NWCA August Convention to Feature Gable as Speaker

The National Wrestling Coaches Association is pleased to announce their 2009 Annual Convention, to be held at the Bahia Mar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on August 6-9th.

This year’s convention features many informative sessions that will be beneficial to both the scholastic and collegiate coaching communities.

The NWCA Convention is the time for coaches to interact with one another outside of the wrestling season, paired with informational sessions on how to take a more proactive approach to being the coach and “CEO “of your team. This year’s focus for the collegiate divisions is, “To Protect and Promote Your College Program. ” Scholastic Coaches will focus on: Leadership, coaching development, technique and networking.

For the Scholastic Coach:

“¢ Creating and sustaining a positive team culture
“¢ Coaching Development (risk management, recruitment and retention of wrestlers)
“¢ Systematic teaching for success on the mat
“¢ NFHS rules review
“¢ Being a leader in “off the mat ” areas

For the Collegiate Coach:

“¢ Best Practices for improving retention and graduation rates of student-athletes
“¢ Creating and sustaining a positive team culture
“¢ Division I “Mock NCAA Selection Process”
“¢ Protecting your intercollegiate wrestling team
“¢ Change of Season Discussion

Highlighting the event will be legendary Coach Dan Gable as this year’s guest speaker for the NWCA Conventions opening luncheon on Friday, August 7th. Coach Gable is the University of Iowa’s all-time winningest wrestling coach from 1977-1997. His career coaching record totals 355-21-5, leading the Hawkeyes to 15 NCAA Team Championships including nine consecutive championships (1978-1986). In the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, he won a gold medal without surrendering a point to any of his opponents.

He has been appointed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Gable has also been named the top wrestler of the 20th century by Gannett News Service. He was listed as one of the top coaches in the 20th century by ESPN. Along with being named Iowa’s top “sports figure “in the past 100 years.

The convention luncheon featuring Coach Gable will take place August 7, 2009, at noon in the Grandview Ballroom of the Bahia Mar Hotel. Extra tickets for the luncheon can be purchased by calling the NWCA Office.

Also addressing the convention attendees will be Dan Gould the Director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports and a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the Michigan State University. Gould is a professor with a specialty in applied sport psychology. He has co-authored two books, Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology (with Bob Weinberg) and Understanding Psychological Preparation for Sport: Theory and Practice of Elite Performers (with Lew Hardy and Graham Jones).

Gould partnered with the NWCA in 2008 to aid in the development of the Coaching Education Programs and the NWCA Leadership Academy that is being unveiled prior to the convention.

The featured clinicians are Tom Borrelli of Central Michigan University and Brian Smith of the University of Missouri, both coaches who have produced many talented college wrestlers along with promoting their teams to the community.

Coach Borrelli has been the head coach at Central Michigan for 17 years. In that time he has also been named the NWCA Bobb Bubb Coaching Excellence Award Winner and the NWCA and WIN Magazine National Coach of the Year.

Coach Smith has been with the Missouri Tigers for the past 10 years. Smith has local roots growing up in Fort Lauderdale and starting his coaching career at Western High School. Smith has also been honored as an NWCA National Coach of the Year.

There will be an additional technique session specifically for the scholastic coaches hosted by Dave Crowell, Head Coach at Nazareth High School (Pennsylvania). Crowell has been honored five times as the Pennsylvania State Coach of the Year and has also been named an NWCA National Coach of the Year.

Space is still available for coaches wishing to attend, registration can be completed online. The full convention registration is $225; there is a $50 discount for multiple coaches from the same school with the purchase of one full registration. For more information on the NWCA Convention you can contact the NWCA Office at 717-653-8009 or by going to our website at www.nwcaonline.com.