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Can you identify a wrestler at age 7?

82bordeaux

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Nov 19, 2019
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I was thinking about how I first got involved in wrestling. Back in 1970, there was not year round wrestling. There was one annual tournament (Junior Olympics section 8 qualifier). So our high school's wrestling coach would sign kids up to enter the Junior Olympics and we would have 4 weeks of practice before the section 8 tournament.
So we are in the wrestling room with about 60 kids wearing shorts and tennis shoes. Didn't know the rules, a stance, or anything whatsoever. In walks an ex-wrestler for coach that was there to help him out. He walked back and forth and picked out 6 of us to move to another room and work exclusively with him. Fast forward 20 years (which was 30 years ago), from the 6 there were 2 PA AAA State Champs, 2 more were State Qualifiers, 2 others were District Champs. One was a D1 wrestler and became a D1 Head Coach.
I still think I can look at a group of little wrestlers and pick out the studs just by eye. Do you agree? There is just a look and a way kids carry themselves even at the youngest age. What are your thoughts? Do you have a similar story?
 
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I was thinking about how I first got involved in wrestling. Back in 1970, there was not year round wrestling. There was one annual tournament (Junior Olympics section 8 qualifier). So our high school's wrestling coach would sign kids up to enter the Junior Olympics and we would have 4 weeks of practice before the section 8 tournament.
So we are in the wrestling room with about 60 kids wearing shorts and tennis shoes. Didn't know the rules, a stance, or anything whatsoever. In walks an ex-wrestler for coach that was there to help him out. He walked back and forth and picked out 6 of us to move to another room and work exclusively with him. Fast forward 20 years (which was 30 years ago), from the 6 there were 2 PA AAA State Champs, 2 more were State Qualifiers, 2 others were District Champs. One was a D1 wrestler and became a D1 Head Coach.
I still think I can look at a group of little wrestlers and pick out the studs just by eye. Do you agree? There is just a look and a way kids carry themselves even at the youngest age. What are your thoughts? Do you have a similar story?

For the most part, no. But you might have identified the best coach in the group ;)
 
I was thinking about how I first got involved in wrestling. Back in 1970, there was not year round wrestling. There was one annual tournament (Junior Olympics section 8 qualifier). So our high school's wrestling coach would sign kids up to enter the Junior Olympics and we would have 4 weeks of practice before the section 8 tournament.
So we are in the wrestling room with about 60 kids wearing shorts and tennis shoes. Didn't know the rules, a stance, or anything whatsoever. In walks an ex-wrestler for coach that was there to help him out. He walked back and forth and picked out 6 of us to move to another room and work exclusively with him. Fast forward 20 years (which was 30 years ago), from the 6 there were 2 PA AAA State Champs, 2 more were State Qualifiers, 2 others were District Champs. One was a D1 wrestler and became a D1 Head Coach.
I still think I can look at a group of little wrestlers and pick out the studs just by eye. Do you agree? There is just a look and a way kids carry themselves even at the youngest age. What are your thoughts? Do you have a similar story?
So, a particular group of kids were selected, treated differently, had closer to a 1:1 wrestler to coach ratio and who knows what other differences/benefits there were. That group probably had a more positive experience in that first tournament than the other 54. That wrestler- coach was a regular Nostradamus.
 
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So, a particular group of kids were selected, treated differently, had closer to a 1:1 wrestler to coach ratio and who knows what other differences/benefits there were. That group probably had a more positive experience in that first tournament than the other 54. That wrestler- coach was a regular Nostradamus.
I know it sounds that way, but the process was a lot different then in that you were wrestling for a few weeks and it was over. We only worked with Rick for a couple of years, maybe a six week period for three seasons. Then we started to get involved in traveling tournaments that extended the seasons going forward. After the initial launch, we pretty much had different coaches and Rick went on with his twenty something life. I have always thought it was serendipitous that we all stuck with it with varying degrees of success through high school.
 
