Foul Territory

How do you build a winning wrestling team? It's a challenge, and a lot of it has to do with the quality of athletes you recruit, but that's not everything. Teaching your fresh faced recruits how to win is where the money is made. Since everyone is at a different level, you have to figure out what is important for everyone and where there is some flexibility. To that end, I think you have to leave some of the fancier stuff to individual training sessions. Not everyone can learn something of value from watching a video of Cary Kolat and his trick knee, but some wrestlers will be able to pick up a few things without getting any bad habits.

Therefore, I say the foundation of any wrestling team must be good, basic, fundamental wrestling techniques. Everyone who comes to college has a best move, but I still think a coach should teach head inside, head outside, and double leg attacks as a foundation. Sure, you'll have a guy with a great inside trip, and you should let him do it, but don't try to make a move that some people will never really get the foundation of your team's offensive character. The same goes for defense. The funk, trick knee, and other such defensive moves have value, but only in the right hands. In the wrong hands, they lead to lots of takedowns. That's why every wrestler should practice getting the angle and dropping his hips until he can do it with his eyes closed.

Keep it basic, and don't make mistakes. That's how to build a successful team. Once you have a team full of guys with the basics down, then you can move on to the more advanced techniques. Avoiding mistakes is the best way to win a match you're supposed to lose.