WrestlingGear.Com - "Get Ready for the Mat" Sent at your request
November 30, 2004
==========================================================
As a list member, you will receive an abbreviated monthly newsletter in the
future. The past several months we have been sending you the entire newsletter
to show you what you will be missing each month.
If you would like to continue to receive these in the future, simply make a
purchase with wrestlinggear.com every 12 months.
As the season starts to heat up, order your gear as soon as possible. Each year
we run out of certain gear because it is no longer available at Asics or adidas.
Don't miss out on the gear you are looking for.
Please forward this email on to friends and other wrestlers looking for a place
to shop...
-Jeff Pape
Owner
SPECIAL OFFER TO LIST MEMBERS FROM AMATEUR WRESTLING NEWS
Amateur WRESTLING NEWS is the oldest magazine devoted to all phases of amatuer
wrestling, from kids through the Olympics. Now in its 50th season, it is
published in magazine format and serves a substantial community of wrestling
coaches, parents, fans and participants.
Editorial features include team and individual rankings at all levels,
comprehensive collegiate dual meet and tournament results, training and
technique features, individual profiles, regular columnists and special features
covering every aspect of Amateur Wrestling.
Try our publication with a risk FREE Trial, Click here to find out how
NEW ADIDAS WRESTLING SHOES
One word, WOW! Adidas has once again outdid themselves with their new shoes.
Almost every shoe is new this year. The only carry-overs are the Combat Speed,
Pretereo, and Pretero Jr. The new Adistar, Super Lites, Responses and more are
now available in colors not normally offered in wrestling shoes like White &
Green, Black & Grey, Black & Orange, and more.
VISIT THE NEW ADIDAS WRESTLING SHOES - CLICK HERE
THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE WRESTLERS - By Steve Marianetti
The season has begun. For the next few months wrestling will consume our lives.
High Schools and Colleges are breaking in the mats and our sweet science is
being taught anew. Coaches now have decisions to make: what to teach.
A couple of weeks ago a high school coach asked me what moves I teach to start
off the year. I explained that I begin the season—with my college
wrestlers—reviewing the basic concepts underlying solid wrestling. The seven
concepts are: stance, motion, angles, hips, chain wrestling, counter offense and
lifting. Once a wrestler understands these basic skills, he is able to adapt in
all positions, even if he has not learned a specific move for that specific
situation. Then, as I teach set-ups, shots and finishes, it is easier for them
to create scoring opportunities. The longer I coach, the more I see success
boil down to executing the basic skills. Watch the state championships, the
NCAA championships or the Olympics and you will see the same concepts that an
eight year old learns—executed flawlessly.
So here are seven concepts that I teach to begin the year. There are no secrets
in our sport, but I believe that coaches and athletes need to be reminded how
important and complex these basic skills really are.
1. STANCE: This is the first skill we teach and since it is so simple, coaches
and athletes often move quickly past it to more advanced skills. But the stance
is a wrestler’s foundation and if there is a flaw, a good opponent will find it.
A takedown only happens when you are out of position and the other wrestler
attacks. If you hold good position, you will not be taken down. It’s that
simple. But staying in a good stance requires great discipline and
conditioning. It is a habit, engrained through pain, sweat and time.
The importance of the stance permeates all positions. In clinics I will hit a
single leg, drive to my feet and pause. Then I will release the leg, stay
motionless and ask the kids what they notice. If I have a good group they will
tell me that I’m (yes, you guessed it) in my stance. I go through the same
drill on the high-crotch and double leg. I want them to see that a good stance
is also part of their attack. And when they drill, I make them pause and check
their position before finishing the takedown as I yell, “Hips in, back straight,
head up.”
