What Is Happening To Freestyle & Greco In The Off Season?
By Steve Fraser
April 6, 2009

As I write this article I am watching the 2009 European Championships taking place in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Greco-Roman style is currently on the mat. In freestyle Azerbaijan won the team title beating Russia this year. In the women’s division Russia won the title. And in Greco it looks like Russia will win it too.

As I sit here and contemplate what we need to do as a country to beat these fierce international opponents I can clearly see some very specific things. I can see we need to be very physical in our attack on our feet. It is very obvious to me that the wrestlers who are most aggressive usually have a great advantage. Tiring our opponent out is still a powerful strategy.

From top parterre, we need to be very strong with our particular technique of choice. If it is a gut wrench then we need to be able to gut wrench everyone. From the bottom position in parterre we need to have cement like defense. Our torso needs to be as strong as a tree trunk.

As I was thinking about these technical and physical issues I started to think about our system of training and development as well. What can we do to improve the way we develop our guys? How can we better prepare our youth wrestlers who will grow up to be our future world and Olympic medallists?

As I thought about this I remembered the clinic I did just prior to coming to the Europeans. The clinic was in Grand Haven, Michigan. It was at a USAW youth folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman tournament. I spoke to the kids and parents for a few minutes before I started my technique session. As I was speaking to them I realized that most of the kids and parents did not have a clue that the Olympic Games were not folkstyle. They were not aware that the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games are freestyle and Greco-Roman.

My thought was “what is happening with our U.S. wrestling system for the youth in our sport?” In Michigan most kids are wrestling folkstyle all year round. What’s happening is – in Michigan (and many other states) there are private wrestling organizations popping up, offering folkstyle competitions in the spring and summer. The current push and focus is on wrestling folkstyle all year long.

This is a vast departure from the day when in spring and summer the only game in town was freestyle and Greco. Back then kids wrestled folkstyle during the high school season and then freestyle and Greco in the spring and summer months.

I am all for free enterprise and I support private clubs or organizations expanding wrestling opportunities for young wrestlers. However, I see a huge dilemma and possible big problem for our World and Olympic future. If kids are only wrestling folkstyle all year - how do we expect to be able to compete with the Russians who have hundreds of thousands of young wrestlers wrestling freestyle and Greco from the young ages of 10 years old and up? Should we be surprised that we don’t win more Olympic medals?

As the National Coach for our U.S. Greco squad I am very concerned. Now, in Greco - we are used to this problem. We have had to deal with this issue for years. But now even our traditionally strong freestyle team might be affected negatively because of this lack of freestyle focus at our youth age group.

How are we going to compete with the world powers of international wrestling like Russia, Cuba, Azerbaijan and others if our youngsters have no experience in these two styles?

Keep in mind Russia has over 200,000 youth wrestlers wrestling Greco and freestyle year round. They have over 15,000 professional training centers and have over 30,000 paid professional coaches all dedicated to training their young wrestlers for international competition.

I assume that all U.S. wrestling coaches and athletes (regardless of what level they are at) take pride in our success internationally in the Olympics and World Championships. The USA has always produced very strong freestyle teams that have made our country proud. And yes, even Greco in the last decade has created an international reputation of being a world power.

How have we been able to do this? Well it starts with our youth coaches and wrestlers. Our youth coaches are the key to our success at the senior level. These fine dedicated coaches that initially inspire our young kids and help them to create the vision of being the best in the world some day are the reason we have been able to excel on the senior level. Learning the basic skills of these Olympic styles is crucial.

I know it is way too adventurous to hope that our high school and college style of wrestling might ever change to freestyle and/or Greco so we might mirror the rest of the planet. I realize this will probably never happen in my lifetime.

But come on… the current situation where kids are wrestling folkstyle during their HS season AND in spring and summer too? Some might argue that we are robbing our young kids of their Olympic dream.

Please realize - besides the Olympic dream issue - wrestling freestyle and Greco-Roman helps prepare a young wrestler to have success in folkstyle as well. In fact most of the high school state champions in Michigan have got a ton of experience in freestyle and/or Greco, according to the coaches I spoke with at the Grand Haven clinic.

Other states will tell you the same thing. Ron Tirpak, who is the USAW Pennsylvania Coaches Director, says “To the best of my knowledge, all the wrestlers who won either an AA or AAA Pennsylvania State High School title wrestled freestyle and/or Greco-Roman during the spring and summer.

So, either way you look at it - wrestling freestyle and/or Greco-Roman in the spring or summer months are a win/win!

I totally respect all of the dedicated high school coaches that are inspiring and training the youth of America. Thank you for this! However, I challenge you to help figure out how we as U.S. coaches, who are all on the same team of helping kids achieve their wildest wrestling dreams, can solve this potential problem. I encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas with me at sfraser@usawrestling.org. Whether you agree or disagree I would love to hear from you.

As always, Expect to Win!