This is a wonderful, comprehensive article originally written by Matt Krumrie for USA Wrestling in 2013.  It’s an informative and applicable read with Christmas coming up in a few days, followed by another week off before New Year’s.  It’s not easy to be a dedicated wrestler during this time of year, Krumrie offers some insight for those who are trying to be good.

“The holiday season is here and what can be a joyous time of year for many Americans can also be a tough time for the wrestler in the family. Just when they may be hitting their stride on the mat they must now deal with the temptation of an overabundance of food at family gatherings and disruption in their training routine.

It doesn’t mean wrestlers can’t enjoy this time of year, they just need to be smart about it, says Nick Spatola, a former wrestler at Indiana University who now runs Spatola Wrestling at a Fort Thomas, KY gym that provides individual and group training, wrestling camps, and clinics in the Cincinnati metro area.

“I always held a chip on my shoulder and felt special at holiday gatherings,” recalls Spatola. “While everyone else was indulging, I was still in training mode which meant eating healthy and still working out. My whole family knew what was going on and I could feel the respect. This gave me mental confidence and made me feel like I was a warrior in training.”

This is the time of the year for coaches to discuss with the team the goals set forth at the start of the year, says Ian Assael, director of the Bison Legend Wrestling Club and Bison System Wrestling Camps in Lewisburg, PA. It’s also a time of year for parents to provide support for the wrestler and for wrestling teammates to come together to keep one another motivated.

One way to do that is to write out a holiday meal plan and to schedule added workouts outside regularly scheduled practices. “Stay in a training routine,” says Assael. “Scheduling some sort of activity for first thing in the morning will make you wake up and get your day going. This could be wrestling, lifting, or running/cardio. If there are clubs in your area where you can get some extra workouts in, that is also beneficial.”

Mike DeRoehn, head coach at Lakeland College in Sheboygan, WI, and the head wrestling coach of World Class Wrestling School in Fond du Lac, WI, says the best athletes he’s coached buy into the concept that wrestling is about more than just participating in a sport and that mindset can help guide wrestlers through this time of year.

“Is your daily lifestyle — training, nutrition, hydration, sleep habits, friends you hang out with — more conducive to success than your opponents? Remember, there are two pains in life. The pain of discipline and the pain of regret,” says DeRoehn. Sometimes getting out of the wrestling room for a day or two while training over a holiday break can also be mentally refreshing, he adds: “Coaches, your athletes will thank you for breaking it up.”

Brandon Paulson, a 1996 Greco-Roman Olympic Silver Medalist and co-director of PINnacle Wrestling in Shoreview, MN, agrees. If a break from the sport is needed, try incorporating other activities into your routine. “This is a great time of year to get a little cross-training in. An hour-long soccer, football, or even dodge ball game will keep you active and rest your mind as well,” explains Paulson.

Mike Krause, Director of the NXT LVL Wrestling Academy and the Team Shamrock School of Wrestling in Hartland, MI, says this a great time of year for wrestlers to continue to challenge themselves. Want to eat a little more? Run three extra miles in the morning. Want to take the day off? Put in a two-a-day workout the next day.

“Do the extra things and eat sensibly,” says Krause, a former wrestler at Michigan State University. “If your break is long and you have no practices scheduled, make one up yourself.”

That’s what Spatola did over holiday breaks when he was competing, going for runs outside and focusing on the physical and mental aspect of the sport. “I used to visualize my opponents and see myself getting my hand raised in the big match,” says Spatola.

Spatola’s gym features a quote on the wall that says “it’s the hard days that really count.” And this time of year, when it seems like everyone around you is taking it easy, definitely fall into that category.”If you can manage to drag yourself to practice and make it through it, you just got better,” he says. “Everyone can train when they feel good, it’s training on those hard days that create results.”

No matter how dedicated one is to the sport, Spatola says this is still a time of year to remember who and what is important. Train hard, remain focused, but rest the mind and body when you can and enjoy family time at every opportunity.

