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Wrestling Academies


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I have been reading a lot about the success of different academies around the state and am curious about what sets these academies apart.  Can anyone share the history, practice structure, coaching ideas of the top academies in the state?  What about how they grew numbers, locations, number of practices a week? Pretty much any information about what sets different academies apart from others is of interest to me. 

On this same topic Fort Wayne lacks any top level academy right now… what do you guys see as hurdles to one being succesful in the Fort? 

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I think one of the biggest hurdles for the Fort Wayne vicinity is that (if I understand correctly) they do not offer wrestling as a middle school sport.  That would greatly limit the youth kids as it's the largest population center in that area.

Joe had (or maybe still has) the Roadrunner club and I know of the famous/infamous General Heavy Handz with a club that he ran but don't know of any others. Honestly, I could see this as a good business opportunity to someone willing to build it from the ground up if they can get support of the local coaches

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3 hours ago, base said:

I think one of the biggest hurdles for the Fort Wayne vicinity is that (if I understand correctly) they do not offer wrestling as a middle school sport.  That would greatly limit the youth kids as it's the largest population center in that area.

Joe had (or maybe still has) the Roadrunner club and I know of the famous/infamous General Heavy Handz with a club that he ran but don't know of any others. Honestly, I could see this as a good business opportunity to someone willing to build it from the ground up if they can get support of the local coaches

General Heavy Handz here. Yes it’s a tough nut to crack that Fort Wayne wrestling. You are dead on about the reasons it’s so tough.  I’ve been criticized for throwing coaches under the bus before: I stand on my previous critiques of programs and their leadership.  Results speak for themselves.  Without any infrastructure we trained guys and got them ready for a state run.  People didn’t like my shoes. My missing teeth. My brashness.  Coaches told their kids not to work with us only to lose to kids we trained.  I never liked my coaches.  But I listened to them.  If you can’t beat’em join them.  That’s why I always encouraged my club kids to go to Carroll and Garrett to get better.  Shout out to Nick Krause and Y2 and the Super Chargers.  We didn’t have middle school wrestling when I was coming up either.  But back then  my club coaches were guys from the other public schools.  Diprimio from Northrop. Ragle from Wayne, Ray from South Side.  Concordia had open mats.  New Haven and even the now defunct Elmhurst did as well.  It was a community of old heads who just wanted everyone to get better. We need to get back to that.  Grassroots is the way to go I’ll assert. I did my best but if everyone is against you it’s hard to keep making sacrifices.  My shoes sucked because I paid for entry fees, cards, singlets shoes. Meals. It was get a partial denture or take the kids to Grand River Rumble. I chose the later.  Yeah some are going to say he loves patting himself on the back.  Go talk to the kids and parents that we worked with and see if you feel the same.  The General is in Iowa now.  I came to see the SAC tournament and Sectional and that was enough for me.  It was good to see Homestead win the Sectional.  Their kids won’t quit.  My alma mater, Snider, has the cupboard stacked with Legacy.  South Side is having their best season in recent memory.  Luers as well.  It’s not too far off it someone will commit to improving the level.  The Gen is doing the rounds with my younger boys. I’m back in Iowa but I always keep an eye and ear towards Indiana Wrestling. Good luck to everyone at Semi-State!

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5 hours ago, buscowrestling said:

 

I have been reading a lot about the success of different academies around the state and am curious about what sets these academies apart.  Can anyone share the history, practice structure, coaching ideas of the top academies in the state?  What about how they grew numbers, locations, number of practices a week? Pretty much any information about what sets different academies apart from others is of interest to me. 

On this same topic Fort Wayne lacks any top level academy right now… what do you guys see as hurdles to one being succesful in the Fort? 

