While keeping up on the blogs of the world championships, I came across this interesting observation of kids wrestling from a state run Moscow wrestling school. With Russia being so successful in wrestling, I just thought it was pretty enlighting.

Note: this is a blog from one of the coaches attending the Coaches Apprentice Program:


"CAP Field Trip

While on a snack run for the video crew on Wednesday, Matt Hampton met a Russian teenage wrestler, Sasha, and his mother, Julia, who were watching the tournament.  Matt got invited by them to go to a Russian youth wrestling school the next day.  He and John Grecco from Florida and Jamie Crossno from Illinois went along.  Jamie had a professional interest because he just opened a wrestling school – Attrition Wrestling, in Rockford, Illinois.

They took a few t-shirts as gifts but not nearly enough for the 3 - 4 rooms of 20 wrestlers each in the state run school – no charge to the kids.  All GR.  Each room had different ages.  Mostly gymnastics, body awareness, full range of motion stretches and exercise, and core strength training followed by a small amount of basic technique.  The coach focused on developing mastery of a few moves.  They went just 5 minutes of live. 

After demonstrating technique, the coach asked, “Who are my brave ones?” 
 Some kids raised their hands.  The “brave ones” got to do 10 reps of the technique, the others only 5. 
 

Jamie said that they told the CAP coaches that the school really doesn’t let the kids compete until they are 12 years old, even though the kids in the room they were observing ranged from 8 to 13.  The other rooms had Cadet/Junior age kids in one and FILA Junior/University age in the other.


Jamie also said sport parents in Russia coach their kids from the side of the mat, just like in the US.  No translation needed to know what was going on.

Matt said that when they first entered the room the kids were acting like typical kids, goofing around and having fun.  When the coach blew the whistle everyone, kids, parents, and guests, stopped talking.  The kids hustled to line up on one wall, the parents on another wall.  The parents were then dismissed for the rest of the session.  Matt said discipline was strict and the kids were, as we say in the US, on task.

 
Julia is supposed to be coming by the venue tomorrow to drive some of the CAP coaches to the Palace of Wrestling.  More on that tomorrow."

The mastery of a few good moves, a quiet and focused room, reminds me of Tony Purler's wrestling room. Just and observation.

This is where kids wrestling should focus. Not letting them compete until 12???? Not all that crazy seeing how they dominate us on the world level. A lot to digest here. Strength, conditioning, flexability, LEARNING to listen and follow directions, body awareness...the list goes on and on. Parents and coaches pay attention....they each know their role...parents parent and coaches coach.

On another topic....I think Doug Eck is a sneaky commie russian. look at the way he combs his hair.

I miss you doug.....

Well he does live on the left side of Wichita! But on the other hand, I have heard him and others over there say "better dead than red". However I think they might be talking about Maize?