“No matter how hard you are training, you can always make time for these special people during the holiday season,” explains Spatola. “Although you are a warrior in training, it’s important for your mind and body to relax and just spend time with the people you care most about.”

Holiday Training Tips:

Coaches and parents, provide knowledge: Don’t assume all kids know how getting out of their routine can affect them on and off the mat. Don’t be overbearing, but if you see them slip, gently nudge them in the right direction or try to get them to refocus.

Moderation is key: If one does indulge some holiday cookies or a larger than usual meal, schedule an extra workout, practice a little longer or add an extra running/cardio or weightlifting session.

Mental edge: This is the time of year one can work on honing the mental aspect of the sport. By keeping motivated while others may be taking time off, you can gain an important psychological edge knowing you did the right things and made the right choices.

Get the whole family on board: Inform all family members so they understand what the wrestler is going through. If no practices are available, schedule a fun activity that keeps kids active, like sledding, ice skating, or a family walk. It will create memories and help maintain the wrestler’s fitness level.

Rest: Eating right is important, but so is rest and sleep. This is also a time to heal up and get focused for the home stretch of the season. Don’t feel bad if you occasionally miss a workout or overindulge a little.

Holiday Cross-Training Exercises:

Lakeland College wrestling coach Mike DeRoehn recommends incorporating these winter cross-training opportunities into your holiday routine:

• Run outside in deep snow where you need to really get those knees up and high step while lifting your boots.
• Grab a teammate and push/pull each other in a sled to work on your leg drive
• Find a hill to sled down and then get a workout in going back up, doing these exercises in intervals of three:

• Sled down/bear crawl up
• Sled down/bear crawl up
• Sled down/bear crawl backwards up
• Sled down/carry a partner upNote: This archived feature first appeared in USA Wrestling’s newsletter in December 2013.“

Unfortunately Wrestling is a tough sport to nail down on TV.  But we’ve provided a guide to make things easier this wrestling season.  Originally posted by United World Wrestling, this comprehensive guide will help you plan your activities around your favorite college wrestling matches so that you don’t miss out.

 

 

The controversy over cutting weight is possibly the biggest issue facing wrestlers today.  Often times weight cutting is done using extreme and unhealthy methods which can involve long periods of not eating, the worst way to handle cutting and maintaining weight.  We found some really concise bits of information from author Jeff Herman on Livestrong.com which lay a wonderful foundation for understanding a better way to go about staying healthy during wrestling season.

Complex Carbohydrates

A teen athlete’s diet plan should be composed of 60 to 70 percent carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are a wrestler’s friend. Unlike the simple carbs found in starchy and sugary foods like white bread and pastries, the complex carbs found in whole grains, beans and legumes are digested slowly, which means your body is fueled with energy for longer stretches of time. This can help a wrestler stave off fatigue, and cut down on the need to eat as much while trying to maintain minimum weight.

Low-Fat Foods

Wrestlers, like everyone else, need fat in order to fuel their bodies. But they shouldn’t exceed the FDA’s daily suggested intake of 60 to 65 grams, or no more than 25 to 35 percent of their daily calorie intake, while avoiding saturated fats. Such fats, which usually come in highly processed items like fast food and chocolate, stay in your body longer and contribute to a variety of illnesses. Egg whites and tuna are low-fat options that also have muscle-supporting qualities.

Antioxidants

Wrestlers are highly prone to a variety of bacteria and skin infections because of the dank, sweaty mats with which they come into contact over and over again, as well as the skin-to-skin contact involved in the sport. In addition to proper hygienic habits, it’s advisable to eat foods high in antioxidants, which help the body fend off infection. Some examples of foods and spices high in antioxidants include berries, oranges, plums, nuts, seeds, ginger and oregano.

Calorie Requirements

All teen athletes need to incorporate a balanced eating plan in their daily routine. Keeping the body healthy by giving it the fuel it needs for the teen to participate in his chosen sport is essential. Most teens should take in between 2,000 and 3,000 calories per day, depending on their height, size, sex and activity level. Even when trying to lose weight, a teen should take in a minimum of 1,700 to 2,000 calories daily.