Come down and watch. That’s all you can do. I would recommend coming to Contenders in Monday or Red Cobra on Tuesday. Those are live nights. It’s really just about the intensity, great instruction, and great partners. Club vs academy is really apples and oranges. I have coached at a pretty good club over the last 10 years. No matter how you try... it’s not possible to get the same level of intensity. Once I see a kid that can handle an academy.. I put my ego aside and tell his family to go check one out an academy. I guess there is just that difference between a family that wants to drop off a kid to train a few nights a week for 6 months for $100 and a family that is grinding 4 nights a week for $100 per month. I assure you that the kids have fun at both places. I can also ensure you that if a kid is not paying attention at club he may take a small amount of heat. I can also ensure that if that same kid does the same at academy... well ... let’s just say we ain’t paying $100 a month for that noise! 

Again, apples to oranges and coaches need to realize that. 

Also Bryan is doing Outlaw in Huntington I think. If I lived up there, I would support that 100 percent. 

Edited by Mattyb
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Move to da region !  We got da best of both worlds. Great coaches at da club, academy and high school. To me it’s about learning da technique. A coach who has da eye to correct poor habits. To me wraslin a ton of live when I’m payin bucks I ain’t gettin what I m payin for! Drill Drill Drill

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10 minutes ago, regionrat1 said:

Move to da region !  We got da best of both worlds. Great coaches at da club, academy and high school. To me it’s about learning da technique. A coach who has da eye to correct poor habits. To me wraslin a ton of live when I’m payin bucks I ain’t gettin what I m payin for! Drill Drill Drill

For sure... the academies here seem to have one night of live. The rest is technique and drilling with a minimal amount of live if any on the other nights. Don’t know of any academies that wrestle all or mostly live. 

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7 hours ago, base said:

I think one of the biggest hurdles for the Fort Wayne vicinity is that (if I understand correctly) they do not offer wrestling as a middle school sport.  That would greatly limit the youth kids as it's the largest population center in that area.

You are so right.

FWCS doesn't offer wrestling at their middle schools, hasn't for 10+ years. Area schools still do but FWCS has the bulk of the student population. FWCS had lots of state champs for years, now only a rare few place.

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One of my otter pet peeves  is da time spent running. In general I think that time is better spent drilling hard. I have seen where coaches who did not know a whole lot would spend time running instead teaching and demonstrating moves. If I wanted to run I would have joined cross country. 

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6 minutes ago, regionrat1 said:

One of my otter pet peeves  is da time spent running. In general I think that time is better spent drilling hard. I have seen where coaches who did not know a whole lot would spend time running instead teaching and demonstrating moves. If I wanted to run I would have joined cross country. 

Sounds like the rat has it figured out. Since he is done with working at the mills.... I believe the rat needs to start a region wrestling academy in “TheFort”! 

I see big money and multiple champs in his future!!! 

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I think if you try to do it for profit you lose. But you have to run it to make a profit so it can stay open. Definetly not something you should try quit your day job for. The Fort will get one and soon. It is about making them all better.  

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If I won da lotto I would hook up y2 with some $$$$$ to start a academy. He can quit his day job and do his passion. I have dreamed about what good you can do with a big lotto win. It doesn’t take a whole lot to make a rat happy. I worked wit a bunch of greedy guys who tried to be da richest guy in da cemetery. Dis rat will take care of his friends and family. 

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19 hours ago, buscowrestling said:

 

Pretty much any information about what sets different academies apart from others is of interest to me. 

 

Not sure I am qualified to answer any other of your questions, but this one is simple. The Coaches!

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17 hours ago, Neehog55 said:

Warrior elite at  Indiana Tech!!

How have they been doing in recent years? I know about 3-4 years back they had around 60+ kids from the Fort Wayne area coming in for technique and live. They've also produced several state qualifiers, placers, and current collegiate guys.

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41 minutes ago, buscowrestling said:

I agree that obviously the coaches at these are doing great things, but what sets the coaches apart?  

That's the thing... it is more then the great coaches. Its a group of people. It's the people who do paper work and organize (like Lauren at contenders). It's the parents that go the extra mile for their kids and others. It's the kids that have made a commitment from the early age to be great at something. Its a really a community effort to make these things work. Its about providing an atmosphere of greatness, intensity, great partners, hard work, friends, and fun.

