What's the board's opinion of wrestlers playing football & vice versa.

[JSamson7]

Went to a Christmas practice session today & had a conversation with the wrestling team's coach about a local high school football coach at a rival school discouraging his players from wrestling. The thing is, the wrestling program at this rival school is up & coming & a lot stronger than the football program.

 

That being the case, this football coach at this school has had a history of trying to discourage players at every school he's been to (did the same with me when he was my football coach). The bad thing is that he's a very successful coach which has led him to be successful pulling kids out of wrestling altogether, but I hope for the school's wrestling team he's not a successful this time around. I know this kind of stuff doesn't happen a lot at the Chattanooga schools, but do any of you guys notice this happening at your respective schools?

 

What boggles my mind though is that as successful a football coach this guy is, why doesn't he recognize that on every level (high school, college, & NFL) other coaches feel wrestlers often make the best football players on the team...

[CoachJones]

Sad,

 

That is the issue all around Knoxville, for the most part. Many coaches decide that weight lifting year round is more important than stance(foot work) and coordination. If they would send those football players to us more often than not they would be much better players..

 

I never discourage these kids(wrestlers) to go out for other sports.. as much as I would like to train kids year round, sometimes a kid needs that break from Wrestling, whether it be baseball, track, or football etc..

 

Ego's get in the way too often but if you have an open line of communication with the head Coaches of all sports, football, wrestling, baseball, track... your school will become more dominate overall...

 

Anyway.. just some thoughts.

 

Best of Luck..

[JudoCoach]

You can get things from grappling that you just can't get in other sports. Everyone know the balance, strength, speed and leverage. The thing most don't understand is the mental. Good grapplers will train past their level. they go to dark places when they train, places other sports don't go. Grappling forces you to except responsibility for your self. Can't blame the QB for sucking when it is only you on the mat. Football is about one on one at every position, OL vs DL, TE vs LB, WR vs DB and so on. It is also hands and feet just like wrestling.

 

Why does this happen? Most football coaches just don't know better and end the end the hurt the kid as well as their team. If you are a parent and want your kid to play college football get them on the mat. When parents ask me I say start grappling between 3-5 years of age and start tackle football at the 9 th grade. I see the same thing at my sons high school and I have been yelling for the last 3 years. Hope you have better luck. I have always thought it would help if your football coach is a asst. wrestling coach. But remember some times it is not the coach it is the kid. Not everyone has the fight in them.

[Sommers]

And Bruno does! I still won't what he would have done in the super 32

[marshiebaby]

I love wrestling and love it even more for the intangibles it builds that lead to increased success in other sports and life lessons such as self control, self reliance, self responsibility etc...  I think the balance, footwork, and work ethic of a wrestler translates to a superior athlete AND a better person in general during the trials of life!

[Sommers]

Yes, balance, response, leverage, mental toughness and not settling for less in any pursuit. Of these, the heart!

[cbg]

Everyone wants to talk about how much it helps both the OL & DL and that is true.  However, I would want all of my DB's to wrestle.  It would allow the defense to play man coverage and the DB's would know how to hand fight & turn their hips and run.  One major intangible would be in tackling a much larger RB, if the DB's could get there hands on the RB they would know how to hang on until help arrives.  With all of the talk of football & wrestling the wrestling coach must make some concessions such as allowing the football players to miss the first hour of practice to participate in strength training.  When observing most wrestlers in Tennessee it looks as though they could use one hour of strength training every day.  Very few Tennessee wrestlers have what I consider a college body because they have spent very little time in the weight room. 

[MountainTroll]

Judo is the best fer footballers. 

 

 

[JudoCoach]

Judo is the best fer footballers. 

 

 

That is a bad man in white.

[MountainTroll]

That is a bad man in white.

Is he doin' something illegal? ...  Or is you sayin' that man in that picture is a baddasp Judo ninja?  

 

Is you a Judo coach anywheres near Chattanooga?  I want to find a good Judo coach for the football team up here on Sissy Mountain. 

[CoachJones]

I was waiting on the strength part to come in! As a Wrestling Coach, maintaining strength is huge. However, So is the first hour of all wrestling practices! This is where the give and take must come in. If we as coaches are wanting the best of both worlds, then the wait lifting must be in the morning and the wrestling still in the afternoon.

Football coaches are not going to allow the Wrestlers to take the first hour of Football practice and go get some wrestling drills in, Are they?

 

Next issue, Weight Cutting? Most certainly weight cutting would not be as much the issue if the strength is maintained!

 

All are Valid, however we are preaching to the choir here... How many football coaches are browsing our wrestling forum boards???

[MountainTroll]

I'm serious about this Judo stuff.  Read this.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6rjnitsyuch1x2f/Judo%20FUNCTIONAL%20STRENGTH%20TRAINING%20FOR%20FOOTBALL.pdf