I believe that a team needs to emphasize their stance at the beginning of the
year, when habits are formed. The wrestlers need to be made conscious of
staying in good position and must understand the power of this basic skill. A
great way to reinforce the stance is by filming a practice or meet. Tell your
athlete to just watch his stance and dissect any problems. (I learned this
method from national freestyle coach Bruce Burnett after a freestyle tournament
in Turkey. At the world level—where one takedown often decides a match—the
importance of position is magnified.) If your wrestler scores, were his hips,
back and head in a strong position. If your wrestler was taken down, did he
reach, put his head down, raise up or break position in another way. If he can
visualize the impact of a proper stance and dedicates a few practices to his
specific problems, good habits will quickly follow. After your team has the
knowledge of how to hold position on their feet and during an attack, the coach
must condition their bodies to sustain their stance throughout a match or
tournament. Besides a high volume of live wrestling, I use a stance
conditioning drill at the end of practice. The drill consists of five 1-minute
go’s. The first minute is stance and motion. They must to stay low, with bent
knees and be light on their feet. After the minute is up, give the team 10-15
seconds to stand up. The second minute starts with stance/motion and you will
add sprawls on your command. When you yell “sprawl”, they must throw their legs
back, bounce back up to their hands and feet, circle 180 degrees (they will be
in a bear crawl position) and come up directly into their stance. This is the
key. They cannot straighten their legs; they must move from sprawl/spin
directly into a good stance. The number of sprawls is up to you. The third
minute is stance to shots. Make sure they stay in good position during their
penetration step (head up) and turn the corner. The wrestlers will push off
their drive leg and move back into a stance with no break in momentum. The
fourth minute uses a sprawl/spin to a reshot and back to the stance. At this
point, you will see backs flatten and legs straighten, so make sure that the
coaching staff is watching closely. Finally, the fifth minute is back to stance
and motion. Five minutes is not very long but this drill puts tremendous stress
on the quads and lower back. I use this conditioning drill throughout the
season but never more than twice a week. Remember, the stance is a wrestler’s
foundation. A weak stance makes a weak wrestler.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Click Here to visit WrestlingGear.Com
INFINITY WRESTLING SHOES
We now carry Infinity brand wrestling shoes at WrestlingGear.Com. You can
purchase the Infinity Viper shoes in White & Black, Black & Silver, Red &
Yellow, Blue & Yellow, and Yellow & Black. We have them in sizes 6 - 12. These
are economically priced shoes for the intermediate wrestler. It is a great shoe
for practice or even competitions. Plus it is a reasonable price - $54.95.
We also have the Predator II Youth Wrestling Shoes. These shoes offer a sleek
design and are built to last. We offer these in Black, Red, and Royal Blue for
$32.95.
Click Here to visit our Infinity Wrestling Shoes page
RECRUITING A STUDENT ATHLETE by Chris Bono
Recruiting a student athlete to a university is a long process. As a college
coach, I am looking at student athletes when they enter 7th grade. Many people,
including the athletes, think the recruiting process starts in their junior
year. The biggest obstacle during the recruiting process is that a college
coach cannot contact a perspective student athlete until July 1st before his
senior year. However, a coach may send letters beginning September 1st of his
junior year. Each year, the NCAA rules change slightly in recruiting student
athletes.
Here are some ways a student athlete who wants to continue wrestling in college
will get noticed by coaches around the country. This will require some work on
the student’s part.
Going to Wrestling Camps in the Summer
If you are interested in one particular university, no matter how old you are,
attend their camp. Most universities hold summer wrestling camps. If you have
any talent or skill at all, a coach will see that and put you on his radar
screen for the future. He will also start following your career and if you are
younger than 9th grade, he will start talking to you. I would recommend going
to as many different camps as possible, the more camps you go to, the more
coaches will see your skills and recognize that this could be the kid of the
future. Also, when you start attending the same camp each year, the coaches will
remember your name and your ability. Remember the coach cannot contact you
until July 1st of your senior year.
National Tournaments
Attend national tournaments and do well at them. There are college coaches at
national tournaments of all ages all the time. There are so many national
tournaments across the country all year long, a dedicated wrestler can surely
find one worth the money and time. If you are in high school, the Cadet/Junior
National Tournament in Fargo, North Dakota is the one to attend. Over 99
percent of all college coaches are there every year. If you do well here,
expect your name to be in every magazine about high school wrestling, which
every college coach reads. Expect letters coming on September 1st of your
junior year.
Academics
The better grades you get, the more you will be recruited. Every coach wants
kids with good grades. Even if you are an average wrestler with good grades, a
coach would welcome you to his team. A coach can take a kid with good grades
and less skill to a higher level a lot easier than a kid with bad grades and a
lot of talent. Why? It is easy; the student with good grades can continuously
work on his wrestling skills, where the other student must work on his grades
while letting his wrestling suffer. If a coach is recruiting two kids with the
same skills in wrestling, the one with the better grades will get top priority.
Plus there might be some extra money for academic scholarships which could
equate to a full scholarship. Right now, that would mean an education worth
well over $100,000.
