Wrestling Hacks for Staying Fit During Off-Season

Summer is kind of officially here, and I hope your making the best out of the awesome sunshine and your days off before school’s back in session. It’s definitely important to rest your body during off-season, for a moment of time, but don’t get super comfortable buddy! If you do, you may have a hard time getting back into the swing of things when the new season officially starts. As a wrestler and an athlete overall, it’s vital that you take certain initiatives to maintain both your weight and athletic prowess year-round. Off-season is the prime time to work on improving your diet, strength, quickness, endurance and agility as well as gaining muscle, without the distraction of competitions and classes.

The first thing you should do, to maintain yourself while you’re off, is regulate your meals. Your off-season diet is just as vital as when you’re on. You can still enjoy eating what you like. I mean it’s off-season righhht! However, make sure you minimize your portions and focus on quality food. Diving into a perpetual pile of junk-food during the summer can lead to poor eating habits during wrestling season, like extreme dieting, which we know isn’t good for several reasons. It can result in health deficiencies and decrease your performance. Therefore, it’s good to ensure that your daily meal consumption primarily contains:

1. Fruits and Veggies, which provide needed minerals and nutrients
2. Healthy Fluids, particularly water (dehydration leads to reduced muscle strength, performance and endurance while hydration helps control metabolism and hormones, while improving circulation of nutrients)
3. Complex Carbohydrates (ex: Oatmeal, Wheat Bread, lentils, quinoa)
4. Rich Protein (ex: lean eggs, meat, yogurt, milk, cheese, soy products)

Instead of counting calories, make it easier on yourself by just balancing meals consisting of these four groups. These foods not only help you remain full for longer periods of time, so you eat less; but they also result in faster recovery times after training. Additionally, they increase your energy. Make sure you eat these foods every two to three hours, while also consuming plenty of water, to boost your metabolism.

The next crucial thing you must do is work on your physical fitness. Before you begin the process, thoroughly consider what areas you fell short in during the previous season and what improvements you want to make. Did you typically run out of breath or become weak half-way through your matches? Did you have issues with your flexibility when trying to implement your technique? Since you have been off from wrestling for a bit, ease your way back into your physical training gradually. Begin with light work initially, then progress to higher intensity conditioning. According to Johnson Fitness, in order to:

1. Boost Endurance: Implement “interval training” and lengthen your workouts
2. Advance Your Speed: Implement exercises that include flexibility and that involve sprinting
3. Increase Strength: Incorporate squats, push-ups, lunges and abdominal exercises

If you do all these things during your time off, including working on your technique with one of your wrestling buddies, you’re on your way to being a beast on the mat, if you’re not already there.

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Johny Hendricks Rocks New American Wrestler “Conquer or Collapse” Shirt!

The accomplished former wrestler and current MMA great, Johny Hendricks recently rocked our new “Conquer or Collapse” shirt this past weekend at the Texas State Wrestling Tournament. Grab yours by clicking this cool link http://ow.ly/ESNe30jTRza !

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Wrestler Without Legs Lives Life With ‘No Excuses’

NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio – It’s Sunday worship at New Greater Peace Church in Canton, Ohio. Music and Faith are the cornerstone of 20-year-old Zion Clark.

“It is a really big part in what I do because God sent me through different trials to build me into the man I am today,” Zion told WJW.

“I baptized him in the name of Jesus in one of our services and he’s a great kid, he’s a phenomenal kid, he’s one of our drummers that we use during our services,” Pastor Bernard Manson of New Greater Peace Church said.

Zion has always been a fan of the drums.

“He has a drum set up in his room at home, so I would hear him upstairs banging, doing his thing he would say, ‘Mom I’m getting ready to practice,’ and he would go upstairs and be on those drums for hours and hours,” said Zion’s mother, Kimberlli Hawkins

When Zion is not perfecting his love of music, he’s attending class at Kent State University’s Tuscarawas Campus building up his knowledge of business management.

