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#244077 02/05/17 07:04 PM
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My son is a freshmen on a very small team at a big school. Any tips on helping him and the others wrestlers promote/grow their team in the off season? To possibly increase numbers.
Thanks

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A lot of it is up to the coach to become involved in the school and other sports. It is also up to the coach to build rapport with ALL the kids in the school. You have to make wrestling "cool" in your school to see progress. I actually presented about this topic at the KSHSAA Coaching Clinic a couple years ago as there is a lot that goes in to building a program from the bottom up. If you want this PowerPoint then email me (below).

Lars Lueders
Dodge City HS
Head Wrestling Coach
lueders.lars@usd443.org

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There are SO many things involved in growing your wrestling population base. First and foremost, get good people running your kids' club that want to grow not only their program, but the high school program as well. I know that's easier said than done, but that is what has made the biggest difference here at Washburn Rural.

Just like Coach Lueders said, your high school coach will bear the majority of the responsibility of growing the program. He will always have more "pull" with potential wrestlers than fellow students. Recruiting the hallways is a part of it, but that's a "band aid" fix to fill a weight or two. It has to start sooner than that.

I would suggest having your head wrestling coach get involved in coaching middle school football. Developing relationships with those younger athletes and preaching the importance of wrestling for their football development has paid huge dividends for our high school wrestling program. A lot of those kids get to high school and realize they are too small for football, but by then they are hooked on wrestling. This has really paid off for us; for each of the past 4 years we have started the year with more than 70 wrestlers. It's a 6-year investment, but well worth the time. Good luck!


D. Parker, WRHS


The fact that girls are forced to wrestle at state in the middle of the week is laughably sexist.
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Thanks for the input. I know you have a killer team. I have a family member in your squad and my son competed against you guys in kids club.

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Thanks. I will email you.

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One of my sons goals in wrestling is to leave the progra better then he found it when he leaves.


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