasmodium said:

I remember him winning a few senior level tournaments and had a lot of success domestically, without mentioning age group success..  That certainly qualifies as an international career and he didn't go to college.

Plas you took the bait!

this thread has nothing to do with winning

[Plasmodium 1,603]

Just now, DuckFor2 said:

Plas you took the bait!

this thread has nothing to do with winning

NO!  I specified international career :)

[LJB 1,485]

1 hour ago, rod_frufit said:

Why is Pico included in this group?  What did he win?  

he won more than bey and hancock, but, you are not educated enough to mention their names...

sooooo many mooks...

[rod_frufit 5]

6 hours ago, LJB said:

he won more than bey and hancock, but, you are not educated enough to mention their names...

sooooo many mooks...

Bey and Hancock competed at the Senior Worlds, yes? Pico had all the talent in the world, but he chose his path and as it been stated on here before, he never won a "meaningful" Senior-level competition.  Am I incorrect? 

[LJB 1,485]

7 minutes ago, rod_frufit said:

Bey and Hancock competed at the Senior Worlds, yes? Pico had all the talent in the world, but he chose his path and as it been stated on here before, he never won a "meaningful" Senior-level competition.  Am I incorrect? 

at the risk of trying to make comparisons between greco and free, which, is inherently unfair because of our obvious greco deficiencies... 

but...

pico has more age level world medals than bey and hancock combined... pico has won senior level tourneys and has beat a world champ a year removed from him winning gold... he forced a 3rd match in our olympic trials finals... and then promptly quit all before he turned 20...

the only reason meatheads get so red and raw any time pico is brought up is because he thumbed his nose at their precious sh!t style of wrestling...

that is it...

nothing more...

 

[rod_frufit 5]

1 hour ago, LJB said:

at the risk of trying to make comparisons between greco and free, which, is inherently unfair because of our obvious greco deficiencies... 

but...

pico has more age level world medals than bey and hancock combined... pico has won senior level tourneys and has beat a world champ a year removed from him winning gold... he forced a 3rd match in our olympic trials finals... and then promptly quit all before he turned 20...

the only reason meatheads get so red and raw any time pico is brought up is because he thumbed his nose at their precious sh!t style of wrestling...

that is it...

nothing more...

 

" he thumbed his nose at their precious sh!t style of wrestling..."  I bet he now wishes he didn't.  Woulda,  Coulda,  Shoulda.....

[LJB 1,485]

3 minutes ago, rod_frufit said:

" he thumbed his nose at their precious sh!t style of wrestling..."  I bet he now wishes he didn't.  Woulda,  Coulda,  Shoulda.....

why would any meathead think pico wishes he didn't quit the stallfest of wrestling when he was a freshmen in high school?

here is a little clue for the meatheads... he isn't failing at anything...

mooks

[rod_frufit 5]

19 minutes ago, LJB said:

why would any meathead think pico wishes he didn't quit the stallfest of wrestling when he was a freshmen in high school?

here is a little clue for the meatheads... he isn't failing at anything...

mooks

Maybe he can ask Cox, Snyder, Taylor, Dake...to name a few?

[LJB 1,485]

6 minutes ago, rod_frufit said:

Maybe he can ask Cox, Snyder, Taylor, Dake...to name a few?

ask them what?

all of them are doing exactly what they want to do... 

one of them took a different path from what the sh!t style meatheads wanted them to... he is living the life he has always wanted to and making a much healthier chunk of change than if he had just followed the herd...

he isn't failing... he is winning at life...

[MonagFam 41]

3 hours ago, LJB said:

any time pico is brought up is because he thumbed his nose at their precious sh!t style of wrestling....

 

What's the story here?  What happened?

[LJB 1,485]

9 minutes ago, MonagFam said:

What's the story here?  What happened?

the story is after terrorizing everyone in the nation for years... not being challenged... and most just refusing to wrestle and run from him on the mat... pico turned his back on the stallfest style of wrestling at 16, took a contract from bellator and several other sponsors and started training full time for a run at rio and after being the first 19 year old in 40 years to make it to the finals of our senior trials, quit wrestling and went full time MMA...

slow witted meatheads have been all red and raw ever since...

[MonagFam 41]

6 minutes ago, LJB said:

the story is after terrorizing everyone in the nation for years... not being challenged... and most just refusing to wrestle and run from him on the mat... pico turned his back on the stallfest style of wrestling at 16, took a contract from bellator and several other sponsors and started training full time for a run at rio and after being the first 19 year old in 40 years to make it to the finals of our senior trials, quit wrestling and went full time MMA...

slow witted meatheads have been all red and raw ever since...

Are you referring to folkstyle as "stallfest?"  If so, why would some be mad if he went the freestyle route and then eventually MMA?

[LJB 1,485]

3 minutes ago, MonagFam said:

Are you referring to folkstyle as "stallfest?"  If so, why would some be mad if he went the freestyle route and then eventually MMA?

absolutely i am referring to folk as the stallfest... folk rewards not wrestling...

it is a meathead style...

meatheads do not understand or like anyone or anything that does not fit into their little box...

[Lurker 1,397]

6 minutes ago, LJB said:

absolutely i am referring to folk as the stallfest... folk rewards not wrestling...

it is a meathead style...

meatheads do not understand or like anyone or anything that does not fit into their little box...

Interesting take

[MonagFam 41]

8 minutes ago, LJB said:

absolutely i am referring to folk as the stallfest... folk rewards not wrestling...

it is a meathead style...

meatheads do not understand or like anyone or anything that does not fit into their little box...

I am so new to really following either.  I don't necessarily support one style over another at this point.  I get to see HS folkstyle live and I feel it's pretty exciting because I feel like someone is always working for a pin or they are looking to tech fall (so there are lots of takedowns and not as much riding time, which I don't think anyone gets a point for like in college?).  I absolutely have issues with some collegiate matches where it doesn't feel this way if the focus is getting the riding point.  That said, I can be disappointed in freestyle when someone gets turned a bunch (though I don't feel their back was truly exposed) and it's over before it started.

I definitely have a lot to learn though, which is why I have so many questions!  :)    

[LJB 1,485]

8 minutes ago, Lurker said:

Interesting take

surely you have been around for one of my patented anti-stallfest rants...

this part of the season i am so sick of watching "wrestlers" back up out of bounds... "wrestle" from 3 feet away... pick bottom... it makes me sick...

still have over a month before people start getting tossed on their domes... seems like an eternity...

[Plasmodium 1,603]

Anybody else seen the Iranian documentary "Boys with broken ears"?   I really enjoyed it.  If you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat.  It doesn't paint a pretty picture of what happens to uneducated wrestlers that don't win world championships.  Irrespective of style, collegiate wrestling is best for nearly everyone.

[LJB 1,485]

3 minutes ago, Plasmodium said:

Anybody else seen the Iranian documentary "Boys with broken ears"?   I really enjoyed it.  If you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat.  It doesn't paint a pretty picture of what happens to uneducated wrestlers that don't win world championships.  Irrespective of style, collegiate wrestling is best for nearly everyone.

couple of things...

i have not seen it, but, have heard good things...

i read a statistic that over 60% of the homeless in england were failed footballers... point being, **** happens... whatever...

i have a college degree (that i don't use) and never wrestled a day in my life...

i guess i fail to see the overall point...