Cornell College Head Coach; winningest coach in Cornell history
and Mike Clayton,
USA Wrestling National Coaches Education Program Manager;
Former Head Coach at Stevens Institute of Technology;
2008 NCAA Division III Rookie Coach of the Year
and Joe Russell,
US National Freestyle Assistant Coach;
former George Mason University Head Coach and Assistant Coach at the University of Minnesota
Mike Clayton and Mike Duroe take on common problem positions for youth and high school wrestlers. This is a wonderful training video where both coaches take insightful questions from the field and answer them on the spot.
Joe Russell has an extensive background in wrestling and coaching. Along the way, he has put together a guide book that goes out to each of his athletes. This helps all parties to be on the same page and a true part of the program.
On the Mat: Coaching Techniques
Coaches Clayton and Duroe field questions regarding technique, but also cover finishing and countering a head inside single. Their focus is on when to let go of the leg as well as how to counter this shot.
Clayton begins with basic understanding of when a good time is to hang onto the leg and let go of it. This sequence leads to discussion on the importance of having good mobility in order to finish and some complete finishes from a head inside.
He also discusses the importance of connecting with your athletes and including them in the teaching aspect of coaching as well as sitting down with your assistants and getting their involvement or technique to assist the athletes. Clayton completes with some finishes and how to coach young kids.
Coach Duroe discusses the importance of position and how to integrate it into a practice. He firmly believes in having high and low level guys in the room at the same time in order to grow everyone. He also discusses how getting up off the mat is of primary importance after hitting a shot. This leads into several ways to get to a single and how hand fighting makes that easier.
From a more technical aspect, Duroe covers basic positioning for his short offense and how he continues to win those positions. Finally he fields a question about crossfacing; when, how, and the most important aspects of it. Coach Duroe has a good pedigree in coaching athletes at the highest levels of the sport.
Lecture: The George Mason Way
Coach Russell provides a description of materials that he provides to each of his athletes to ensure they are all on the same page and know what is expected. He also goes through some of his general team philosophy of technique
The first part of his guidebook is a section on general expectations and priorities. This gives a rough outline to his philosophy, the team culture, and some principles of success. He talks about how important it is to take care of each other and how to "Maintain excellence in everything we do." He stresses time management and his code of conduct that holds athletes accountable.
In the second section, Russell focuses on technique strategy. This includes the general items that are practiced during the season as well as all the "fun stuff" that will be gone over in the off-season. He outlines the difference between high percentage and low percentage technique and why it's important to differentiate between the two. Finally, he goes through his philosophies in each position on the mat.
As a conclusion, Coach Russell writes about his off the mat strategies. This includes items such as life skills, "How do we win in other areas of life," and "Fake it until you make it." This is a great section because typically, if our lives outside of wrestling are squared away, the wrestling part is easier!
157 minutes (2 DVDs). 2018.
WRD-05368B:
with Zac Dominguez,
President and Head Coach of MWC Wrestling Academy in Omaha (NE);
former University of Nebraska Omaha Assistant Coach;
President of USA Wrestling Coaching Council;
Freestyle and Greco Director for Nebraska USA Wrestling;
2013 USA National Developmental Coach of the Year;
2007 USA Wrestling Coach of the Year;
and Dr. Grove Higgins,
Human Performance and Rehabilitation Clinic Director (CO);
Coach Dominguez covers how a coach can keep a practice structured and fun at the same time by using drill games. The games not only keep practice fun and exciting, but also develop skill. Games include:
- Quad Hand Fight: Teaches wrestlers how to keep the pressure off their hands and put the opponent's weight on their hands.
- Go to Back Drill: Teaches a wrestler how to back arch by falling backwards.
- Foot Tag: Develops level change and quickness.
- Double Reverse Lift: Emphasizes a wrestler getting their hips underneath them in order to lift their opponent off the mat before their opponent lifts them.
- Hand Fighting on the Knees: Teaches wrestlers to fight for position and move their opponent just by using their upper body.
Questions and Answers
Coach Dominguez answers questions from other coaches who are in attendance. Topics covered include:
- How to open lines of communication for wrestlers of all ages.
- The biggest issues youth wrestlers face and how to overcome those issues.
- How to control parents and have them fit your system as opposed to having your system fit them. This includes dealing with other sports they may be playing.
- How to develop unorthodox techniques that kids may use that are not normally taught.
- His year round program development.
Lecture: Improving Mobility and Adaptation for Athletes through Repetition
Dr. Higgins provides the insight for any coach or athlete to unlock their potential to increase overall performance. This will also directly translate into wrestling by allowing an athlete to learn technique quicker due to having a greater ability to move, decrease injury potential, and increase overall performance.
Shin Box
Dr. Higgins introduces the 'Shin Box system' that coaches and athletes can use to assess and train mobility. He also covers the prescription, progressions, and instruction of the mobility drills within the system. This system is a game-changer in the world of sports performance because it can drastically increase performance in an athlete.
Questions and Answers
Higgins opens the floor for a variety of questions and answers. Some of the most common questions relate to pain management in the lower back and the wrist, were he addresses three specific drills:
- Squat and Twist: A simple and effective drill to eliminate back pain.
- Arm Bar: Utilizes a kettlebell to release tension around the spine.
- Wrist Rolls: Helps realign the bones in the wrist and hand in order to decrease pain.
Dr. Higgins breaks down performance to the most basic level so that you will understand how to improve mobility and maximize the performance of your athletes.
Produced at the 2017 USA Wrestling Silver Coaches Clinic in Lincoln (NE).
185 minutes (2 DVDs). 2018.