wrestle in college

Question
QUESTION: i'm a  5"6 165lb  senior in high school and was wondering about the possibility of wrestling in college. I have been wrestling since 2nd grade but am not exactly a phenomenal wrestler. I've qualified to state for two years now and placed second in regions last year at 145 lbs. I've beaten people ranked as high as 3rd in the state, it's just that i've been unable to place at state myself. I have yet to wrestle my senior season, but have worked hard spending much time in the weight room as well as attending wrestling camps and wrestling with my coach 2 days a week in the summer. I am now 165lbs and can bench 290, I am rated 5th in state this year. I'm not overly talented but am a hard worker and I love everything wrestling. In your opinion do you think I have a shot at wrestling for a college somewhere? If so what do I need to do between now and the end of my senior year?

ANSWER:     Hey Scott,

Thank you fro the question. Congratulations on your positive decision to wrestle in college. It appears that you are on any college coach's radar due to what you have accomplished in having beaten ranked opponents along the way. Many coaches agree that some of the finest potential candidates never even make it to the state tournament. They understand that many variables could plague a great athlete along the way, especially during the final weeks of competition leading to the state finals. I am a prime example, having been cut from basketball as a sophomore in highschool, and going out for wrestling the same evening. I did not even make varsity until my jr. year, but due to a critical summer camp, my desire to learn the sport and practice accordingly, I was able to become only the 3rd qualifier to state in the history of my school. Even then, I still only managed a first-round win before being eliminated from the tournament. However, my eventual college coach liked what he saw and gave me a shot at the title to wrestle in college. I went on to become the 1st 4-time Ohio Conference champion, the 1st 4-time at the same weight class, and the 1st NCAA All-American & 2-time All-American in the history of the Ohio Conference, along with a long list of other accolades along the way.But you get my point, you must desire to go to the next level, and you will get blessed to go to the next level.
I would recommend that you work on your muscular endurance, your cardio, and fine tune your technique. Pay close attention to detail on your tactical plan for each opponent. You determine the style and tempo of every match based on what you do well. Perfect your weaknesses and work on becoming mentally tough as in preparing for opponents that are as good or better than you. Never let anyone outwork you and maintain good training habits. (hydration, adequate sleep, excellent nutrition, etc.) Use an array of moves so that you have more than one or two go-to-moves that you hit instinctively when the chips are down. Above all, make sure that your grades are of the highest quality, because eventhough athletic scholarships are smaller and tougher to get, educational grants are not. Keep a positive mental attitude and even in the event of a heart-breaking loss, visualize and conduct yourself as a graceful champion, win or lose. A smart coach will make note of your performance at all levels, especially in defeat which shows your character. One last reference point, my uncle, Bobby Douglas, watches matches all the time as a USA national coach. We have watched many together, but one that stands out in my mind was a result of watching a consolation match for 5th & 6th at a national event for highschool. He remarked on one of the wrestlers saying that he could make the kid a world champion - eventhough the kid was only vying for 5th place - so you never know who is watching, and what they are looking for. Hopefully, this has given you the insight on how to proceed . Work hard and stay focused. Keep me posted on your progress. Also, check out my sites for the best water, energy drinks, and the ultimate training-meals for the competitive edge. ( http://[email protected] ) "Perfect Water & EXS energy drinks & (http://opp.sunrider.com/healthessentials ) for Vita-Shakes & Sunrise.

Yours in the Quest for Gold,

Coach Rae-Rae

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


  QUESTION: Thank you so much for the advice to the previous question I had asked earlier. I had a tough time battling pneumonia that plagued me for the first half of the season. During that time I did suffer a few very discouraging losses, all of which came down to the last twenty seconds of the match. My teammates tried to console me saying that people would understand that I was very ill at the time I had lost these matches. The only thing I knew though is that in the newspaper they only publish wins and losses, there are no side-notes that say whether or not a wrestler is sick or not. I was determined to get better, so I started doing everything in my power to recover. Eventually I overcame my illness and was able to finish the season with excellent conditioning. I won a region championship blew right through my first match at the state wrestling tournament. My second match I had to battle back in the third period scoring three takedowns in a row to win the match by a point. My semifinal match would be my only defeat at the state tournament. I lost a close decision 6-3 to an undefeated wrestler from West Central. Upon losing that match I was able to make a comeback when I pinned the #3 rated wrestler from Vermillion. I ended up wrestling a kid from Pierre that I had lost to when I was sick, but this time I beat him quite efficiently by a major decision. Upon making one of my dreams come true and placing third at state, I am lead to ask yet another question. What is the next step to take if I want to wrestle in college? My coach has strongly encouraged me to look at wrestling for a smaller school because he feels I would do my best in that kind of an environment. What would you suggest?

p.s. You have a great uncle, I got to meet him when I was at Cael Sanderson's wrestling camp last summer.

Answer
Hey Scott,

Congratulations on overcoming your adversities and making a fine third-place finish. What you need to know is that "seasoned" college coaches believe that the state consolationist (3rd placer) is actually the 'toughest' mentally, because it shows the ability to rally back after suffering a loss for the gold medal, and now must settle for the next best thing. You have proven to yourself and to all onlookers that your medical condition deterred you from a premium performance, but on the rematch, you proved yourself, hands down! What I would do now is make communications by e-mail and by phone follow-ups to any college that you have an interest in. Hopefully your grades are good because this is always a prime consideration for a serious coach at the next level. Have all of your credentials and aspirations in order as close to a resume or one-pager so that a potential coach will have an idea of where you are coming from, what you are capable of, and where you are aspiring to go. A smaller college is a nice fit because the standards may be a bit more relaxed (not necessary to win the state title to be considered a recruiting candidate). I would pursue all contacts and make as many visits as possible. Talk to as many alumni of perspective colleges as possible for personal feedback. Also, apply for as many grants as possible to help alleviate costs in the event that scholarship funds are limited. Most importantly, continue your training at a high-level so that upon acceptance, you can hit the ground "running" so to speak as in the tradition of competing as a true freshman. Thank you for your compliments about Uncle Bobby. He truly is a great educator and ambassador of our great sport!Let me know if you have any other concerns. Good luck in your college hunt!