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    Matt Krumrie •

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    Balancing freestyle and Greco-Roman season with other sports

    In the sport of wrestling, summer is prime freestyle and Greco-Roman season. With the Cadet and Junior Nationals taking place at the end of July, top wrestlers from across the country are preparing to compete against the nation's best and for the right to be called a freestyle or Greco-Roman All-American or national champion. Other youth wrestlers are competing in local, state and national summer freestyle and Greco-Roman events.

    But even the most dedicated wrestlers take time away from the mat and participate in other sports and today's top coaches fully endorse young wrestlers doing just that. But finding the balance between freestyle and Greco-Roman practice and competition and participation in sports such as baseball, soccer, football, lacrosse, golf, cross country, weight training and summer camps is a challenge all coaches, parents and wrestlers face.

    "I believe there is enough evidence to support having youth athletes participate in multiple sports," says Joe Russell, head coach at George Mason University. "Specialization is not for everyone. In fact, it can do more harm than good. Having young athletes participate in multiple sports can help their overall development."

    Kevin Roberts, assistant coach at Oregon State University, has a 12-year old son who is starting to find success in the sport of wrestling. But growing up to this point he's played football, basketball and baseball, competed in cross country and track and spent time training in gymnastics.

    "I think younger kids should participate in multiple sports in addition to competing in wrestling," says Roberts. "It helps to improve athletic skills that are not always the focus of wrestling practices. For most, to be good at the higher levels, they need to be fairly athletic. I think participating in multiple sports also keeps kids mentally fresh and hungry to come in and work hard as they get to the high school age, if they have participated in multiple sports growing up."

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