Jake Herbert came to Switzerland to take part in a meeting of the United World Wrestling athlete commissionFor a quick recap, Jake has helped create a youth coaching method that is based on building the physical IQ of young wrestlers while also providing their basic wrestling maneuvers. Competition, while important, is not always borne out in matches, but in wrestling-like games. Jake tracks the progress of his wrestlers and guarantees physical improvements. The plan is develop the body and mind, create an emotional attachment to wrestling, and then develop high-level techniques and training methods once the wrestler has gotten older.
Jake's ideas, when explained in more detail, are the best I've ever heard for the development of youth wrestlers. Yes Jake is my friend, but there is no doubt in my mind that what he is doing will help individual programs, but also help create happier and healthier youth wrestlers.
If you're a youth wrestling coach please take the time to check out his program and send him an email (jake.herbert1@gmail.com). His ideas warrant a good listen, and in my opinion, immediate adoption.
To your questions ...
Q: I saw USA Wrestling just announced the winter tours for the men's freestyle team. What are your thoughts on the amount of trips are guys are taking over seas? For example I saw that David Taylor is only competing at the Yasar Dogu in Turkey and Jordan Burroughs is only making one trip, and Ed Ruth is not on the schedule to make any trips.
Can we expect success at this level while only getting in a limited number of matches?
-- Scott M.
Foley: I took a long look at the schedule and was impressed with a few things. First, the Americans are bringing a full lineup to the Ivan Yarygin tournament in Russia, and following it up on only a few days rest with the Paris Grand Prix. Those are tough back-to-back tourneys, with the former being named "The toughest tournament in the world.”
Next, I was taken with the sheer number of athletes scheduled to travel. As you may know, travel is an enormous expense and to send that many to tournaments around the globe takes serious financial commitments. Not to be overlooked is the commitment being made by the coaching staffs that are lugging their butts to these far off destinations as well.
I do wish that some of our stars would take in another tournament or two this winter, but there are likely justifications for their absences. Guys have personal lives, prior coaching commitments or would rather just prepare in their rooms. Compared to last season, I actually think this is a heavier schedule and one that will pay benefits to the athletes and USA program.
I will be at the Ivan Yarygin tournament to cover the event and will be sure to provide updates through the United World Wrestling site and the Twitter machine.
Q: I was wondering about the total number of college wrestling scholarships available. From the website.
The grand total is 2,163 potential scholarships. We all know that many schools don't offer their full allotment of allowable scholarships (e.g., the six Ivies). My question to you is, how many of these 2,163 potential scholarship do you think actually exist today?
Just wondering, because I see (expensive) youth clubs sell themselves on the potential for college scholarships, and, given that the website above showed 272,149 high school (boy) wrestlers in 2013, there don't seem to be too many of these scholarship to go around (even accounting for the fact that a fully-funded Division I team would have its 9.9 scholarships split across many wrestlers).
-- Ron G.
Foley: You make the excellent point that there might be some shallow promises being made at some of the top-level schools. Sure, your kid can earn a college scholarship, but rarely will it be a full ride and less often it will equal the sum total of dollars plunged into his or her career.
I would have no way to know how many of these programs are fully funded and how much money is behind each scholarship. For example, a state school might have 9.9 in-state scholarships, but that isn't equal to the same raw dollar amount needed to provide for out-of-state tuition.
However, it's assumable that not every program is fully funded and that raw dollars out there is not enough to support every elite wrestler. What that means to the wrestlers and their families should begin with a consideration of WHY parents are pouring money into an elite school. Is the money meant to support the passion of a young athlete, or is it meant to boost the bragging rights of dad? My guess is the latter.
Talent is excellent, hard work necessary and coaching helpful, but the amount needed for each individual wrestler to be successful is different. Often the only person who knows the right formula are parents whose interests are bound to the child's happiness and not to their current and potential financial burden.
Multimedia Halftime
United World Wrestling Super 8 event launched this week and IOC president Thomas Bach attended. The mot powerful man in international sports spent an hour with the wrestlers ... and even got on the mats. That's an incredibly positive sign for wrestling.
Q: I feel that until all college mats are of uniform size, all college mats have a warning track (zone) and all college matches have more than one pair of eyes, the pushout rule should not be implemented.
-- Jefferson T.
Foley: The current rules state that mats need to be between 38-42 feet in diameter. Make that rule a flat 40 or 42 and I think we have our first solution.
