The Three Main Types of Training Center / Club Wrestling Coaches
There are three main types of training center / club wrestling coaches. These are the coaches who are not affiliated with a local recreation program or school. In addition, training center / club coaches are what I would consider professional coaches. Meaning that they’re not dad coaches in it part time for a few years until their child ages out. Instead, they are in it for the long haul for both the love of the sport and their passion for coaching.
What’s more, these coaches prefer not to be bogged down with the rules and bureaucracy in the high school and college coaching world. They value their independence and thrive in an environment that allows them to be their own boss.
As wrestling evolves, training center / clubs are becoming the center of the universe for the sport. While the average wrestler will eventually affiliate with a high school for 4 years, the wrestler who typically advances to the college level will affiliate with a training center/ club for 8 years or more.
As a matter of fact, many parents will argue that their training center / club coach is more important than their high school coach. While I’m not in that camp, I do see the importance of both coaches being equal.
With that said, it’s important for parents to understand what type of coach they have at their child’s training center / club. Parents must know if the coach is a good fit for their child’s needs and goals.
The code names I have given to the three main types of training center / club wrestling coaches are as follows:
- The Guru Coach
- The Businessman Coach
- The Blue Collar Coach
The Guru Coach
The Guru coach has been in the coaching game for a long time. They’ve been through it all and seen it all. Gurus coached kids twenty plus years ago who are now parents, and are currently coaching their children.
They don’t usually have the newest wrestling room or equipment. However, they know the newest techniques and strategies as they’re students of the sport and never stop learning.
In addition, they have the eye of a surgeon. This means Guru’s can diagnose the smallest technical errors causing a wrestler to struggle and fix those errors by coaching a wrestler to make slight adjustments.
Gurus believe in the old adage “if it aint broke don’t fix it.” As a result, don’t expect a whole lot of variety in the wrestling room. They have a specific coaching style that has and will stand the test of time.
Gurus focus on dominating with the basics, and perfecting technique with repetition. This never gets old. They believe there is no need to get fancy just for the sake of being fancy.
The Businessman Coach
The Businessman Coach is all about systems. The systems for attracting and retaining wrestlers in the room, coaching systems, and the systems for turning a profit.
Therefore, Businessmen are all about polishing up the old to make it look new and keeping their brand bright and shiny. If they don’t have the newest equipment, technology, and wrestling room, they know how to make it look new.
In addition, you can expect a Businessman coach to provide great customer service for both the parents and the wrestlers. This includes new and trendy gear packages, turn-key systems for attending tournaments as a team, and routine practice and camp schedules that meet the needs of the majority of wrestlers.
Furthermore, finding partners for your wrestler will typically never be a problem. The wrestling room is always full with kids at all ages and skill levels.
The Blue Collar Coach
The Blue Collar coach is all about the wrestlers in the community. This coach wants to build a feeder system from elementary straight to the high school and they are involved at every level.
As a result, money is just not the factor that drives this coach. For the Blue Collar coach, it’s about helping young men and women grow into both better wrestlers and better people. If your child attends a practice in a Blue Collar coach’s room, they will work harder than they’ve ever worked before. However, this will be hard work with a purpose.
While some coaches drive wrestlers to work hard just for the sake of breaking them, Blue Collar coaches have a specific philosophy they’re teaching through the hard work. These coaches are 100% about the grind. Talent doesn’t mean a thing. Blue Collar coaches believe if they can get a wrestler to believe in the system and believe in themselves then the sky’s the limit.
If your child has a Blue Collar coach they won’t just have a wrestling coach, they will also have a mentor.