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    NWCA/FCA Academy coaches and mentors named

    As the NWCA Coaching Leadership Academy reaches its fourth year of existence, a modified Academy curriculum is being offered to college coaches who are currently coaching at or wish to pursue coaching positions at faith-based schools. This is in response to the surging number of new intercollegiate wrestling teams being established at faith-based schools. In the past fifteen months fourteen of the nineteen new teams established are at faith-based colleges.

    This Academy Workshop represents a collaborated effort between the NWCA and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes – Wrestling Ministry (FCA). Carl Perry, the new FCA National Director for wrestling, will oversee the delivery of the faith-based component of the curriculum.

    The two-day workshop is being hosted by FCA Board member, Mark Mestemacher and the staff at the Jon Davis Wrestling Center in Edwardsville, Illinois. This is the third year that Mestemacher has hosted this event in his wrestling specific facility.

    The NWCA and FCA-Wrestling have awarded a full "scholarship" to each of these coaches which covers transportation, meals, lodging, and tuition.

    This year's Academy will be co-sponsored by Anthony Cimmarrusti, a former Harvard Wrestler and Men of Iron, a faith based non-profit organization based in Manheim, Pennsylvania. Both of these donors firmly believe in coaches who are committed to their coaching philosophy with biblical principles.

    Twenty-four coaches have been selected to join in this Academy. Joining them will be six mentors and three presenters who will be there to convey the important lessons that life has taught them.

    The group will be facilitated by Dr. Dan Gould of Michigan State University a nationally renowned coaching development expert and the architect of the NWCA Leadership Academy.

    The 2012 NWCA/FCA Leadership Academy Coaches are: Tim Alger, Clinton Campbell, Tom Carr, David Copp, Rick Dahl, Gralan Early, Enock Francois, Benjamin Friedl, Marques Gales, Cody Garcia, Nate Hansen, Joe Johnston, Kyle Kanaga, Jeff Linn, Jacob Marrs, Donovan McMahill, Mike Mena, Dominic Moyer, James Reynolds, Joe Russell, Luke Salazar, Kyle Sand, Steve Smith and Dana Vote.

    Mentors for the FCA Workshop are:

  • Tim Dernlan – head coach at Ashland University
  • Steve Garland – head coach at the University of Virginia
  • Jesse Castro – former head coach at Liberty University
  • Jack Spates – retired coach/former head coach at the University of Oklahoma
  • Heath Eslinger –head coach at Chattanooga
  • Franky James – head coach at Campbelsville University

    Guest speakers for this workshop include:

    Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert , wrestled at Wheaton College then went on to teach and coach both wrestling and football. In 1999 he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives and to date is the longest serving Republican Speaker in history.

    Tom Jarman is the former head coach and Athletic Director at Manchester College. He co-authored Wrestling for Beginners, which remains one of the top-selling books for young wrestlers. He was 1963 NCAA national wrestling champion at 158 pounds and a two-time All-American while a student at Wheaton College.

    "The fact that the collaborative efforts of the NWCA and FCA-Wrestling are able to once again host this Academy and are able to scholarship these twenty-four coaches to this workshop is a testament of the belief we have in the sport of wrestling and the coaches who are mentoring our future leaders. Being able to pair this endeavor with FCA- Wrestling is a great opportunity for us to help educate coaches who want to coach at faith-based schools around the country, which right now are the fastest growing group of colleges adding wrestling," said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director.
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