Coaching Development Blog

• Where Are the Wrestlers?

  11/5/2009 11:48:28 AM

  The wrestlers are in every school in America. We must recruit them, train them and retain them. The quality of experience must be such that the majority will always want to move on to the next level. As wrestling coaches we can no longer wait to let students come to us. We must aggressively present the sport of wrestling to the students and their families.

  I would like every coach out there who has had success recruiting students into wrestling to please share their ideas with the rest of us. I will share one approach that has been successful.

  I know of one junior high school coach in Pennsylvania who has designed a combative sport for middle school students. He had this course approved by the head of the physical education department and then this fall put it into action before wrestling sign ups. The good news is the students love it and it has had an impact on the number of students signing up to join the junior high school wrestling team. 

  I can’t wait to hear what some of you have done to increase your numbers. I personally believe the greatest emphasis should be on grades 6, 7 and 8.

  Remember, the theme of NWCA Coaching Development: Let’s Grow Wrestling Together!

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  Neil Turner

  Coaching Development

  retention recruiting

• Why you need to attend the convention.

  4/24/2009 3:52:02 PM

  Wrestling needs you now more than ever! Please join some of our most successful high school and college wrestling coaches from across America at the 2009 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Convention scheduled for August 6-9 at the beautiful ocean front Bahia Mar Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  Everything is designed to help you strengthen your wrestling program and/or grow wrestling in your area. This experience will provide you with the following:

  • An opportunity to learn practical and systematic approaches to promote positive growth of individual wrestlers and wrestling programs.
  • Learn how to respond to the challenges facing wrestling (increasing number of forfeits, unreasonable parents, funding challenges, etc.).
  • Organizational skills to help you promote and market wrestling in your area.
  • Learn to develop a system of teaching for all grade levels that enhances the improvement of the specialist and the multisport athlete.
  • Develop a leadership mindset to enable you to create a positive team culture.
  • Provides an opportunity to share ideas, problems, and goals with college coaches in order to establish a better bridge between the NCAA and the high school athlete.

  In this intense 2-day period, you should be able to assess your present situation and lay plans for 2009-2010. Just like we tell our athletes, “Success Never Rests.”  I would strongly encourage you to bring your whole staff, from youth through high school. Spending this 2-day period together will help to get everyone on the same page.

  For more information and/or to register online, please go to:  http://www.nwcaonline.com/convention.cfm

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  Neil Turner