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I was thinking about how I first got involved in wrestling. Back in 1970, there was not year round wrestling. There was one annual tournament (Junior Olympics section 8 qualifier). So our high school's wrestling coach would sign kids up to enter the Junior Olympics and we would have 4 weeks of practice before the section 8 tournament.
So we are in the wrestling room with about 60 kids wearing shorts and tennis shoes. Didn't know the rules, a stance, or anything whatsoever. In walks an ex-wrestler for coach that was there to help him out. He walked back and forth and picked out 6 of us to move to another room and work exclusively with him. Fast forward 20 years (which was 30 years ago), from the 6 there were 2 PA AAA State Champs, 2 more were State Qualifiers, 2 others were District Champs. One was a D1 wrestler and became a D1 Head Coach.
I still think I can look at a group of little wrestlers and pick out the studs just by eye. Do you agree? There is just a look and a way kids carry themselves even at the youngest age. What are your thoughts? Do you have a similar story?
agree - you can pick them out. Problem is they all don't stay out for the sport to materialize to that champion.
 
I coached youth wrestling for twenty years. One night shortly before I retired, I was with the little guys on our team. I watched a six year old wrestle -- he had a weird body and seemed to be able to bend himself like a pretzel. After watching him for a few weeks, I took his mother aside and told her: 'your son is going to be a superstar'. Only time I ever did that.
He went on to be a National Prep Champ, PIAA Champ, and NCAA place winner and is now coaching Northwestern
 
By look , I'd say no. First factor for me is work ethic and willingness to compete. Young kids that wanna wrestle older kids to get better and arnt worried about getting beat. Kids that wanna switch brackets to get a tougher kid. Ive had a lot of young guys who look like Tarzan and wrestle like Jane.
 
I coached youth wrestling for twenty years. One night shortly before I retired, I was with the little guys on our team. I watched a six year old wrestle -- he had a weird body and seemed to be able to bend himself like a pretzel. After watching him for a few weeks, I took his mother aside and told her: 'your son is going to be a superstar'. Only time I ever did that.
He went on to be a National Prep Champ, PIAA Champ, and NCAA place winner and is now coaching Northwestern
Matt had one of the most attractive wrestling mothers I have ever met.
 
I coached youth sports for about 30 years. Baseball, Softball , soccer and Basketball. When coaching at youngest level you can tell in 2 hours who is a natural athlete. Sometimes a truly young child just doesn't have the physical strength to perform the task needed, such as shooting a basketball from foul line or throwing a ball at long distance.
I ran the travel youth basketball program which had 250+ kids involved for 3 years. I inherited the junior program which was for First and Second graders on Sunday afternoons. Too many kids were not developed to start at the First grade level and the frustrations that were encountered trying to do basic skills caused too many kids to quit. When I stepped down I recommended that the community should drop the 1st grade program. They did not listen.
 
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I coached youth wrestling for twenty years. One night shortly before I retired, I was with the little guys on our team. I watched a six year old wrestle -- he had a weird body and seemed to be able to bend himself like a pretzel. After watching him for a few weeks, I took his mother aside and told her: 'your son is going to be a superstar'. Only time I ever did that.
He went on to be a National Prep Champ, PIAA Champ, and NCAA place winner and is now coaching Northwestern
He’s an excellent interview as well! Enjoyed him on FLO.
 
All I know is that I had a wicked headlock and was the 5th grade class champion, though I knew positively nothing about wrestling. Wish the coach would have come over and tapped me, because by the time I started wrestling again (for a couple of years), I was extremely mediocre. ;)
 
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I had a fool proof method. I give the father a hearty slap on the ear. If that ear develops a cauliflower, then the son is a natural wrestler! :)
 
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Been around youth sports since the late 70's, early 80's, though nothing recently. Each league has its stars, and those are easy to pick out, but to say a kid is going to be a David/Ed/Zain/Jason/Bo-like talent, no way at age 7.
 
