The Season is Over Now What

Wrestling coaches at the youth, high school, and club level may be tempted to breathe a sigh of relief when the winter season is complete. It can be a grind. But as coaches know, there is really no offseason—building, managing and growing a program is a year-round job.

While many coaches are now preparing for the freestyle and Greco-Roman season, spring is the time of year to gather all key stakeholders within a program (club leaders, board members, coaching staff, booster club) and take a step back and reflect on the season, says Mike DeRoehn, Head Wrestling Coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Evaluate strengths, weaknesses and areas that can be improved. Analyze and assess how things went in the areas you deem most important and build from there.

"As a collective group, take some time to review your stated mission, vision and core values," says DeRoehn. "If your organization has yet to establish these items in a formal statement, now's the time to get that done to provide some formal direction."

DeRoehn says a full program analysis can be conducted following these steps and asking these questions:

Competition: Based on the level of talent and ability, how did your competitive season go? Did you compete at a high level, meet or exceed potential, both as individuals and a team? Was your schedule challenging and appropriate for the athletes you had?

Training: How effective was your training plan this season?  Were the athletes mentally and physically fresh at the end of the season? What will your off-season training plan look like? Evaluate the focus of offseason weight-training programs, freestyle and Greco-Roman practices/schedule and events/competition.

Equipment/facilities: What do you need to update/replace? What might you want new for next year?

Coaching: Did you have the knowledge, skills and abilities to help the athletes effectively?  If not, what type of coaching education should you invest in to be more effective for next year and beyond?

Fundraising: Did you meet or exceed your fundraising goals? Where did the money go and where should it go next year? What are some of the most effective activities?  Is there anything new or different you want to try next season?

Off the Mat: How are kids doing off the mat? Are they succeeding academically and involved with community service projects? Are there any discipline issues that need to be addressed?

Leadership: Who are the future leaders within the club?  What type of leadership training and education should you offer to make sure they are ready to lead their peer group next season? How are you doing as a club board of directors and support staff with our wrestlers/coaches?

Recruiting: John Wooden said it best: "the best coach is the one with the best players." Who is out there in your community that you’d want to join your program? This could include young athletes, potential coaching staff members and people with leadership qualities within the community who could add value. 

Relationship building: Conduct team building activities, such as a team/club cookout; or group outing to the community pool, lake, or community function.

This last point is especially important as you head into the off-season. "Although wrestling connects us, it doesn't always have to be how or why we spend time together as a group," notes DeRoehn.

Encouraging monthly team or club activities in the off-season will keep wrestling on a young athlete’s mind, as these events can be great team building activities, adds Eric Moore, head wrestling coach at Cary Academy in Cary, North Carolina. Last summer, Moore's program participated in a beach wrestling tournament. "The guys still talk about it today," says Moore. "It was one of the most fun times we've had as a team ever."

When it comes to working with wrestlers on the mat coaches should find unique ways to keep spring and summer practices fun to avoid burnout, while also instilling learning opportunities says Moore.

At the Cypress Lake Wrestling Club in Fort Myers, Florida, coaches Paul and Will Rothenberg use the this time of year to work on Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling. But they shift focus away from competition and training to remind wrestlers about holding themselves accountable and to high standards off the mat.

"The expectation that wrestlers take care of school and family commitments and still find time to train and compete does not change," says Paul Rothenberg.

Though the goal is continual improvement, wrestling practices in the off-season should include more games and fun activities. During the spring and summer, Cypress Lake posts more pictures to Facebook and Twitter to show a more human side of the group. This keeps the club engaged with both program supporters and the community.

Another off-season focus: developing the young person, not just the young wrestler. 

"We try to develop individual's personalities because we want wrestlers at all ages to be tenacious, to seek out challenges and to have the confidence and persistence to overcome," says Paul Rothenberg. “Wrestling is just a tool that provides people the framework to succeed anywhere else."

For his part, Moore encourages coaches to attend other events for your multi-sport wrestlers to show your support for them. Whatever the focus is, minimize or eliminate the pressure to always wrestle or always do everything wrestling. Let young athletes experience different settings and sports; let them learn to appreciate life outside the sport.

The off-season, emphasizes Moore, is the time to "learn more about your wrestlers, laugh with them, and let them know you care about them more than just being good wrestlers.”