“I definitely want to help run a sports team or something like that,” Zion said.

That’s not the only thing Zion is building up these days. Outside of the classroom, he’s busy in the gym building up his muscles. His future relies on it.

“I’ll be a junior by 2020, and that’s the 2020 Olympics, and hopefully I make it out of the Trials and bring home some hardware,” said Zion.

It won’t be easy for Zion … nothing is. That’s why he believes in his motto, a motto now tattooed on his back.

“It says, ‘No excuses,'” Zion said.

It’s fitting.

Zion was born with a condition called caudal regression syndrome.

“It caused me to be born without legs,” said Zion. “My arms and my chest and everything have to be insanely in shape because if it wasn’t, there is no way I could do some of the stuff that I do.”

What he does, is compete. Zion is a wrestler at the Kent State University Tuscarawas Campus.

“My arms are my legs and my arms so I have to figure out how to get in on their legs, still drive forward with one arm, or get the type of angle or leverage to get where they can’t stop what I’m doing,” said Zion.

He wrestles in the 125-pound weight class but he barely tips the scales at 100 pounds.

“It is a challenge, and quite frankly, it scares some of the guys,” said Zion’s wrestling coach Dave Schlarb.

“They don’t care who you are, what you look like, what kind of disability you have, if you step out on the mat, you step out there as equals,” Zion said.

Zion is 11-16 in his freshman season heading into the final tournament of the year. He means a lot to the Golden Eagles wrestling team.

“He’s just an inspiration for all of us,” said Schlarb. “Just a great guy to have on the team. If everyone is feeling down, we look at him… he brings us all up.”

Courtesy of Tribune Media Wire

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Shane Lyons Names Tim Flynn WVU’s Ninth Wrestling Coach

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President Shane Lyons has named Tim Flynn as the school’s ninth wrestling coach.

Flynn comes to West Virginia from Edinboro, where he spent the past 21 years building the Fighting Scots into a wrestling powerhouse. He compiled a 223-95-5 career record at Edinboro to become the school’s all-time winningest coach and a member of its Hall of Fame.

His accomplishments at Edinboro totaled 150 national qualifiers, 38 All-Americans, 64 EWL champions and 97 PSAC champions. He led the Fighting Scots to five top-10 finishes at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, 14 top-20 finishes and 18 top-25 finishes.

Flynn engineered in recent years two of the best seasons in Edinboro wrestling history. His 2013-14 squad recorded a fifth-place finish at the national tournament with three All-Americans. The Fighting Scots ended the year with an 11-3 record, winning 10 of their last 11 duals including a 17-16 win over No. 6 Pitt. He received NWCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year honors, shared InterMat Coach of the Year honors with Minnesota’s J Robinson and also was selected as WIN’s Dan Gable Coach of the Year. He followed in 2014-15 with four All-Americans and a third-place national finish – the school’s highest ever.

He was the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Coach of the Year seven times and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Coach of the Year 13 times. Flynn also coached three national champions (John Koscheck at 174 in 2001, Gregor Gillespie at 149 in 2007 and Jarrod King at 165 in 2009) and eight NCAA runners-up.

Under the former Penn State All-American, Edinboro dominated eastern wrestling circles, winning the EWL Championship in 15 of the last 21 years, including eight straight years at one point, along with the PSAC tournament title 17 times in his 21 campaigns. At one point, Edinboro won 34 of 35 EWL dual matches, which included a 29-match winning streak.

“Tim brings to West Virginia a wealth of head coaching experience, success and veteran leadership,” Lyons said. “He is a proven winner and one of the most respected coaches in the sport. His years of success and consistency speak volumes, and I know he will be a great fit for our department and wrestling program.”

Before taking over the head coaching duties, Flynn was an assistant at Edinboro under legendary coach and Olympian Bruce Baumgartner from 1992-97. Flynn assisted Baumgartner to a 56-21 record, including a 14-0 dual match mark and a sixth-place finish at Nationals in 1996.

