Wrestling is wrestling, yet many coaches are unsure how to begin when it comes to introducing and teaching "Olympic" styles of the sport!

First , many of the same techniques that score in folkstyle also score in freestyle and greco-roman. A good double leg has carried more than one scholastic standout to the top of the Olympic podium (does the name Jordan Burroughs ring a bell? ). 

Before you worry about learning "new" techniques and tactics to try and teach your wrestlers, remember that basics of stance, motion, hand fighting, and changing levels is the foundation for all styles!

Next, USA Wrestling has some amazing resources to help you provide sound training for your athletes as they progress. One is the Coaches Core Curriculum Series, which includes a step by step training program for folkstyle, freestyle, and greco-roman styles of wrestling. This series comes with step-by-step practice plans, as well as video demonstration of all the techniques and tactics . Through short instructional videos you can have world level instruction brought right into your practice room!

There are also other fantastic resources from USA such as access to Virtual Developmental Camp, the USA Wrestling's Legends Series: Dan Gable University, Coaching Philosophy Builder, and more!

Finally, staying current as a coach and being a student of the sport is always a hallmark of a quality coach. The National Coaches Education Program (NCEP) provides some of the highest quality resources anywhere for coaches who wish to continually develop themselves. The NCEP features Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Teal Certifications that can be an important part of your coaching journey!

In short, YOU CAN coach Olympic styles, and do it with confidence by tapping into the valuable resources at your disposal through USA Wrestling! So don't wait.... become a member today and get on the path to becoming a confident, well trained coach!