By Stacy Meitner Marketing Consultant smeitner@gbtribune.com
Barton Community College Trustees heard Thursday about plans to add wrestling as a sport in 2015. Trustees will be asked to approve the program at their next business meeting, on Oct. 23.
Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs said he’d like to see it approved soon, because he’d like to find a coach by the end of the year. The projected starting date would be the fall 2015 semester, with 25 wrestlers.
Board President Dr. Carl Heilman said bringing the program to the college could easily boost on-campus enrollment by 40-50 students. He indicated this has been on the drawing board for some time, and was included in next year’s budget.
Rolfs agreed that the program will add more students than the number of participants. Many times students decide to enroll at a college where they already know another student. Barton would be allowed to sign 16 recruits, or Letters Of Intent (LOI’s), and the rest of the students would be walk-ons. Kansas college students wrestle in 10 different weight classes, although Barton might not be able to fill all 10. He also noted that in wrestling, community college students sometimes compete against students from four-year schools.
Rolfs worked in the Pratt Community College athletic department four years ago when PCC added wrestling. “It was a tremendous enhancement to the department, the college and the community,” he said.
Now that Barton, Cloud County and Cowley County community colleges are looking at adding wrestling programs, there could be eight Kansas colleges offering the sport, which means travel costs could be affordable, Rolfs said. Equipment costs are also less than for other sports.
“Central Kansas is a hotbed for good high school wrestling programs,” Rolfs said. This would provide a chance for many high school wrestlers to compete at the next level.

Startup
The biggest expense would be the start-up costs. But Dean of Administration Mark Dean said by the second year, the revenue wrestling brings in would exceed the expenses.
The college just opened a new dormitory on campus with plans to phase out two of the oldest housing units. Dean said administrators are looking at converting one of those dorms into a practice facility and the other for office and locker space. Competition would be in the Kirkman Building.
Basketball games are played in the Physical Education Building, which is connected to the Kirkman Building. The reason the main gym wouldn’t work for wrestling is because there would not be room for a floor-sized mat, which Rolfs said is preferable to several smaller mats fused together. The Kirkman gym will work, but it has no bleachers, which is something that will be needed in the future. The large mat will be rolled up when not in use.
Trustees voiced support for the idea, although they indicated they may want more information about the expected costs. In answer to a question about insurance from trustee Leonard Bunselmeyer, Dean said the only addition to athletic insurance will be the added number of athletes. However, wrestling can be a dangerous sport and the college can expect the cost of its cataclysmic coverage to increase.
Trustee Don Learned said adding wrestling is a good idea. “It opens up new opportunities for students.”
Board Chairman Mike Johnson agreed. “A lot of local kids could be served very well by this program,” he said, noting the added enrollment could mean more state aid for the college as well.

Football next?
“I have been asked if football is next,” Heilman said. “That’s not a consideration at this time.”

http://www.gbtribune.com/section/1/article/78659/

By Chas Dorman
Penn Athletics

Two-time All-America wrestler Alex Tirapelle has been named the 19th Head Coach of Wrestling in the history of the University of Pennsylvania. The announcement was made today by the University’s new Director of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics, M. Grace Calhoun.

“I am excited to welcome Alex to Penn,” said Calhoun, who took over as Director on July 1. “During the interview process, his accomplishments both as a wrestler and as a coach stood out. He enjoyed a stellar collegiate wrestling career at Illinois, and over the last few years he has developed a solid reputation as a strong recruiter and coach. Working at an institution like Stanford these last four years also gives Alex a good idea of the kind of student-athlete he will be expected to recruit and coach at Penn. Under the leadership of Deputy Athletics Director Alanna Shanahan, we underwent an exhaustive process to ensure we found the best possible fit with the standards of this high-profile program going forward. I think our athletes, alums and fans will be excited by the future direction of the program under Alex’s leadership.”