“I’m excited, this is a blessing for me,” Flynn said. “It came at a great time. West Virginia is a sleeping giant located in a great spot for wrestling as well as a great conference. I’m excited and ready to get started.”

Following three standout seasons at Vista High in Vista, California, Flynn moved east to finish his prep career at Annapolis Senior High in Annapolis, Maryland. He went on to enjoy a stellar career at Penn State, captaining the 1986-87 squad while earning All-American honors at 134 pounds. He went 30-10-1 as a senior, winning the EWL title and finishing seventh at Nationals. The Nittany Lions enjoyed one of their greatest seasons ever with an 18-1-1 record and a third-place finish at the NCAA Tournament.

Flynn finished with a 105-32-2 collegiate wrestling record, still ranking among the all-time career leaders in victories for Penn State. He also won the EWL title as a junior in 1986 while competing at 126 pounds, finishing with a 30-7-1 mark. He qualified for Nationals as a sophomore as well after finishing second at the EWL Championships. He was a four-time Midlands Championships place winner, a two-time Mat-Town USA champion and was an Espoir National freestyle runner-up in 1984.

Flynn, who is currently a member of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NWCA) Leadership Group, graduated from Penn State in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. He later earned his master’s degree in business administration from Penn State with a concentration in finance in 1990. He and his wife, Tanya, have two children – Logan and Riley.

Courtesy of WVUSPORTS.COM

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Alvernia Announces Addition Of Wrestling For 2019-20

Alvernia University Athletic Director Bill Stiles announced Wednesday the addition of Wrestling as the Pennsylvania university’s 28th varsity sport.

The national search for a head coach will begin immediately, and the Golden Wolves start competing in the winter of 2019.

“We are in the heart of a wrestling hotbed with over 36,000 boys participating in high school wrestling within our primary recruiting market, encompassing almost 1500 high school programs – including all 15 schools in Berks County,” said Stiles. “The ability for us to continue strategic growth and provide additional opportunities to talented student-athletes in our region remains paramount, and wrestling provides a wonderful opportunity for us to do that.”

Alvernia will be the sixth member of the Middle Atlantic Conference to sponsor varsity wrestling. Messiah College earned the 2018 MAC Championship followed by Delaware Valley, Wilkes, Lycoming, and King’s.

Alvernia will practice and compete in the Physical Education Center, home to Alvernia’s volleyball and basketball teams.

Courtesy of Auwolves.com

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DAMION HAHN SELECTED AS NEW HEAD WRESTLING COACH AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

Another Division I head coaching position has been filled. South Dakota State has tapped Damion Hahn as its new head coach.

Hahn leaves the Cornell Big Red program after over a decade in Ithaca, NY. Hahn had been an assistant coach since 2006 and the associate head coach since the 2013-14 season, working primarily with Cornell’s middle and upper weights.

Forty-eight CU wrestlers reached All-American status under Hahn’s tutelage. Furthermore, Cornell wrestlers reached the NCAA podium 20 times at 174, 184, and 197 pounds during his tenure. Three Big Red upper weights have been crowned NCAA champ with Hahn’s help: Steve Bosak, Cam Simaz, and most recently Gabe Dean in 2015 and 2016.

While Hahn has been on the staff, Cornell as a team has won every single Ivy League championship and every EIWA championship except one when the Big Red finished as runners-up this past season.

At South Dakota State, Hahn’s job will be to keep the momentum going that former head coach Chris Bono had built in Brookings. Bono left the Jackrabbits program less than a month ago for the University of Wisconsin, taking over the reins from Barry Davis, who retired after 15 years at the helm.

South Dakota State is coming off its best season in program history. Seth Gross won the 133-pound NCAA championship and the team finished in 12th place overall.

Before establishing himself as a DI coach, Hahn was a four-time All-American and two-time national champion at the University of Minnesota. Hahn was also a three-time New Jersey state champ wrestling out of Lakewood High School.

