I don't believe that just anyone out there is "qualified" to coach. be it in wrestling, football, baseball or whatever the sport. There are many people who, like myself, love coaching kids and have a strong sense of what it takes to become a better athlete,individual,and overall person, but do not have the "experience" in a particular sport to be as knowledgeable as needed for certain situations. This comes with education, experience, and time. Personally, I bought my coaches card at the beginning of the season due to my own desire to learn more about the sport of wrestling and because I love the kids, love the sport, and want to help out in any way possible. I was brand new to the sport last year and learned quite a bit from just watching everyday in practice and with helping my sons at home learn more about what they were being taught in the wrestling room. I still feel pretty "green" when it comes to helping on the mat with older kids in an open tournament, however, with the younger kids and with novice kids I feel pretty confident that I can coach them effectively. My own experience as a collegiate athlete in a leadership position of a team has helped me in my coaching "career" with all sports that I have coached thus far. I have seen many times (mainly with team sports) a coach/dad who is only coaching the sport for his own kid and thus living through their kid. Personally this behavior disgusts me and I hope and pray that I never do that when I am coaching. This is another reason that I love wrestling for my kids and coaching wrestling for myself. When a different kid other than my own son is on the mat I am coaching, i don't coach them any different than I would coach my own son. I pretty much know the limitations and the strengths of most of the kids on the mat I coach because I am in the practices everyday, and I try my best to help them see those strengths and weaknesses before, during and after each match.
Basically what I am saying is that no matter what a person's "qualifications" may be, through more education and training is beneficial to most anyone to be more "qualified" to coach, however, not just anyone can coach effectively, and its those types of people that would be weeded out if they were to be required to take education and certification testing seriously.
