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Zeke Jones is the US Freestyle team coach. Though he works with the boys, these statements are true for girls as well. The biggest thing for you girls to substitute in is the fact that YOUR COLLEGE OPPORTUNITIES ARE PRIMARILY FREESTYLE. Yes, there are folkstyle opportunities through the NCWWA, but the bigger more established teams are freestyle and the senior(open) level is all freestyle. This makes the improtance of freestyle even more relevent to females.



Why wrestle freestyle?


Zeke Jones Team USA
03/03/2009


WHAT WILL FREESTYLE WRESTLING DO FOR YOU?

1. Freestyle wrestling is fun. It’s exciting, creative, and dynamic because you can score points from almost anywhere. You will receive more points for a spectacular throw, five points, than you do a normal takedown, one point. Freestyle rewards wrestlers for taking risk which creates more excitement and as a result takes less control of your opponent to score. Take the risk to flip him to his back, without even controlling him and get two points. The great thing about freestyle wrestling is you can even throw a guy over your head, which is legal, and if you do it with proper technique, style, and flair and the referee will reward you with a five point move. Many wrestlers that we have spoken to love freestyle because it’s fast, exciting, and it was easier to score points. Most freestyle matches also are mostly on your feet in the neutral position. Everyone loves to go takedowns. That's 80% of freestyle wrestling.

2. If your goal is to be a city champion, league champion, state champion or state placer, (or a great referee or coach) and a lofty goal I might add, freestyle increases your chances dramatically. If one wrestler is getting 40 matches a year in the high school or junior high season and another wrestler is getting those same 40 matches plus 30 matches in the freestyle season whom do you think is going to get better at a faster rate? The wrestler with more matches. More competition will give you more opportunities to improve your technique, skill, and mat strategy. More minutes on the mat = more wins. Are your high school, junior high or elementary opponents going to freestyle tournaments? If they are and you’re not, then your competitors are getting ahead of you. Don’t let them. The best wrestlers in the state are going to these tournaments. You should too.

3. Freestyle wrestling is for everyone. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced wrestler, boy or girl, big or small, five years old or seventy five years old there’s a freestyle tournament that is right for you. There are many novice freestyle wrestling tournaments all over the nation that will give you an opportunity to try freestyle for the first time. Are you really good and looking for a challenge? Go to the biggest and the best tournaments in the world in your age group. Tournaments like the Cadet or Junior Nationals attract the best wrestlers in the United States.

4. If you’re a good high school wrestler, freestyle wrestling will increase your opportunity to earn a college wrestling scholarship. Many of the NCAA Division I college coaches travel to USA Wrestling’s Junior and Cadet Nationals to watch the best wrestlers in the nation with the goal of attracting the best high school wrestlers to come to their university. Unless you are a multiple high school state champion from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, or California, you will need to wrestle freestyle to receive the exposure so college coaches will believe you can compete at a national level. Beat a state champion from Pennsylvania, Ohio, or New York in a freestyle tournament and you will receive strong consideration for a college wrestling scholarship. In other words, if you are a state champion in a smaller populated state your chances of getting a wrestling scholarship are minimal to none.

Wrestle freestyle and increase your chances of earning a scholarship dramatically. College coaches need to know that you can compete against the best in the nation before they will feel comfortable offering you scholarship money. College coaches get excited knowing that when a wrestler comes into their program that they might become not only an NCAA Champion but also a World and Olympic Champion. Dream to become a World and Olympic Champion.

The time is now to learn freestyle wrestling. Whether you just want to improve your wrestling technique and skill, become a state placer or champion, or even want to become a World and Olympic Champion, freestyle wrestling is mandatory to become successful. If you have high wrestling goals, freestyle wrestling must be a part of your yearly wrestling plan.

We are committed to helping you learn freestyle and you, we're sure, will find it exciting. We look forward to seeing you at a freestyle tournament!

Sincerely,
Coach Jones


Brooke Bogren
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Brooke,

I am so glad you posted this...Ed read it and loved it. Everyone does need to read this article and consider FS/GR.

Ms. Jenni

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I really liked it as well!

For the people reading this and thinking there are better things to do with my families summmer,

I realize that at a young age it is often a diffucult choice to make devoting time to one sport or experiencing multiple(softball, volleyball, track, etc...). I am not saying devote all your time to wrestling at a young age and never will, but the experience and knowledge of freestyle can be really helpful for the future(college, senior, international) and especially during your regular folkstyle season. From personal experience, folkstyle may take a little while to get used to, but it grows on a person quickly and can go from a way to improve your folkstyle to being equally if not more exciting for a kid to wrestle then folkstyle.

So go play softball(cause I know I did and loved it) this summer if you would like, but also try to make a couple trips to Burlingame, Wichita, or even your local freestyle clubs and tournament to experience one of the fastest scoring and most exciting styles!

If you have any questions or want more to do with freestyle and folkstyle wrestling let me, Jason, or Ed and Jenni know and we will help whenever and however we can.


Brooke Bogren
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Speaking of Freestyle, I would like to say good luck to Kansas Native Shawn Bunch. He is going to be competing for the US National team in Tehran, Iran at the Takhti Cup March 12th-13th.

So you know girls these options are available in Freestyle for you as well. The United States Just took a team to Sweden for a dual and the Klippan Ladys Open as we speak!


Brooke Bogren

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