Last but not least, it is the coaches. These guys travel the nation with these kids. These guys do privates. They bring in other clinicians, and are always learning new technique to show. They make these kids go to school and make good grades. They give the kids positive reinforcement when needed. They tell a kid that they suck, if the suck (coach Red will give an F- to a kid in a minute). They also tell them to suck it up and do what they need not to suck. These coaches are teaching these boys that there is no substitute for hard work, and do not baby them. These coaches surround themselves with other like minded people to instill (in the kids) what it takes to be a champ on and off the mat. Really its just about making a kid believe that they can be great and giving them a place and the instruction to accomplish it almost everyday.

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1 hour ago, buscowrestling said:

I agree that obviously the coaches at these are doing great things, but what sets the coaches apart?  

As I stated in my earlier post, I don't have the knowledge to answer that question.

What makes a great coach great? I wish I knew!

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40 minutes ago, Mattyb said:

That's the thing... it is more then the great coaches. Its a group of people. It's the people who do paper work and organize (like Lauren at contenders). It's the parents that go the extra mile for their kids and others. It's the kids that have made a commitment from the early age to be great at something. Its a really a community effort to make these things work. Its about providing an atmosphere of greatness, intensity, great partners, hard work, friends, and fun.

Last but not least, it is the coaches. These guys travel the nation with these kids. These guys do privates. They bring in other clinicians, and are always learning new technique to show. They make these kids go to school and make good grades. They give the kids positive reinforcement when needed. They tell a kid that they suck, if the suck (coach Red will give an F- to a kid in a minute). They also tell them to suck it up and do what they need not to suck. These coaches are teaching these boys that there is no substitute for hard work, and do not baby them. These coaches surround themselves with other like minded people to instill (in the kids) what it takes to be a champ on and off the mat. Really its just about making a kid believe that they can be great and giving them a place and the instruction to accomplish it almost everyday.

So when you talk about the community, I think that is really interesting.  How many hours a day, days a week, months a year are you talking?  What age do you recommend kids starting?

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If you are in an area that is not in very close proximity to a solid academy, there are a few things that you can do to amplify your club kids wrestling.

1. Have some of the top academy coaches do some clinics instead of your regular club practice.  This will be a learning experience for both kids and coaches. See if they will bring a few of their studs to wrestle with your kids too.  Your kids will love experiencing someone different and it is always eyeopening for your wrestlers when they say, "That is what you tell us all of the time, coach."

2. Take some field trips to some of the academies and drop in to wrestle with the big boys.  Again, a learning experience and who does not like a field trip that involves wrestling.

3. Think out of the box.  Or smash your box and build a new one.  Take some of the things that you learn from those experiences and apply those to your club.

One of the hardest things to replicate is the level of practice partners skill and intensity.  If a family is able to, don't discourage them from attending an academy.

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29 minutes ago, buscowrestling said:

So when you talk about the community, I think that is really interesting.  How many hours a day, days a week, months a year are you talking?  What age do you recommend kids starting?

The kids around here go pretty much year round. I know that Contenders makes some of the smaller kids take a whole month off. Of course people take vacations and do holidays. Also some of the kids play other sports. With this said, they still make it in one or two days a week when playing other sports. They like being there. This time of year (in season) the kids go about 4 nights a week from a hour and a half to two hours. The very little guys go a few nights for about an hour. Then they all wrestle on weekends.

Our Avon kids can do club or academy every week night if they want to (between the club and academies). There are practices available here 5 days a week. Clubs work with academies and vice versa. No egos... just the knowledge that families are welcome to do what they think is best for the kids and what they enjoy. Some high school programs don't share this philosophy... I would recommend working with the academies if you want to stay competitive.  It works!