Courtesty of Flo Wrestling

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JUDGE DROPS LAWSUIT AGAINST UIL: TRANSGENDER WRESTLER, MACK BEGG, STILL REQUIRED TO WRESTLE GIRLS

After two challenges, the UIL’s current steroid policy remained intact Tuesday.

The policy came into public light in relation to the case of Mack Beggs, the Euless Trinity transgender wrestler who went on to win a girls wrestling state championship while taking testosterone under a “safe harbor” provision in the education code.

On Tuesday, a Travis County judge dismissed a lawsuit asking the UIL to not allow Beggs to compete. Around the same time, the Senate Education Committee left pending a bill that would have changed the organization’s safe harbor provision.

The lawsuit, originally filed just before the wrestling regional championships in February, was brought by Coppell lawyer Jim Baudhuin and alleged the risk of injury to other wrestlers and an

unfair advantage to Beggs. Baudhuin amended the lawsuit several times leading up to the hearing and argued that the UIL was not following its rules related to steroid use.

The UIL filed for a “Plea of Jurisdiction,” which asked for the case to be dismissed for several reasons before it went on to a trial, leading to the hearing Tuesday.

In her explanation for dismissing the claims, the judge said Baudhuin’s case was more of a question of what the UIL did with its discretionary powers than a question of the UIL not following the law or its constitution.

Both UIL Deputy Director Jamey Harrison and the Beggs camp were pleased with the result.

“It was kind of expected,” said Damon McNew, Beggs’ stepfather. “It’s what the UIL stated a little bit after the competition.”

McNew said there was “absolutely” relief the lawsuit is over.

Baudhuin also said the ruling “wasn’t unexpected.”

“This was a very difficult, frustrating case,” Baudhuin said.

Baudhuin attempted, in part, to argue that the UIL had failed to prove Beggs fell under the “safe harbor” provision outlined in the state’s education code. The UIL cited FERPA privacy law.

Baudhuin subpoenaed Harrison to testify on UIL rules but the judge cut off the testimony, saying this hearing was not the time to fish for information.

Baudhuin said he’d talk with an appellate lawyer and discuss if they’ll choose to appeal.

“As I’m standing here 15 minutes after the hearing is done, I don’t think we’re going to pursue it any further,” Baudhuin said.

Part of the UIL’s argument was the law could change in the coming months. That chance got smaller Tuesday as Senate Bill 2095 was left pending.

Leo Barnes, the UIL’s directory of policy and compliance, told the committee that as of now, the organization can only conduct randomized drug testing, and that program is not currently funded.

It also would require any person seeking protection under the safe harbor provision to release medical records to the UIL and allow communication between the organization and the student’s healthcare professionals.

The UIL could also declare the student ineligible despite the safe harbor provision if it determines the safety of other students or fairness of competition would be affected by the student’s steroid use.

With the bill pending, it could be voted out of committee, but the chances of that are small. Thus, the UIL’s current steroid policy remains.

At least until June, when the UIL legislative council meets.

Courtesy of Sports Day

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TRANSGENDER WRESTLER, MACK BEGGS, WINS STATE FOR SECOND TIME!

Courtesy of US Today HSS

Euless Trinity (Texas) transgender wrestler Mack Beggs won his second straight state title Saturday evening to a chorus of boos.

Beggs (36-0), who won last year’s Class 6A girls championship in the 110-pound division, won by decision 15-3 against Chelsea Sanchez of Katy Morton Ranch.

Last year, the 18-year-old beat Sanchez for the championship.

Texas transgender teen Mack Beggs wins regional wrestling title amid firestorm of opposition

Beggs was the center of both praise and criticism in 2017 when a parent filed a lawsuit to try to keep him from wrestling in the female division.

A few years ago, Beggs began transitioning from female to male. The lawsuit’s argument centered around Beggs’ use of testosterone to help with that transition.

