with Brian Antonelli,
Blair Academy Head Wrestling Coach;
2019 NHSCA National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year;
since taking over as head coach in 2014, has led Blair Academy to National PrepÿTeam Titles from 2015 through 2019;
#1 ranking in the USA for 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019
Blair Academy head coach Brian Antonelli goes in-depth on the counter offense methods he teaches his wrestlers in this informative instructional video. You'll learn the basics of solid positioning skills from the feet, how to drill correct defensive reactions to a number of takedown attempts, and how to score off of your opponent's attempts to score.
Positioning and Defense from the Feet
Coach Antonelli begins this on the mat presentation by demonstrating how he teaches positioning skills such as stance, motion, and hand fighting to his wrestlers. Several drills are demonstrated that teach and reinforce these skills. Antonelli also details how a drill session for a wrestling team should look, from both an organizational standpoint and a pace and intensity perspective. You'll come away knowing how to defend several takedowns, including a hi-c, single leg and low single.
Score on Your Opponent's Shots
Next, Antonelli covers drills that teach how to counter and score when your opponent beats your defense initially with a takedown attempt. Some of the techniques covered include:
- The low lift position from a high single leg
- The low lift position from a low single leg
- The hi-c crackdown position
- Head inside/outside sprawl positions
Antonelli also demonstrates exercises that will teach your athletes how to wrestle from several common scrambles, without getting them injured.
Overall, this video is perfect for any wrestling coach who wants a "back to basics" approach to drilling and teaching sound, fundamental wrestling. With the help of Coach Antonelli, your wrestlers can make drastic improvements in their counter offense this season!
29 minutes. 2020.
WRD-05662B:
with Brian Antonelli,
Blair Academy Head Wrestling Coach;
2019 NHSCA National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year;
since taking over as head coach in 2014, has led Blair Academy to National PrepÿTeam Titles from 2015 through 2019;
#1 ranking in the USA for 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019
Brian Antonelli has helped continue the rich tradition of the wrestling program at Blair Academy and was recognized for his efforts by being named the 2019 NHSCA National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year. In this video, he breaks down many of the coaching choices that have allowed his team to excel on the mat so that you can learn and apply them to your own wrestling program.
Match Strategy
The first third of this video is dedicated to explaining Coach Antonelli's thoughts on important pieces of match strategy, including:
- Understanding the Wrestling Area
- Choice in the 2nd Period
- Control
- Staying Humble
He places an emphasis on being prepared as possible ahead of every match, and recognizing what you can and can't control through the course of a match. An overarching thought Antonelli reminds his team - throughout the season is - 'there aren't any excuses - do everything you can to put yourself in position to win and don't sweat the rest!'
Common Questions
Coaching at one of the best wrestling schools in the country has led to many questions that Coach Antonelli gets asked on a regular basis from people who want to find similar success. He addresses these questions in succession, providing answers related to his team, how they train, what their goals and philosophies are, their in-match strategy, and more. You'll walk away with Antonelli's methods for evaluating his team, his ideal practice length, goals related to conditioning/fitness and how to peak at the right time during the season.
Coaching Efficiency & Drills
A huge part of being a successful coach is knowing your wrestlers. Coach Antonelli explains that you must know what "makes them tick on the mat" and how he goes about finding out those things at Blair Academy. Additionally, you'll find out how Antonelli utilizes match and practice film review as a tool to better prepare wrestlers for every match.
The final portion of this video includes two drills that specifically contribute to match strategy. On the mat, Coach Antonelli walks athletes through high crotch scores when the need for big points arises, as well as an on-top return while trying to stay inbounds.
There is a bunch of knowledge packed into this video that will be immensely beneficial to wrestling coaches of all levels, but especially those seeking to take their high school program to the next level. Coach Antonelli's experience has been built over the course of many years and you're sure to get ideas that will help your wrestlers improve their match strategy.
48 minutes. 2020.
