Coach Hull Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Freestyle and Greco-Roman are finally here! No more Folkstyle, for the most part. I know our Indiana Pride kids are excited about F&G now, as they get a chance to mix it up and still be on the mat. This post isn't for anything other than to 1) impress upon everyone the need to wrestle Freestyle and Greco, and 2) start planting seeds for participating in the F&G tournaments coming up. General Freestyle & Greco participation: Although the IOC's decision to possibly eliminate wrestling from the Olympics is EXTREMELY discouraging, it is still vital to a wrestler's success to participate in these styles as much as possible. It is more than proven that Freestyle and Greco helps develop Folkstyle wrestling. Personally, I was 3rd string my freshman year in high school. I loved the sport but I simply didn't know enough wrestling to be as successful as I knew I could be. That summer, I found and wrestled in every F&G tournament I could. I got in close to 100 matches and, not only was I varsity next year, I ended up getting 7th in the state. That next summer I wrestled as much F&G as I could again and I won the IHSAA State Championship. Another year of F&G and I graduated ranked 3rd in the country. I use this same philosophy and blueprint in my coaching as I make all of our Indiana Pride Wrestling Academy members train and compete in F&G. Deondre Wilson is a perfect example. Only wrestled for three years and won the IHSAA State Title this past year. How so good so fast? F&G. He followed the same routine, with close to 100 matches each summer, and a state title in only his 3rd year was the result. 100 matches is almost 2 or 3 seasons worth of wrestling by H.S. standards, so when the next year starts he is that much further developed than the average or seasonal wrestler. Sure, results vary, rules change, etc. etc. But, for the record, wrestling Freestyle and Greco during the summer IS NOT the same as wrestling Folkstyle year-round. Mat time is mat time, and the more you get the better your chances. But F&G teaches, or EMPHASIZES, certain skills that get lost in the shuffle of Folkstyle: positioning, throws, awareness, etc. The fact of the matter is the more your wrestler competes in F&G, the better their chances of success come Folkstyle season. Nevertheless, hopefully we have a great turnout the rest of the summer at our F&G tournaments. I cannot think of one of Indiana's best (Sliga, Tsirtsisx2, Howe, Escobedo, Hasseman, Dolly, etc. etc. etc.) that did not try and take these styles to the max. What better way to show your support of "Saving Wrestling in the Olympics" than participating in the Olympic styles? Freestyle & Greco-Roman Competitions In that same spirit, we have some great local, regional, and national tournaments still left for Indiana to make their mark. Not only do we have awesome local F&G events coming up, but hopefully our Indiana wrestlers will compete in more F&G events regionally and nationally. Central Regionals in Indiana=Great tournament. Schoolboy Duels =Great tournament. Fila World Team Trials in Akron=Great tournament. Southeast Regionals in Atlanta=Great Tournament. Of course there are countless others. The big events I'd like to see more of Indiana's best? Cadet Duels in Daytona Beach, Junior Duels in OKC, and of course the Nationals in Fargo. Personally, when I wrestled, our national dual teams were absolutely LOADED with talent. Not only where there State Champs, but we would have multiple 2x and 3x Champs on there as well. It was a PRIVILEGE competing for INDIANA, not just individual success, in an effort to win a National Title. It will be a good day in Indiana when we have our best on those teams. This year I am fortunate enough to be helping out more with the ISWA and my goal is to WILL ourselves to a higher degree of success. This means higher expectations, higher quality techniques, etc. I'm just one person and these are just my random thoughts, because I am so glad to have the F&G season upon us. So this post is just one of my efforts to help fuel the fire for Indiana to take it to the next level across the board. Best wishes the rest of the summer. Train hard. Perform harder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyandky Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Well said Coach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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