But, according to the UIL, it’s not a banned substance since it comes from a physician.

A UIL policy also says that student-athletes in high school must compete as the gender that’s on their birth certificate.

Beggs wants to wrestle boys and said he would if that law didn’t exist. Though the UIL has said publicly that it has never received an official request from Beggs or his school asking to wrestle boys.

Marco Karem, Beggs’ father, said that his son’s story should bring encouragement to others.

“He inspires a lot of people, and if he can help just one person—then it’s worth it to Mack,” Karem said.

WFAA spoke with a number of parents, and all seem to support Beggs’ choice to be transgender. However, many voiced that he should be wrestling boys or not wrestling at all.

Beggs shrugged off the jeers and told WFAA, “I don’t care, I gave my all in that match.”

“You put me in front of anybody and I’ll wrestle them,” he said. “Each time I read comments, they all say the same thing about steroids. It all comes down to technique and who has the most heart.”

Beggs wants to wrestle in the NCAA and is entertaining a scholarship offer from an out-of-state school.

He also wants to train for the Olympics.

Both the NCAA and the Olympics have rules in place that allow athletes to compete as the gender they identify with.

Beggs is also working towards a gender reassignment surgery.

At the end of the day, the teen said he’s glad to close this chapter of his life–and hopes the state reconsiders many of the rules that brought him to the center of controversy.

“I wanted to come out on top, and in my heart–I feel like a champion,” Beggs said.

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MMA Fighter, Conor McGregor, Arrested For Assault!

Courtesty of CBS Sports:

Update: Conor McGregor turned himself in to police late Thursday night following the incident that took place in Brooklyn. According to MMA Fighting, an NYPD spokesperson has confirmed the current lightweight champion has been charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief.

Conor McGregor may soon be a wanted man in the state of New York. After McGregor caused an incident at the Barclays Center on Thursday afternoon by throwing a guardrail at a bus and injuring at least one person, UFC president Dana White said McGregor now has a warrant out for his arrest, one that prevents him from leaving the state.

“They are looking for him right now. His plane cannot take off; he cannot leave the state of New York,” White said. “I’m assuming, eventually, if they don’t catch him, he’ll turn himself in. You can imagine he’s going to be sued beyond belief, and this was a real bad career move for him.

“After this disgusting, despicable move, I think everyone’s relationship with Conor is going to be not so great,” White continued. “Even the police officer who came to me was like ‘God, I was a fan of his, too. Not anymore.’ This is the type of bad move you make that turns a lot of people off.”

However, contrary to White’s statement, ABC News reports that the NYPD is still investigating the incident involving McGregor with no formal arrest warrant out for the UFC champion at this time.

In addition to McGregor’s legal situation, one of his teammates, Artem Lobov, has been pulled from the UFC 223 card. Lobov was set to fight Alex Caceres.

McGregor and his team showed up after the UFC 223 media day festivities wrapped up at Barclays Center and appeared to be looking for a fighter. When they were unable to get access to the bus, McGregor picked up a guardrail and hurled it at the vehicle, shattering the glass and cutting UFC 223 fighter Michael Chiesa on the face. Chiesa was transported to the hospital to be treated for the cuts, and it is unknown whether he will be able to on Saturday night.

“He’s got some beef with Khabib because of the Artem [Lobov] thing that went down. You don’t come into Barclays Center [and] attack people on a bus who are fighting the next day,” White said. “And the worst part is the women that were on the bus. They’re fighters. Rose [Namajunas] is a fighter. Karolina [Kowalkiewicz] is a fighter. But these goons are throwing bike racks and chairs like that through the windows of the bus and didn’t care who they hit or who they hurt.”

Video quickly surfaced of the fracas, showing McGregor and his team rushing the venue before hurling the guardrail and leaving in a bus that was waiting for them outside.

It is unclear at this time what sparked the seemingly planned attack.

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