WRD-05662C:
with Brian Antonelli,
Blair Academy Head Wrestling Coach;
2019 NHSCA National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year;
since taking over as head coach in 2014, has led Blair Academy to National PrepÿTeam Titles from 2015 through 2019;
#1 ranking in the USA for 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019
Blair Academy is one of the most celebrated high school programs in the country. One of the primary reasons that Blair has been so successful is that the wrestlers are well-prepared in the practice room to be match ready in the toughest of competitions.
In this video, head coach Brian Antonelli explains the importance of drilling at a match pace and demonstrates how to structure practice in order to ensure that your wrestlers' technique and conditioning is ready for competition. He also explains his philosophy on technique development and how to determine what types of drills to utilize to create a foundational practice.
From Start to Finish
Look into the Blair practice room and see how a practice is structured from the warm-up to the cool-down. Coach Antonelli shows how his team prepares to get the most out of their practice time through match pace drills, such as a stance-and-motion and down-block penetrate drill, that will not only help a wrestler warm-up and cool-down for practice, but also master fundamental skills.
Antonelli also demonstrates how he divides his team up into two groups for the live section of practice, so that one group is wrestling and the other group is conditioning off to the side. You will gain a better understanding of how to structure live wrestling to ensure both wrestlers are constantly working during the live reps.
Foundation Drills
Coach Antonelli understands there are a series of situations that a wrestler will often face during a match, which allows him to focus on these key areas during drill time. He places an emphasis on drilling at a match pace so that during a live situation they will be able to react quickly.
You'll learn the three main drills that Antonelli focuses on during practice, including:
- Snap, Spin, Score - Helps wrestlers understand how to react and score after stopping an opponent on their knees with a go-behind, high crotch, double leg or return.
- Sit, Drop, Reroute - Develops a wrestler's ability to control an opponent looking to score from the bottom by learning how to react and maintain constant control.
- Workhorse - A dual-purpose drill that will prepare a bottom wrestler to constantly work to come off the bottom and a top wrestler to continue to work to return their opponent to the mat.
Coach Antonelli has gained a reputation as one of the top high school coaches in the country by no accident; it's because he knows how to prepare his wrestlers for competition. This video will give you an understanding of how to maximize your team's practice time in order to elevate their technical skill, conditioning, and boost their confidence to perform on the mat.
52 minutes. 2020.
WRD-05662D:
with Brian Antonelli,
Blair Academy Head Wrestling Coach;
2019 NHSCA National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year;
since taking over as head coach in 2014, has led Blair Academy to National PrepÿTeam Titles from 2015 through 2019;
#1 ranking in the USA for 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019
How wrestlers deal with tie ups can make or break the results of their match, which is why you want to ensure your athletes know how to prevail in every tie up situation. Blair Academy head coach Brian Antonelli has put together this video with the goal of helping coaches like you get better at teaching tie ups. He covers numerous tie up drills and techniques in a 'for-the-viewer' setting, before providing footage from a live Blair Academy practice session focused on tie ups.
Tie Up Drills
Before progressing into the more technical aspects of tie ups, Coach Antonelli starts by having wrestlers drill good habits, including walking in without touching, beating the opponent inside when their hands come up, and circling to get the opponent to react. Once good habits are established, Antonelli progresses into a series of drills, including:
- Steering Wheel
- Clear Collar Tie
- Clear Underhook
- Clear 2-on-1
- Clear 2-on-1 (Swing)
- Clear Wrists
- Clear Wrists - Baseball
- Clear Wrists - High Crotch
To conclude this segment, Coach Antonelli explains why his team spends so much time on tie ups and dealing with opponents who try to keep their distance.
Live Practice
Next, Antonelli goes into a full group session focused on improving tie ups. The Blair Academy wrestlers work on important concepts like changing levels, inside control, clearing from various positions, and using their best attacks.
Do you feel like your wrestlers need to improve their tie up skills? If so, then this video featuring Coach Antonelli will equip you and your team with the drills and techniques to get better!
43 minutes. 2020.