Coaches Development Seminar to feature top instruction at U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado S

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
10/15/2003


Many of the nation's top age-group coaches will assemble at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the 2003 Coaches Development Seminar. A total of 56 coaches from all across the nation will receive specialized instruction from USA Wrestling's National Coaching staff on October 16-19.    The grassroots coaches were chosen to participate by their USA Wrestling state associations, which work directly with the nation's top youth athletes. In addition, a total of 16 of the nation's top women's wrestling coaches, including many of the current women's college coaches, will be included in the seminar.    The clinicians at the seminar are USA Wrestling's full-time professional coaches, all who will help teach specific techniques and strategies. They include National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson, National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser, National Women's Coach Terry Steiner, Assistant National Greco-Roman Coach Momir Petkovic, Freestyle Resident Coach Sergei Beloglazov, Greco-Roman Resident Coach Anatoly Petrosyan, Greco-Roman Developmental Coach Ike Anderson and Freestyle Developmental Coach Dave Bennett.    All of these coaches are internationally respected for their teaching of the international wrestling styles. Four of the coaches were also Olympic gold medalists during their competitive career: Beloglazov (two times), plus Jackson, Fraser and Petkovic.    In addition, USOC nutritionist Judy Nelson, USOC psychologist Kirsten Peterson and USOC strength coach Patrick Borkowski will conduct sessions with the coaches.    "Our goal is to send the coaches from here with a better understanding of how we use a variety of individuals and resources, including psychology, nutrition and strength training, to improve our elite-level athletes," said Dave Bennett, USA Wrestling's Freestyle Developmental Coach. "We will pass on information that they can use in the grassroots. As the young athletes get older and more successful, and they begin coming to the U.S. Olympic Training Center, we will have some uniformity in what we are teaching and the methods that are used. We will make the coaches know what is available to them, so we can all be on the same page."    The seminar will have an intense schedule, with a full day of sessions and activities on both Friday and Saturday, as well as additional instruction on Thursday and Sunday. In addition to the teaching sessions, the coaches will attend the practice sessions of the U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete teams in men's freestyle, women's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman wrestling.    COACHES DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR ATTENDEES  Lee Allen (CA), Christopher Anderson (ME), Sean Baynes (MI), Dave Bell (NJ), Robert Bonnette (NJ), Chuck Brown (TX), Jeff Campbell (MI), Dan Chandler (MN), Luke Crockett (ID), Rusty Davidson (NM), Robert DeBerry (AZ), Jerry Dilley (OR), Kip Flanik (KY), Larry Gabel (KS), Mark Garcia (NM), Darin Giese (KY), Ron Gray (IA), Ben Haizlip (OK), Kit Harris (KS), Witt Hinton (KS), Ellis Holt (OK), John Holthaus (MN), Doug Howard (OH), Afsoon Johnston (CA), Ron Jones (FL), Trevor Kiefer (CA), Jerry Kelly (IL), John Lane (WA), Earl Lauer (MD), Josh Liebman (NJ), Shannon Logan (OR), Vic Lorenzano (FL), Mark Lynch (OR), Pat Marcy (MN), John Matthews (AZ), Carl Murphree (MO), Clint Musser (OH), Roye Oliver (NE), Javier Posa (NM), Jack Prest (NY), Jeremy Rader (KY), Archie Randall (OK), Doug Reese (MN), John Rogers (NM), Pat Schlatter (OH), Curtis Simons (KS), P.J. Smith (NC), William Terrell (NJ), Jay Terry (WA), Ron Tirpak (PA), Bobo Umemoto (OR), Jeremy Welder (TN), Richard Wince (NC), Billy Wood (HI)