Football vs Wrestling

[FBfan26]

80% of our team runs track after football season...we don't even have a wrestling team anymore

[THSFather]

Tennessee High School in Bristol does not discourage multi-sport athletes. There are several football playes that wrestle.

[tradertwo]

Not just wrestling but every other sport should be not only available,but encouraged.Would you rather "your" athletes sit around eating doritos and playing video games or competing in other sports?One of the coaches(not football)at the local HS discourages his players from playing any other sport for fear of injury...all the rest say that the multi-sport athletes are the most well conditioned that they have.Every sport has its' own set of attributes wheather agality,hand-eye,stamina,strength,cardio,ect...all ingrediants for improving preformance in any sport,and I personaly would support any/all my players participation.

[bigblue74]

I coach both football and wrestling and have to say that wrestling compliments football and can take a player to the next level of athleticism. i have noticed though, just because a kid is a good football player does that mean he will be a good wrestler. Conversley, most wrestlers that play football are very good at it indeed. The skill sets are similar in fundamentals, footwork, balance, quickness, explosiveness, etc... but wrestling technique can be tough for some to master. To answer the question though, at my school, players are encouraged to participate in both.

[galloppingghost77]

runtheball you are correct! I have coached both and I believe there are 2 - 3 basic reasons why "some" football coaches do not want "their" players to wrestle. Some wrestling coaches go to an extreme with their athletes cutting weight. No tonly cutting weight but do it quickly. The last thing a football coach wants is a 205 pound LB cutting down to 171 because a wrestling coach needs to fill a weight class. The new Wrestling Weight certification has addressed this issue, for the most part, quite well.

 

Some football coaches are still under the impression that bigger is better. Some football coaches want a kid who weighs 270 one year to weigh 300 the next, regardless of the fact it is unhealthy for the kid and the kid can't move. There is a difference in strength gain and weight gain. Focus of off-season workout should be to get stronger, faster, more explosive, more flexible, and more athletic. Weight gain will happen, but some football coaches focus on gaining weigh and their belief that is so important.

 

and lastly, some football coaches are just territorial and just simply do not want to "share" "their" athletes. They want the focus to be football and football only.

 

Now with this said, football coaches are not the only ones who are territorial. Baseball and basketball are just as bad if not worse.

[deablo]

My thoughts on wrestling is it is very beneficial for all interior positions on the field but I personally like soccer for db's and receivers for the shoulder to shoulder runs down the field as well as learning balance and speed.