Helping the Coach Help You    10/29/2001  Ted Witulski/USA Wrestling    Every wrestling coach in the country could use a little help. The title, wrestling coach, does not denote all of the tasks that have to be performed to just get through the day-to-day running of a wrestling team. A successful team is a goal for all coaches, but it is amazing how many things can get in the way.     The progress and performance of the program can be at risk when the coach has to do it all himself and is stymied by numerous situations that arise. Coaches are full of pride and hesitant to ask for help. But, as wrestlers and coaches gear up for the start of the high school season, here are a few suggestions for the wrestlers to take note of so that the coach can get back to coaching wrestling and stop getting sidetracked with other concerns.     Step one: Recruit hard for the team.    Every season the coaching staff of a team faces a new reality. Holes to fill, the four-year starter is gone, 14 weight classes to find a body for. The task is daunting, every weight from 103 to heavyweight has to have a wrestler. Of course the other reality is the sport doesn't have an easy sell to teenagers these days. Hard work and dedication doesn't scream fun to a high school kid who would rather spend their winter strengthening their thumb muscles playing Playstation.     So with that kind of reality in mind, help the coach out. Get out there each and every day and talk up the great side of wrestling to all potential participants. Don't size them up and think they don't have potential. The wrestling season and their desire will determine the outcome. Get your friends on the mats this winter, a growing team will signal to your school that something good is happening with wrestling.     When wrestlers make the "come out for wrestling" sales pitch, they should avoid the threatening language of tough practices and weight cutting. Instead sell the positives of the sport such as the values that it instills like commitment, and desire.     Every high school wrestler that loves the sport should push hard to build a bigger and better team and that means helping the coach recruit. Between now and the start of the season put the full court press on for athletes to join the wrestling team.     Step Two: No Team Member is a Punching Bag    High School is a tough time for almost everybody. Very often in schools a pecking order gets established. Unfortunately, it becomes acceptable to mistreat some guys on the team. Please remember that these teammates are out for wrestling for the same reason as everyone else. It's not an easy choice to become a wrestler, so treat all that take their passion for the sport experience to the mat with respect.     The coach can't be there to protect everyone at all times and of course sometimes it might seem like some kids are just asking for it. But if joking around turns into horseplay that singles out one kid or a group of guys then the dissension and hurt that is caused can be a real barrier for the wrestling team.     Leaders on the wrestling squad need to be the ones that tell teammates to "knock it off" and "we don't need that on our team." In today's society slip ups in judgment can lead to serious repercussion that even lurch into litigation.     Make a conscious effort to help foster the right environment amongst teammates, so that all participants will be proud of the time they spent on the wrestling team.     Step Three: Hit the showers.    Years ago a coach would end practice with the phrase, "hit the showers." With shrinking budgets for athletic teams, one of the first program cuts often made is a towel service for a high school team. More often than not, schools no longer provide essentials like towels and antibacterial soap to go with the phrase "hit the showers".     With these budget cuts many kids have decided that a shower can wait until they get home. In wrestling, the ultimate contact sport, this bad decision can give a coach nightmares.     "I shower when I get home", kids will say but in the meantime that choice leaves the team more susceptible to skin diseases. Once skin infections like ringworm, impetigo, herpes, scabies, and molluscum make their appearance, then the team can suffer all season long. For the coach it means getting kids to doctor's appointments, juggling lineups, and making sure the skin-check paperwork is current.     Quite simply, skin infections are easily avoided with the right precautions. So when the coach says, "hit the shower"---do it. Don't risk the wrestling team's season.     Step four: Leader on the mats---leader moving the mats.    Everyone wants to wrestle at home more often, except some coaches. If a coach is expected to do it all on his own, a home meet can be a ton of work. Those mats aren't going to move on their own, but many wrestlers approach mat moving like it is a game where they compete against the coach. How long can we make it take? Or, how can I sneak out of here?     When setting up for a meet or when the competition is finished wrestlers that are truly leaders are the ones that dive into tearing down the mats with the intensity of an Airborne Ranger. If the coach has to stand over the team to get the mats back to the practice room then jobs like media promotion and interaction with alumni suffer.     Keep a smile on your coaches' face and take a leadership role in the setting up and tearing down of home meets.     Step five: Promote with Don King's Intensity.    It's not too exciting to wrestle in an empty high school gym. The coach feels the same way that the wrestlers do. He'd love to see more people in the seats to watch the matches, after working so hard to field a competitive team. Be a wrestler that finds ways that get people to turnout for home matches.     Be creative and be active in the effort. Make sure that everyone on the team is pulling together to jam the gym for those home duals and tournaments. If wrestlers attend basketball games then basketball players should go to wrestling meets. Always alert classmates to home matches. Type up a flyer for the home meet. Make an announcement in each of your classes and ask the teacher to write it up on the chalkboard. Go out of your way to ask all of your teachers and classmates to be at the upcoming match. Be prepared to give detailed answers on what time it starts.     Once people attend a wrestling meet they can be hooked. So, push hard to help your coach promote the upcoming events.     Step six: On time with no whine.     As the season gets to rolling at some point the coach has to deliver the bad news. "Everyone needs to be here at 5:10 a.m. so we can make it to the weigh-ins on time." Of course the coach probably doesn't enjoy the early start to the day anymore than the wrestlers do. But, whining and complaining about it won't change it.     Additionally, wrestlers that decide to go out the night before and have a good time won't be effective on the mat the next day. Get your rest before the early start to these tournaments. Make sure that you make it to the bus in plenty of time, so the coach has one less person to worry about.     A little thing like being on time and not whining about it will help the coach enjoy the wrestling season as well.    Step seven: School is the priority----make sure you study.    With all of the things a wrestling coach has to take care of, probably the most frustrating thing that happens is a wrestler is not eligible to compete. Students who let their grades slip, put the team in jeopardy.     Then, when the coach calls the kid on the carpet about it the excuses start flying. Excuses like "I didn't know about the test" or "that teacher hates wrestlers" don't address the real problem. Dedication to class work is more important than the wrestling season.     Keep the priorities in line and don't fall into the trap of acting cool or sleeping through study halls. Most students have at least one study hall a day, that when used effectively can keep grades to acceptable levels. Too often high school wrestlers decide to blow off class work for a mid-day nap in study hall. Don't go down that path.