Nine Ways to Develop Accountability in Your Wrestling Program

By: John Klessinger, Head Wrestling Coach - South River HS (MD)

Accountability is a modern-day buzzword. It is thrown around team locker rooms, business meetings, and in schools. But what is it really? I am not sure if people actually get it or, for that matter, its importance.

The Cambridge dictionary defines accountability as "the fact of being responsible for what you do and able to give a satisfactory reason for it or the degree to which this happens." I am sure if we think about it, we understand the definition. I am not here to belittle anyone's intelligence. Indeed, I am not the sharpest tool in the shed.

However, I have been a high school teacher and wrestling coach for close to twenty-five years. From what I see, people don't get or understand it. I think people want to get it. I genuinely think people thrive in conditions that have high accountability. I have seen some of the most challenging kids to work with excel when held accountable. Also, I have seen some of the "softest" kids turn into the toughest kids when they were challenged and given high expectations. It is pretty amazing, to be honest. Just by "saying what you mean, and meaning what you say" can completely transform an organization.

I tell people that accountability is the secret sauce to achievement. If you want your son or daughter to be a good student, hold them accountable. If you want your team disciplined, hold them accountable. It is that simple.

It wasn't until nearly 14 years into my teaching and coaching career that I got it. I finally understood the word that was "preached" in athletic circles my entire life. It was a revelation. Ok, that was dramatic, but it was a serious eye-opener.

I handed a paper to my wrestling team that needed to be signed by a parent and returned the next day. Simple task. Give the form to mom or dad, get their signature, and return the next day. It sounds simple, but it wasn't. The next day only three of thirty-five wrestlers returned the signed document. Admittedly, I lost my cool. I didn't yell or criticize them. I am not a big yeller. Instead, I told them to get on the short wall, which meant conditioning. For the next hour or so, those young men had the most strenuous workout of their lives. I did it with them and can honestly say it was one of the most challenging workouts I have had in my life.

The next day, the other 32 wrestlers had their papers signed. I was amazed. How could something so simple be so effective? All it required me to do was have a consequence. I tested the "newfound" theory again the following week. Everyone completed the short I assignment I gave them. I heard my team in the hallway before practice making sure everyone had their assignment. I thought to myself, "why haven't I done this before?"

Team and individual accountability are powerful. I believe that day, eleven years ago, our program changed. We became tougher, more disciplined, and our work ethic got better. Accountability is the secret sauce of achievement. Below are ways you can develop it in your program.

If you say it, you have to do it. Idle threats quickly lose their effectiveness when your team learns you do not stick to your word. This point is the most significant factor in developing accountability in your room. In education, there is an old saying, "don't smile before Christmas." Essentially this means, that from the beginning, you set up a rigid structure. You can always loosen up later. It would be much more difficult to tighten up a loose ship later if expectations and standards were not in place.
Create activities that promote accountability training. Nearly all of our conditioning workouts have some form of accountability training incorporated into them. Before the workout begins, I tell them what I expect and the consequences of not meeting them. During these activities, I tell everyone that they are responsible for their teammates. If they allow their teammates to cut corners and not correct or help them, there is a consequence. They learn quickly when they have to do two hundred burpees instead of 100 because people aren't holding themselves or their teammates accountable.
Be clear in your expectations and standards. I have learned to have standards (things that must be done) for almost everything. Anything from how we do push-ups to conduct in class has a standard and expectation. You will hardly ever have 100% compliance, but your percentage will be much higher with a system in place than if you wait until a problem needs to be fixed.
Work on developing good teammates. Going back to the second point, creating activities is a great way to teach accountability. A good teammate is someone who holds himself accountable and then helps others do the same. Being a good teammate is an everyday discussion with your team. It needs to be repeated over and over.
Accountability starts at the top. You are the leader and holder of the stone. If you expect others to follow you, you have to be the first to get into the fight. Model the behavior and actions you want in your players. Accountability is a learned skill. You are the teacher.
Accountability is love. I often tell my team that if I didn't care about them, I would not hold them accountable. People that love us want us to do well. They are also the people at times we dislike the most. They push us to be better.
Repetition is the mother of skill. To get better at anything, it needs repeated and drilled consistently. Doing something once usually doesn't last. Like drilling a high crotch takedown, it needs to be practiced over and over to be effective.
Accountability and toughness go hand in hand. The more you develop accountability, the tougher your kids will get and vice versa. When your team gets tougher, they raise their expectations and are more prone to holding themselves and others accountable.
Kids don't want to be coddled. They want structure, expectations, and the opportunity to get better. It is our nature to want to take it easy on them for mistakes or not meeting standards. "They are just kids." From my experience in the classroom as a teacher and as a wrestling coach, you will get much more out of them by creating a rigid structure of high expectations and standards. In turn, the students perform better and enjoy the experience more.