Letters and Emails
Sending letters and emails to college coaches is also real important. Every
letter I receive, I respond with a questionnaire. When those come back to me,
the real recruiting begins. Make sure you include a copy of your official
transcript and ACT/SAT test scores. An official transcript is required before a
coach can bring the athlete to the university on an official visit. Also,
include a highlight tape, a DVD is preferred as it can even be watched on a
computer. Do not send a long tape, especially if you are pinning guys that you
are better than on it. A coach does want to see full-length matches against
quality opponents.
The recruiting process is definitely along and a tough process on every student
athlete. It is even harder to get yourself recognized by college coaches. I
have given some tips that coaches look for in getting to know some of the best
talent in the country.
Good luck.
Visit WrestlingGear.Com
DO RICH TEAMS SIMPLY GET RICHER - By Mike Finn, W.I.N. Editor
It wasn’t an exactly an earthquake that hit Oklahoma and the country when
heavyweight Steve Mocco announced that he was transferring to Oklahoma State,
the two-time defending NCAA team champion.
But it certainly drew a reaction from other coaches around the country.
“It was not one of bliss,” laughed University of Oklahoma coach Jack Spates
after hearing that Mocco, the two-time NCAA finalist and 2003 national champion
at Iowa, had left Iowa City for Stillwater. “Oklahoma State had a great team to
begin with, but they were mortal. With the addition of maybe the most dominant
national champion in the sport, it’s going to be very difficult to beat them.”
“That really puts Oklahoma State in driver’s seat,” said Michigan coach Joe
McFarland, who at least won’t have to deal with the former Hawkeye at the Big
Ten tournament.
But once the nation’s top teams arrive in St. Louis next March for the 75th
annual NCAA Division I Championships, they will be faced with something that has
become common in wrestling: overcoming a dynasty.
For in the history of the national tournament, only 11 different teams have won
team titles and since 1975 only five schools have been on the top step of the
NCAA ladder: Oklahoma State (four and 32 times since the tournament’s
inception), Iowa (20), Minnesota (twice, 2001 and 2002), Arizona State (once,
1988) and Iowa State (1987 marked the Cyclones’ eighth team championship).
So why is it that few teams have reached the promised land?
“There has to be
the pressure to excel and we have that at Oklahoma State,” said OSU coach John
Smith who returned the Cowboys to the top in 2003 after a ten-year hiatus. “It’s
not accepted to not be there.
“For us that is something want to always keep in our program. I know our
administration always wants Oklahoma State challenging for a national
championship.”
Smith also is adamantly opposed to the view that it’s easy to
stay on top once you get there.
“That comes from people who have not won a whole lot,” Smith said. “It’s very
tough. It’s one thing working for a national championship if you haven’t won it
for a while; you have that enthusiasm and drive to win one.
“But after you’ve won several titles — I experienced it individually and now I’m
experiencing it as a coach — it becomes tougher and tougher. Staying on top is
not something that happens. It’s something that is earned through a lot of hard
work.”
With Mocco, the Cowboys have four wrestlers who have won national championships
or appeared in a final — joining Chris Pendleton at 174, Jake Rosholt (who has
moved up to 197 after winning the 184-pound crown in 2003) and 149-pound NCAA
finalist Zack Esposito.
Among the teams who appear to have the best shot at catching Oklahoma State are
Lehigh and Illinois (each with five returning All-Americans), Iowa State (4) and
Oklahoma and Michigan (both with 3).
“If we won the national championship, it would be the biggest thing that ever
happened here, based on the (academic) standards it takes to get in here and the
size of our school,” said Lehigh coach Greg Strobel, well aware that an Eastern
team has not won an NCAA championship since 1953 when Penn State wore the crown.
“It would be absolutely the event of the century,” he added. “It would open
people’s eyes.”
One way to catch the Cowboys is to produce more All-Americans. In fact,
Minnesota, when it won in 2001, did not have an individual champion but featured
10 medal winners.
“If we do, we are capable of winning,” Spates said. “It’s one of those things
where every guy has to grow and wrestle tremendously at Nationals. Do I count us
out? No. But the bottom line is that we will be better next year.”
“You do it year by year and that’s what I’ve been trying to do,” said McFarland.
“I’m concentrating on getting kids who are committed to winning national
champion ships.
“I think we’ve done a good job at that. You are going to have your schools like
Oklahoma State.”
But McFarland said he believes that times are changing.
“I see a lot of good
young coaches out there,” McFarland said. “Kids have more options now.
“The days of kids thinking they have to go to this school or that school are
gone. They have a lot more options now.”
