Things for Coaches to Do Before the First Practice!

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Things to Do Before the First Practice!

High School Wrestling Coach's Fall Check List

Administrative Duties

* Check the equipment ordered for the team.

* Read the new rule book from cover to cover underlining or highlighting items of interest.

* Become familiar with your state's weight certification rules, procedures and deadlines.

* Finalize your schedule including Team Meeting, physical, weight certification, etc.

Publicity

* Create or update a Team Book to be given at the Team Meeting.

* Plan and publicize the Team Meeting.

* Prepare or update your team's Media Guide and get it to the local sportswriters.

Personnel

* Seek dependable managers and train them if necessary.

* Seek dependable statisticians/scorekeepers and train them if necessary.

* Have a wrestling coaches meeting prior to the first practice to delegate responsibilities, discuss schedule, determine policies, etc.

* Conduct a one-day technique clinic for all the wrestling coaches in your program.

Team Issues

* Encourage and support participation of your wrestlers in Fall Sports.

* Conduct a running and weight training program for those students not out for a Fall sport

* Check wrestlers' weight, height and body fat a couple of weeks after the start of school and then again in late October. By doing this every couple months it will give you an idea of who is growing and what their real "off-season" weight is.

* Check on grades early in semester to stress its importance and see who needs help.

* Make a copy of every wrestler's class schedule. This will allow you to know where to contact the athlete if needed and to have a grasp of his schedule and teachers.

* Make a list of returning wrestlers and pencil them into approximate weight classes to identify potential gaps in the line-up.

* Make a list of potential (new) wrestlers coming into the program from the middle school team, gym classes or from other sports teams.

* Have face-to-face contact with all new and returning wrestlers.

Practice Planning

* Make reference lists of all your daily warm-up, conditioning and technique drills.

* Make three lists of your technique:

BASIC: this technique should be covered within the first couple days of practice and includes everything a beginning wrestler should know such as drop step, switch, far ankle-tight waist, half nelson, etc.

BREAD & BUTTER: this technique should be covered by the first scrimmage and includes your team