As for a warning track, that's not necessary. The only reason for the zone in freestyle and Greco-Roman are based in rules, not in giving wrestlers a special recognition of where there are on the mat. Most know the edge no matter the situation, how else do you think they play it so well now?
Video review is already part of the process.
Voila! Problem solved!
Q: Why has finding results this season been so difficult? Specifically making me all hot and bothered is the lack of results for the Virginia Duals. I can't find results for the Division I matches anywhere! Do I need to just go to each university's website just to find this stuff out?
-- Nick B.
Foley: I'm certain that the readers will tell you where they access results. For now, I'm staying out of the results argument.
Pushout Thought of the Week
By Chris T.
I had a couple of thoughts about the pushout rule in college. Part of me is all for it as edge wrestling (and no action) drives me nuts. Having said that, there are enough times where a pushout occurs through no fault of the defensive wrestler. Way too many times a guy is trying to get out from bottom and the top guy pushes him out rather than give up an escape. I don't think that type of desperate activity should be rewarded with a point.
I did come up with an idea. Rather that awarding a pushout point, keep an out-of-bounds counter and use it as a tie breaker. I can see multiple benefits from this ...
1. Cheap points don't get awarded simply for bullying a guy to the edge without using any particular offensive moves. However, your count goes up for inducing an out-of-bounds call.
2. Cheap points don't get awarded by a top wrestler pushing out a bottom wrestler trying to escape. Increment the bottom guy's counter for inducing an out-of-bounds call.
3. Wrestlers choosing to live on the edge have accountability. Their opponents count goes up.
At the end of a match, a point is awarded to the wrestler who has the most pushouts. Maybe even multiple points if there is a large differential in pushouts.
By implementing this, the pushout becomes part of the wrestling match. At that point, you can implement it in overtime. If a match is tied, there is one overtime period (with no time limit). First person to score (takedown or pushout) wins. Simple application and easy to understand by the fan base. No massively long, drawn-out overtimes, rideouts, etc. Additionally it brings an international element into folkstyle which is never a bad thing for those wrestlers who pursue international wrestling.
I think by implementing this type of rule, one could easily argue that riding time can go by the wayside as it isn't needed. That could allow for officials to starting calling stalls on top guys who are hell bent on riding with no intent to score.
Wrestling Community Research Question of the Week
By Larry R.
There have been 13 four-time Big Ten champions:
Verne Gagne, Minnesota - 1944 (175), 1947 (HWT), 1948 (191),1949 (HWT)
Arnold Plaza, Purdue - 1947, 1949-50 (121), 1948 (114 1/2)
Joe Scarpello, Iowa - 1947-48-49-50 (175)
Tom Milkovich, MSU - 1970-71 (134), 1972-73 (142)
Mike DeAnna, Iowa - 1977-78-79-81 (167)
Ed Banach, Iowa - 1980-81-82 (177), 1983 (190)
Barry Davis, Iowa - 1981-82, (118), 1983-85 (126)
Duane Goldman, Iowa - 1983-84 (177), 1985-86 (190)
Jim Heffernan, Iowa - 1983-85-86-87 (155)
Mark Ironside, Iowa - 1995-96-97-98 (134)
Kellen Russell, Michigan - 2008-09-11-12 (141)
Ed Ruth, Penn State - 2011-12 (174), 2013-14 (184)
David Taylor, Penn State - 2011 (157), 2012-13-14 (165)
Haven't been able to determine if these wrestlers lost to Big Ten competition:
Iowa:
Joe Scarpello ('47-'50)
Ed Banach ('80-'83)
Jim Heffernan ('83-'87)
Michigan State:
Tom Milkovich ('70-'73)
Minnesota:
Verne Gagne ('44-'49)
Purdue:
Arnold Plaza ('47-'50)
Have determined these wrestlers lost to Big Ten competition:
Iowa:
Mike DeAnna ('77-'81)
Barry Davis ('81-'85)
Duane Goldman ('83-'86)
Mark Ironside ('95-'98)
Michigan:
Kellen Russell
Have determined that these wrestlers never lost to Big Ten competition:
Ed Ruth, Penn State - 2011-12 (174), 2013-14 (184)
David Taylor, Penn State - 2011 (157), 2012-13-14 (165)
Although only a three-time BIG champion, T.J. Williams, Iowa - 1999 (149), 2000-01 (157)
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