Illinois coach Mark Johnson admitted that he has to work on making sure his
wrestlers are not intimidated by an Oklahoma State singlet and remember that the
Illini has produced its own share of champions.
“I think we have guys who have won national championships and know that we are
doing the right things.
“It’s something you have to experience. You can talk about going in and beating
Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but it doesn’t mean anything until you go and do
it.”
But don’t expect Oklahoma State to take its domination for granted.
Smith learned that after his first team title in 1994, only to have it take
eight years to get the crown back.
“At this level, there is only one place to go,” Smith said. “So it’s a great
challenge, no matter what team you have or what people think you have.”
Article brought to you by Win-Magazine
BRUTE ZERO-G HEADGEAR
Brute's popular new headgear is available from WrestlingGear.Com. We have 8
stock colors to pick from. Designed to maximize hearing while still giving
tremendous protection.
This head gear is not so slowly becoming one of our most popular head gears. Be
sure to check out this head gear...
Click Here to order the Zero-G
WATER AND LEAN MUSCLE TISSUE
Keeping your muscle gains and staying hydrated through the wrestling season
It’s
that time of year again when wrestlers consider what weight class would best
suit them for the upcoming season. During the fall, you shoudn’t be concerned
where the competition is at this point in the season. Meaning you shouldn’t
try to drop or add weight depending on what weight someone on your team or
another team might be competing at. Besides to reach your highest potential you
need to compete against the best wrestlers anyway. Hard work is the only
solution for getting you to the next level. When considering what weight class
is best for you, the most important factor is what weight class will allow you
to train and compete at your highest potential. For most wrestlers this optimal
weight class would put them right around 5%-7% body fat in a hydrated state.
Unless you are already at your ideal body weight in a hydrated state you will
need a plan to get you there.
The best plan to help you lose body fat is a year round approach that is focused
on the addition of lean muscle tissue and the loss of body fat. You should
never rely too heavily on the scale as much as you do on the body fat test. If
you are a leaner wrestler you are often stronger, faster, and quicker than a
simply lighter wrestler. When deciding how much fat you want to lose; you
should never plan to lose more than two or three pounds per week to minimize
muscle tissue loss. Remember, the goal is to reduce body fat not muscle. At
this point in the season you should continue to stay in an anabolic or muscle
building state. To help you stay in a muscle building state you should lift
for shorter segments around thirty minute intervals once or even twice a day
depending on your lifting program. This will ensure that you don’t turn into
those muscle proteins for energy during your strength training session. You
should also drink plenty of water and balance four or five meals throughout the
day to help you stay in a muscle building state. As always limit your intake of
fatty foods such as butter, margarine, fried foods, and dressings. Another
proven method to help lose body fat is to consume your biggest meal at breakfast
or early in the day to get your metabolic rate to increase. The pre-season
training phase is also an excellent time to begin utilizing the early morning
for aerobic activities like jogging for thirty minutes to help increase your
metabolism throughout the day as well. This will help your body turn to those
fat stores for energy during the day.
A common myth by younger wrestlers is the idea that adding muscle will make it
harder to make their weight class. By adding muscle you are actually increasing
your body’s ability to burn calories. Muscle actually burns more calories for
energy output than fat. Another added benefit of lean muscle tissue will be in
your ability to sweat off those last few pounds of water right before weigh-ins.
Since muscle contains more water per body pound than fat, you will sweat and
lose more water weight per workout. A word of caution, research shows that when
you are dehydrated for more than a two hour period you start to burn glycogen
and muscles, this gives you that weak feeling on the mat. So be sure to drink
plenty of fluids before, during, and after each training session. Remember
during the pre-season your goal isn’t just to lose weight, it’s also to stay
hydrated to enable you to keep those muscles ready for battle during the season.
ASK COACH EITER
Here we will feature different coaches responding to your wrestling
questions...You can post the questions on or message board and if we pick your
question, Rob Eiter, Olympian and current Division I Assitant Coach at
Northwestern, will answer your question. Whether you are a coach, wrestler or
parent learning to more about a particular topic, Coach Eiter can help you.
Click Here to Visit our Message Board to post a question
IN CLOSING
Thanks for subscribing to this newsletter. If you are interested in any of these
products or have any questions, call us toll-free at 1-800-565-0995.
Be sure to keep your profile updated so if we send a targeted email to our
IllinoisWrestling.Com fans, that you get it.
As always, simply unsubscribe below if you are no longer intersted in getting
these emails.
Visit WrestlingGear.Com
