Remember the first day of practice.  Excitement and anticipation were wired into the wrestlers thoughts.  The expectations of the new season were upon them.  With hopes in front of them, it seemed that the enthusiasm would never dissipate.      However, in a couple of weeks with the season nearly a third complete, the holiday break will pull the wrestlers from the mat.  With expectations high at the beginning, there are bound to have been some disappointments.  Some wrestlers may have suffered early injuries.  Others just missed taking hold of a varsity spot.      On the other end of the spectrum there are some on the team that have the makings of a terrific year.  A wrestler may still be undefeated.  Another may have shown tremendous improvement against a difficult foe.      Regardless of the successes or failures that happened prior to the holiday break, the difference in keeping the wrestlers striving to achieve will be the ability of the coach to maintain the team's focus for the entire run.      Coaches need to be creative in refocusing the team on the goals and achievements that athletes should excel to.  The National Coaches Education Program, sponsored by USA Wrestling suggests that a successful way of capturing the team's attention when they return from the winter break to the wrestling mats is to give them some bulletin board material.         A great use of "bulletin board material" is hanging up the individual awards certificates that will be given out at a year-end banquet.  Official looking certificates with names left blank can be used to motivate every member of a wrestling team.  The certificates hung prominently in the wrestling room or locker room should serve as a daily reminder for the athletes to refocus on their goals.      Generally, the coaches for a team will give awards at the end of the season for leaders of statistical categories.  The team leader for most wins, most takedowns, fastest fall, and most near-fall points are often recognized at the awards banquet.      However, with forethought coaches can create new awards to motivate other members of the team.  Awards given to wrestlers that have a subjective evaluation offer the coaching staff the discretion to recognize a wide range of abilities and performances by their team.      While statistical categories will be dominated, by possibly, just a few members of the varsity squad, other awards based on coaching judgment can reach less-match-successful athletes that will be future varsity wrestlers.      One member of the wrestling team may have had an unsteady start to the season.  Perhaps his record even shows it.  But, by the end of the year he may have earned the "Turnaround" award.  Another wrestler may have dedicated intense time to building a stronger body; he may be the candidate for the team's "Lifter of the year" award.      Another athlete may have wrestled in the most "Exciting Match" of the season, and should be recognized for it.  Other wrestlers may have never wrestled before.  Knowing that recruitment to the sport is important, coaches may want to recognize the best first year wrestler with a "Newcomer" of the year award.      From the Most Valuable Varsity wrestler to the Most Valuable Junior-Varsity wrestler, there are literally dozens of awards that a coaching staff can hand out at the end of the season.      To best take advantage of the incentive that individual awards offer, coaches can use the winter break to create a new bulletin board that displays the certificates that will be awarded at the end of the year banquet.  By giving the athletes insight into what the end of the season holds, coaches will offer an external award for the hard work and dedication that is required by the sport of wrestling.  Thinking ahead of the team members by refocusing them on individual achievement, helps to reinvigorate a team after the holiday break.       ****************************************************************************  The National Coaches Education Program offers this article on Program Development to help wrestling coaches establish the sport nationally.  Every wrestler, coach, and fan can further build the sport of wrestling by becoming a member of USA Wrestling, the national-governing body of amateur wrestling in the United States.      As the NGB for amateur, USA Wrestling offers a variety of programs from youth development through senior and veterans competitions.  Join USA Wrestling in growing the base of amateur wrestling nationally.      To learn more about the National Coaches Education Program contact the NCEP Manager at twitulski@usawrestling.org.  If you would like to host a Copper or Bronze clinic in your are please call (719) 598-8181.