Tirapelle comes to Penn after four seasons as an assistant coach at Stanford University. While coaching the Cardinal, Tirapelle helped guide the program to its best dual-season record in school history with a 17-5 mark in 2013-14. In addition, last season’s squad sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships – tying the school record. Four of those NCAA qualifiers last season were Pac-12 champions, also a school record.

“I want to thank Grace Calhoun, Alanna Shanahan, and the rest of the search committee for selecting me to be the new head wrestling coach at the University of Pennsylvania. It is an honor to have the opportunity to advance the already exceptional legacy of Penn Wrestling,” Tirapelle said. “In addition to Olympic medalists, NCAA champions and NCAA All-Americans, Penn Wrestling produces outstanding citizens and some of the country’s most prominent leaders. While wrestling success will always be a primary goal of the Penn program, for our student-athletes it is a milestone accomplishment rather than their pinnacle achievement.”

In his four seasons on “The Farm,” Tirapelle helped guide 14 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, including Stanford’s second three-time All-America and first two-time finalist in Nick Amuchastegui. The Cardinal earned five total All-America honors during Tirapelle’s tenure, including three at the 2011 NCAA Championships in Philadelphia – the highest All-America output at any NCAA Championships by a Stanford squad. The three All-Americans in 2011 propelled Stanford to an 11th-place finish overall, the highest team finish in program history.

Off the mat, Stanford continued to thrive academically during Tirapelle’s tenure. Last season, the Cardinal ranked No. 8 among all Division I programs in team GPA and had two wrestlers named National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic. One of those individuals, Kyle Meyer, also earned a Pac-12 Postgraduate Scholarship. Both of Stanford’s NWCA All-Academic selections last season were also NCAA qualifiers. At the conference level, Stanford led all Pac-12 programs with nine Pac-12 All-Academic honors. In the past four seasons, Stanford has had 30 wrestlers earn Pac-12 All-Academic honors.

Highlighting Stanford’s overall success during Tirapelle’s time was Amuchastegui. A four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-American and two-time finalist, Amuchastegui was twice named Capital One/CoSIDA Men’s At-Large Academic All-American of the Year and was a three-time Academic All-American, earning Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year accolades for wrestling in 2012 and twice earning the NCAA’s Elite88 Award for Division I wrestling.

“I look forward to developing men of valor and providing them with the resources and guidance necessary to strive for excellence in education, athletics, and life after college,” said Tirapelle. “Furthermore, I am excited to become a contributing member of Penn’s Athletic Department.”

Prior to his time at Stanford, Tirapelle served as an assistant coach at UC-Davis for two seasons. While with the Aggies, Tirapelle coached one Pac-12 champion and six NCAA qualifiers. In addition, two wrestlers earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors.
Before working with the Aggies, he spent seven years at the University of Illinois as a student-athlete, graduate student and member of the academic advising staff.

Tirapelle twice earned All-America status at Illinois, captured two Big Ten titles, and was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year in 2004. As a freshman in 2003, he finished as the national runner-up and earned Illinois Freshman Male Athlete of the Year honors in the process. Tirapelle finished his career as the Illini’s all-time wins leader with 128, while ranking third with an .877 winning percentage.

Along with his impressive athletic career, Tirapelle racked up several academic honors. He was a Big Ten All-Academic honoree all four years, a first-team NWCA All-Academic selection, and first-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American. In addition, Tirapelle earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Tirapelle holds a pair of degrees from Illinois, graduating in 2006 with a B.S. in accountancy and earning a Master’s in sports management in 2009.

Alex and his wife Amy, also an Illinois graduate who was a member of the cross country and track & field teams, will reside in Philadelphia.

BY GARY ABBOTT USA WRESTLING | JULY 09, 2014, 4:17 P.M. (ET)
PECS, Hungary – Tyrell Fortune (Portland, Ore./Titan Mercury WC) won a gold medal at 125 kg/275 lbs., one of four U.S. men’s freestyle medalists on the second day of the University World Championships on Wednesday.

