By: Adam Sarancik Author of: Coaching Champions for Life With regard to athletic and sport skill development, what a player does with their mind, both on and off of the field, is at least as […]
Creating Confidence with J Robinson
Watch as Coach Robinson explains that he believes the greatest thing you can do as a coach is to change someone’s life for the better. You have the chance to impact kids’ lives by believing […]
Stance and Motion Warmup with Kevin Ward – Oklahoma State Univ.
Watch as Coach Kevin Ward explains that his team starts every practice with stance and motion warmups. He feels that stance and motion is an exaggeration of what an individual will do in competition. This […]
High Crotch to the Back Leg Drill with Mike Poeta – Univ. of Illinois
Watch as Coach Mike Poeta explains and demonstrates this high crotch to the back leg drill. He emphasizes that in a live match he would never instruct a wrestler to use this but always take […]
Setting Effective Goals
By: Colleen M. Hacker Originally Published in: Achieving Excellence Provided by: Human Kinetics Olympic athletes, like most high achievers, commonly set goals to guide and motivate performance. These elite performers would not engage in action […]
Adversity Is Part of the Journey with Seth Greenberg – ESPN
Watch as Seth Greenberg explains that adversity ‘visits the strong and lives with the weak,’ so the only option is to deal with it. He encourages no whining, no complaining, no excuses, and no regrets. […]
Kids Need to Know That You Value and Like Them with Dave Crowell – Nazareth Area High School (PA)
Watch as Coach Dave Crowell explains that the kids on your team need to know that you value and like them. If kids think that you like them, it is easier as far as discipline […]
You Are What You Eat
By: Adam Sarancik Author of: Coaching Champions for Life One of the most dramatic and consequential shifts in my lifetime in the personal habits of people, including many athletes, is the casual way in which […]
Head Coach Blueprint: Cover Letters Are the Key to Getting Interviews with Chris Fore – Eight Laces Consulting
Watch as Chris Fore discusses how to get that first head coaching job. The key factor of getting an interview for the head coaching position is the cover letter. A great cover letter can make […]
The Butterfly Effect
Originally Published in: The Leadership Playbook One person can have such a strong effect on the world such as Martin Luther King, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Jordan, and Mother Teresa. In the same way, […]
Underhook Series with Chris Pendleton – Oregon State Univ.
Watch as Coach Chris Pendleton explains and demonstrates how to use underhooks effectively. If the opponent is coming at you and goes for your head, Coach believes in making them pay. He demos several moves […]
Identifying Which Cues to Use for Each Athlete with Nick Winkelman – The Language of Coaching
Watch as Nick discusses identifying which cues to use for each individual athlete. Before you can influence an athlete, you must try to understand them, and it is important to be flexible and adaptable with […]
Bounce Go Behind with Austin DeVoe – Colorado School of Mines
Watch as Coach Austin DeVoe explains and demonstrates this bounce go behind move. It is important to keep the elbows in tight with one hand high up in the arm pit and the other cupping […]
What Gets Rewarded, Gets Repeated with Heath Eslinger – A Better Way Athletics
Watch as Coach Heath Eslinger explains that “what gets rewarded, gets repeated”. If celebration is only based on playing time and performance, you are missing an opportunity to help your players get better. Look for […]
The One Skill Every Wrestling Coach Should Teach with Kevin Ward – Oklahoma State Univ.
Watch as Coach Kevin Ward explains that the one skill every wrestling coach in high school should teach is running the pipe on a single leg. This is not a finish, but it sets up […]
Elbow Pass Technique with Nathan Tomasello – Cliff Keen Wrestling Club
Watch as Nathan Tomasello explains and demonstrates this elbow pass technique. The focus is to shove into the opponent and feel the pressure of a push back. You want to grab onto the triceps and […]
Single-Leg Snag with Lennie Zalesky (Retired) – California Baptist Univ.
Watch as Coach Lennie Zalesky explains and demonstrates the single-leg snag. If a wrestler does not have a lot of confidence on a shot or double leg shot, then this is a good alternative. Try […]
The Mantra of “Get Better Every Day” Applies First to Coaching
By: Adam Sarancik Author of: Coaching Champions for Life After 40+ years in coaching, certain things are automatic for me. One of those things is, from the moment a practice, training session, game or season […]
Turn-In Stand with Dave Crowell – Nazareth Area High School (PA)
Watch as Coach Dave Crowell explains and demonstrates this turn-in stand escape from the bottom position. He teaches his wrestlers not to explode on the whistle and get the arm away, but instead give it […]
Set-Up and Step to the Shot Drill with Mark Branch – Univ. of Wyoming
Watch as Coach Mark Branch explains and wrestlers demonstrate this set-up and step to the shot drill. The focus is on the attacker changing levels stepping in and touching with the attack hand but not […]
Quarter Turn Stand-Up with John Klessinger – South River High School (MD)
Watch as Coach John Klessinger explains and demonstrates the Quarter Turn Stand-Up. Off the whistle, jump 1 quarter away, being explosive and stand up to create space. Put the inside hand in the back pocket […]
Practice Developing Your Strengths with J Robinson
Watch as Coach J Robinson explains his philosophy on practice and what he emphasizes on when preparing his wrestlers. The five areas of wrestling that can make up a practice session are takedowns, escapes, reversals, […]
Coaches’ Stressors & Mental Health with Dr. Peter Ormsby – Univ. of North Carolina Pembroke
Watch as Dr. Peter Ormsby discusses coaches’ stressors and mental health. He cites case studies that indicate the three main stressors are performance-related, organizational-related, and personal. Performance stressors deal with injuries to athletes and poor […]
Block All Points Drill with Brian Smith – Univ. of Missouri
What as Coach Brian Smith explains, and wrestlers demonstrate this ‘block all points’ drill. After you get your opponent flat and have a wrist, do not go for a turn right away, but think about […]
The Value of Strength Training with Sam Craven – North Carolina State Univ.
Watch as Coach Sam Craven explains that a strength and conditioning program can increase the athletic potential of an athlete. Using an analogy of a race car driver and a race car, the driver may […]
Character Development: Be a Hope Dealer with Stephen Mackey – 2Words Character Development
Watch as Stephen Mackey explains that in today’s world there are a lot of influences that can have a negative impact on your kids. He encourages coaches to offset this negativity by being hope dealers. […]
Social Media: Always Post About the Team with Garry Rosenfield – Coaches Inc.
Watch as Garry explains that when posting, promoting your program will never get you into trouble. It makes sense to promote your athletes and all the positives about your program and also to let everyone […]
Outside Leg Stand-Up with Damion Hahn – South Dakota State Univ.
Watch as Coach Damion Hahn discusses the Outside Leg Stand-Up. Sometimes it is difficult to stand up using the inside leg because of all the weight on that side. Using the outside leg eliminates that […]
What Are We Doing to Create a Championship Culture? with Robert Grasso – La Jolla Country Day School (CA)
Robert Grasso asks the question, “what can we do to create a championship culture?” Every team has a culture – are you working to develop the kind of culture you want? Robert states that if […]
Give and Take in Sparring with Austin DeVoe – Colorado School of Mines
Watch as Coach Austin DeVoe explains how to use give and take in sparring. This can be the hardest adjustment for high school wrestlers transitioning to college. Sparring does not have to be completely choreographed […]