Been around youth sports since the late 70's, early 80's, though nothing recently. Each league has its stars, and those are easy to pick out, but to say a kid is going to be a David/Ed/Zain/Jason/Bo-like talent, no way at age 7.
I think that goes without saying. But don’t you see kid’s anywhere, the mall, the beach, and spot one and think “I could work with that kid”.
 
I think that goes without saying. But don’t you see kid’s anywhere, the mall, the beach, and spot one and think “I could work with that kid”.
Full range of personalities, even back then. Yes, I've seen some, maybe even many in my lifetime that someone could "work with". Take's a special person to want to work with kids that young, though. I've seen coaches or parents without the patience, too many.
 
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I coached youth wrestling for 8 years. At that age there are two things I would use to identify who is likely going to be the better wrestler. First is the kid that is better at using and pushing with his feet will win every time. It does not matter what moves they know or don't know. The second thing you can observe is when they are practicing moves with a patner. There are 2 extremes and I rarely would find a kid in the middle. There is the kid who is a limp noodle, so much so that it makes it difficult for the other kid to practice the move. Then there are the kids who refuse to let his partner practice any moves and is so competitive that he will not even allow himself to be taken down in a practice situation.

So the kids with good feet and are very competitive will likely start off much better and will likely be the better wrestlers as they get older.
 
Full range of personalities, even back then. Yes, I've seen some, maybe even many in my lifetime that someone could "work with". Take's a special person to want to work with kids that young, though. I've seen coaches or parents without the patience, too many.
Rick had all that in spades. He died of cancer 13 years ago at 56 years old, my age right now. So that made him 19 or 20 when he took us ankle biters under his wing. Changed my life forever. Heaven forbid I would have been a basketball player!
 
I coached youth wrestling for 8 years. At that age there are two things I would use to identify who is likely going to be the better wrestler. First is the kid that is better at using and pushing with his feet will win every time. It does not matter what moves they know or don't know. The second thing you can observe is when they are practicing moves with a patner. There are 2 extremes and I rarely would find a kid in the middle. There is the kid who is a limp noodle, so much so that it makes it difficult for the other kid to practice the move. Then there are the kids who refuse to let his partner practice any moves and is so competitive that he will not even allow himself to be taken down in a practice situation.

So the kids with good feet and are very competitive will likely start off much better and will likely be the better wrestlers as they get older.
Take the kids with better feet and higher competitive spirits and generally speaking no matter what sport you are coaching you will be successful.
 
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I've coached a lot of kids sports and have commented previously on how parents, then coaches, are the main culprits ruining kids sports. Regardless - you can pick out the heart, the will to always win, and the athletic ability rather easily. A few times, you can add coach-ability and then you have something! However, many and most of the times, I've seen that special athlete take their talents to another sport and quit wrestling due to the need to practice and participate in that sport year 'round. What kids and parents don't realize, you can work all you want, but the older you get you just have to have it - talent, health, and the intra-self drive to succeed.
 
I was thinking about how I first got involved in wrestling. Back in 1970, there was not year round wrestling. There was one annual tournament (Junior Olympics section 8 qualifier). So our high school's wrestling coach would sign kids up to enter the Junior Olympics and we would have 4 weeks of practice before the section 8 tournament.
So we are in the wrestling room with about 60 kids wearing shorts and tennis shoes. Didn't know the rules, a stance, or anything whatsoever. In walks an ex-wrestler for coach that was there to help him out. He walked back and forth and picked out 6 of us to move to another room and work exclusively with him. Fast forward 20 years (which was 30 years ago), from the 6 there were 2 PA AAA State Champs, 2 more were State Qualifiers, 2 others were District Champs. One was a D1 wrestler and became a D1 Head Coach.
I still think I can look at a group of little wrestlers and pick out the studs just by eye. Do you agree? There is just a look and a way kids carry themselves even at the youngest age. What are your thoughts? Do you have a similar story?

Sounds like some sort of Russian experiment.

Any state champs out of the other kids?
 
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