Fortune, a Div. II national champion for Grand Canyon, scored a 12-1 technical fall over Sakir Bozkurt of Turkey in the championship match. Bozkurt, who was fifth in the 2012 Yasar Dogu International in Turkey, was never in the match, as Fortune scored quickly and often for a first-period stoppage.

Fortune rolled past his first two opponents, pinning Alexandr Romanov of Moldova and beating Richard Csercsics of Hungary, 10-2. He is ranked No. 3 on the U.S. Senior national team at his weight.

Fortune won a World medal on the University level for the second straight year, after taking a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games in Russia.

Claiming silver medals after losses in the finals were BJ Futrell (Ann Arbor, Mich./Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC) at 61 kg/134 lbs., James Green (Willingboro, N.J./Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) at 70 kg/154 lbs. and Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy WC) at 86 kg/189 lbs.

Futrell, a past NCAA All-American for Illinois, lost a wild 12-11 bout against Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg of Mongolia in the gold-medal bout.

Futrell won his first three matches handily, including a pin over Niurgin Skriabin of Russia in the semifinals. In his first two bouts, he beat Masakazu Kamoi of Japan, 8-1 and scored a 12-0 technical fall over Vadim Sacultan of Moldova.

Green, a three-time NCAA All-American for Nebraska, was pinned by Evgheni Nedealco of Moldova in the finals. Nedealco was fifth at the 2008 Junior World Championships.

Green won his two early matches, pinning Jere Kunnas of Finland and stopping Russian Shamil Magomedov, 6-4 in the semifinals.

Perry, a two-time NCAA champion for Oklahoma State, lost a close 3-5 match to Piotr Ianulov of Moldova in the finals. Perry had a 3-1 lead in the bout, but Ianulov scored late in the second period for the win. Ianulov was fifth at the 2010 Senior World Championships, and now boasts two University World titles (2010, 2014).

Perry was impressive on the way to the finals, beating Andrei Frant of Romania, 8-0, Namik Korkmaz of Turkey, 4-2, then pinning Sandor Tozser of Hungary in the semifinals.

Perry is a past Junior World bronze medalist, and is ranked No. 3 on the U.S. Senior national team at his weight.

The USA won the team title, ahead of second-place Turkey and third-place Russia. There were 25 nations entered in the University World Championships. The U.S. team was coached by Dave Bennett, Mike Hagerty and Bryan Snyder.

“Looking at how these athletes handled the training, the travel and adversity that some encountered in competition I feel the future for the USA is bright. This was a special group that are going to continue to leave their mark on the sport in the coming years leading up to the 2016 and 2020 Olympics,” said U.S. Coach Dave Bennett.

The U.S. won seven medals in men’s freestyle at the event this year out of the eight weight classes. Golds went to Fortune and Tyler Caldwell (74 kg/163 lbs.), silvers to Futrell, Green, Perry and Dustin Kilgore (97 kg/213 lbs.) and a bronze medal to Matt McDonough (57 kg/125.5 lbs.)

Winning a bronze medal at 86 kg/189 lbs. for Israel was Ophir Bernstein, a Texas native who wrestles for Brown. Bernstein, who was born in Israel, was a FILA Junior World silver medalist last summer.

Two U.S. women entered competition today. Placing fifth at 55 kg/121 lbs. is King University star Samantha Klingel (Kregesville, Pa./King Univ.), who lost by technical fall to Samantha Stewart of Canada in the bronze bout. Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) placed ninth at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., losing her only match of the day.

Five other U.S. women’s wrestlers have weighed in and received their draws for Thursday.