When they start is a kid by kid basis. There are kids as little as 4 (most of them have older siblings). Again, no set rule. Most kids love it. Some kids hate it and don't come back. Its all up to the kid.

Or you can go by the philosophy of the late great notorious TeamGarcia.... Wrestle 24/7/365! 

Edited by Mattyb
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2 minutes ago, Mattyb said:

Some high school programs don't share this philosophy... I would recommend working with the academies if you want to stay competitive.  It works!

Amen! I am at a loss when I hear a particular high school coach doesn't want his kids to wrestle at an academy. I am 'assuming' that is ego getting in the way of clear thinking, but perhaps that is an overgeneralization. However, Brownsburg & Avon are a excellent success test cases (and you can extend that to the Evansville & Region schools as well).

A lot of the better kids are going 4-5 days a week year around. Maybe not so much with the little guys (under 10), but some them do as well.

 

 

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1 hour ago, SIACfan said:

As I stated in my earlier post, I don't have the knowledge to answer that question.

What makes a great coach great? I wish I knew!

Living on the South side of Indy especially the 46217 & 46227 zip codes automatically make you a great coach. If you are already a Great coach and you move in to those

zip codes it makes you even greater. As long as you wear Blue!!!!

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29 minutes ago, Mattyb said:

That's the thing... it is more then the great coaches. Its a group of people. It's the people who do paper work and organize (like Lauren at contenders). It's the parents that go the extra mile for their kids and others. It's the kids that have made a commitment from the early age to be great at something. Its a really a community effort to make these things work. Its about providing an atmosphere of greatness, intensity, great partners, hard work, friends, and fun.

Last but not least, it is the coaches. These guys travel the nation with these kids. These guys do privates. They bring in other clinicians, and are always learning new technique to show. They make these kids go to school and make good grades. They give the kids positive reinforcement when needed. They tell a kid that they suck, if the suck (coach Red will give an F- to a kid in a minute). They also tell them to suck it up and do what they need not to suck. These coaches are teaching these boys that there is no substitute for hard work, and do not baby them. These coaches surround themselves with other like minded people to instill (in the kids) what it takes to be a champ on and off the mat. Really its just about making a kid believe that they can be great and giving them a place and the instruction to accomplish it almost everyday.

So what sets these coaches a part?  Don't get me wrong, Chad, Dustin, CIA, Region Elite, Pride and others are great.  Last year Mauer Coughlin ran one practice a week in our room.  I am not saying kids shouldn't go, but I know quite a few high school coaches that do all of the things listed for all ages of their program.  Trust me, I know all about the community aspect.  I actually am going to use your post in our end of the year banquet.  

Frankly, a lot of our kids at Perry don't have the resources (parental support/money) to get over to an academy.  We try to create this atmosphere in our room.  I had an academy coach ask me last year why we don't send more kids to them.  It isn't that we discourage it, but it is hard to get kids and parents to get to all the things we create here in our program.  Some of our kids get out and go to other training opportunities, but most don't have the ability.  I guess you could say that is why PM has finished 2nd, 3rd, 2nd and 2nd in the last 4 team state championships.

The one thing that you can't deny is getting a bunch of state champs in a room whipping on each other.  That helps kids for sure.  I think having someone new give instruction is good as well.  It usually reinforces the what we teach and also can show things a little different.  I know not all programs do what we do, but I know some are pretty close.  Don't forget to come to our RTC on Tuesday nights this spring...6:00-7:45!

Coach Richardson

PM

 

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A pretty good Wrestler/Coach once said  it best . Unless you continually work, evolve, and innovate, you'll learn a quick and painful lesson from someone who has. Cael Sanderson 

You can take this great quote however you like. I see it in the  benefit of a Academy or a kid that wrestles all year. All 3 of Cael’s points are a direct influence on a Academy wrestler . At the end of this quote speaks volumes.  “Painful Lesson from someone who has” 

 

Pistol Pete says John Smith is better wrestler Cael Sanderson . 

 

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