Phil Weathers – shelbystar.com
Each year there are some rule changes to the sport of wrestling.
One rule change for 2008-09 spectators might notice is with the wrestlers “starting “position. When a wrestler goes to get into a starting position on the mat, the wrestler that is in the down position must set the knee(s) and feet.
Second, the wrestler in the top position must place the palm of one hand on the navel of his opponent.
Third, the wrestler must place the palm of the other hand on or over the near elbow.
Fourth, the referee shall pause momentarily before starting wrestling.
This rule change is meant to provide consistency for coaches, wrestlers and referees.
The National Federation of High Schools has also adopted four points of emphasis in wrestling for the new season: grooming and medical checks, reporting to the scorer’s table ready to wrestle, going out of the wrestling area and involving referees’ signals and mechanics.
Growing in popularity
Wrestling is the sixth most popular program for high school boys in terms of participants with 257,246 boys wrestling in 19,445 schools throughout the country.
It’s also gaining popularity among high school girls, with 5,048 girls participating in 1,227 schools, according to the National Federation of High Schools Athletics Participation Survey.
Coaching tips
There are a number of things that go into being a successful coach. Hopefully some of the following will be helpful, especially to new coaches.
One of the first things a coach should do is develop a “coaching philosophy. “This will help in developing some direction for your program.
What is it you want to accomplish? What goals do you have for your team? As a coach sharing this with your team you can help some of your wrestlers reach their goals as well.
Most importantly, a coaching philosophy needs to be positive, especially with younger wrestlers.
At least one former Olympic Wrestling Coach says that he always yelled positive comments to his wrestlers during a match, everything from “looking good, stay focused and nice move! “rather than yelling for specific moves.
Also, during a match some wrestlers want to look over to their coach while wrestling. This is probably not the best practice because the wrestler on the mat can lose focus and concentration. Coaches might suggest to their wrestlers to instead look to the corner during breaks in the action (when the whistle is blown for out-of-bounds, for injury time, etc.).
Another good habit is to have the wrestler nod his head to let the coach know “you got it “concerning communication from off the mat.
Recently at a match, I noticed the need for keeping wrestlers information how much time is left in a match. Often that means the difference in winning or losing.
Always let your wrestler know if they have 10 seconds or 20 seconds left to reinforce the fact they either need to hold on, or to have more of a sense of urgency.
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