There is an official website and LIVE WEBCAST for the event at:
http://birkozoszov.hu/index.php?menu=69

UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Pecs, Hungary, July 9

Men’s freestyle results

61 kg/134 lbs.
Gold – Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia)
Silver – B.J. Futrell (USA)
Bronze – Ismail Avci (Turkey)
Bronze – Niurgun Skriabin (Russia)
5th – Stefan Ivanov (Bulgaria)
5th – Masakazu Kamoi (Japan)

70 kg/154 lbs.
Gold – Evgheni Nedealco (Moldova)
Silver – James Green (USA)
Bronze – Shamil Magomedov (Russia)
Bronze – Zsombor Gulyas (Hungary)
5th – Jere Kunnas (Finland)
5th – Kosuke Sunagawa (Japan)

86 kg/189 lbs.
Gold – Piort Ianulov (Moldova)
Silver – Chris Perry (USA)
Bronze – Ophir Bernstein (Israel)
Bronze – Namik Korkmaz (Turkey)
5th – Oleg Ktsoev (Russia)
5th – Sandor Tozser (Hungary)

125 kg/275 lbs.
Gold – Tyrell Fortune (USA)
Silver – Sakhir Bozkurt (Turkey)
Bronze – Mariyan Todorov (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Richard Csercsis (Hungary)
5th – M. Guseinov (Russia)
5th – Alexandr Romanov (Moldova)

U.S. men’s freestyle performances

61 kg/134 lbs. – BJ Futrell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC), 2nd
WIN Masakazu Kamoi (Japan), 8-1
WIN Vadim Sacultan (Moldova), tech. fall, 12-0
WIN Niurgin Skriabin (Russia), pin
LOSS Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia), 11-12

70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC), 2nd
WIN Jere Kunnas (Finland), pin
WIN Shamil Magomedov (Russia), 6-4
LOSS Evgheni Nedealco (Moldova), pin

86 kg/189 lbs. – Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC), 2nd
WIN Andrei Frant (Romania), 8-0
WIN Namik Korkmaz (Turkey), 4-2
WIN Sandor Tozser (Hungary), pin
LOSS Piotr Ianulov (Moldova), 3-5

125 kg/275 lbs. – Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC), 1st
WIN Alexandr Romanov (Moldova), pin
WIN Richard Csercsics (Hungary), 10-2
WIN Sakir Bozkurt (Turkey), tech. fall 12-1

Freestyle Team Standings
1. United States
2. Turkey
3. Russia
4. Moldova
5. Japan
6. Hungary
7. Mongolia
8. Ukraine
9. Bulgaria
10. Poland

Women’s freestyle results

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold – Jasmine Mian (Canada)
Silver – Shiori Ito (Japan)
Bronze – Anna Lukasiak (Poland)
Bronze – Alina Moreva (Russia)
5th – Madalina Linguraru (Romania)
5th – T. Tsogtbaatar (Mongolia)

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Chiho Hamada (Japan)
Silver – Irina Ologonova (Russia)
Bronze – Samantha Stewart (Canada)
Bronze – Tetyana Kit (Ukriane)
5th – Samantha Klingel (USA)
5th – Evelina Nikolova (Bulgaria)

U.S. women’s freestyle performances

48 kg/105.5 lbs.- Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 9th
LOSS Emilia Budeanu (Moldova), 2-9

55 kg/121 lbs. – Samantha Klingel, Kregesville, Pa. (King Univ.), 5th
WIN Esa Korosi (Hungary), inj. dft.
LOSS Irina Ologonova (Russia), tech. fall, 1-12
LOSS Samantha Stewart (Canada), tech. fall 0-10

U.S. women’s freestyle draws for Thursday

53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Sara Jezierzanska (Poland), 5th in 2012 Junior World Championships

58 kg/128 lbs. – Jacarra Winchester, San Leandro, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Elizabeth Milovitch-Sera (Canada), 7th in 2013 World University Games

60 kg/132 lbs.:- Brieana Delgado, Fountain Inn. S.C. (OKCU Gator RTC)
Vs. Mariia Liulkova (Russia), 7th in 2014 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/King Univ.)
Vs. Agnieszka Krol (Poland), 5th in 2014 European Juniors; 9th in 2012 Junior World Championships

69 kg/152 lbs. – Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Wayland Baptist)
Vs. Lisa Nadine Hug (Germany), 5th in 2011 Grand Prix of Spain

75 kg/165 lbs. – Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC)
Vs. Tamae Yoshii (Japan), 5th in 2012 University World Championships; 9th in 2013 World University Games