Monday through Thursday evenings from 6:15 – 8:00 pm at the Bristol Boys and Girls Club from Monday March 9 - May 28, 2009. Open mats will continue throughout the summer and fall for Boys and Girls Club members.
WHO: Primarily Middle School and High School aged wrestlers who want to learn advanced techniques and compete in off-season wrestling tournaments. Wrestlers of any age
are welcome, however, for younger wrestlers it is highly recommended that you join the club with another wrestler of similar age and weight so that you are guaranteed an appropriate practice partner.
COST: $150 * This price includes a USA Wrestling Card, a Boys and Girls Club Membership, long sleeve T-shirt, and entry into the Gladiator Freestyle Wrestling Tournament in April. Please bring checks payable to the Bristol Boys and Girls Club to your first practice.
(* If you have a membership to USA Wrestling or to the Bristol Boys and Girls Club, the cost of this program will be adjusted accordingly. There is a sliding scale for the cost of this club. No wrestler will be turned away if they can not afford the membership fees.)
WHEN: Registration is currently open. Instruction will begin on Monday, March 9, 2009 from 6:15– 8:00 pm.
WHERE: Practices will be held in the Wrestling Room at the Bristol Boys and Girls Club. We will also be traveling to numerous weekend tournaments throughout the Northeast.
COACHES: Gary Alford – Former Head Coach at Trinity College, Springfield College Wrestler
Bryant Lishness – Head Coach at Bristol Eastern High School
Anthony Helm – Messiah College Wrestler 1995-1998
Paul Chapman – Gladiator Wrestling Coach
For more information contact the Bristol Boys and Girls Club at 860.583.4734 or Bryant Lishness at 860.584.5989.
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1. Freestyle wrestling is fun. It’s exciting, creative, and dynamic because you can score points from almost anywhere. You will receive more points for a spectacular throw, five points, than you do a normal takedown, one point. Freestyle rewards wrestlers for taking risk which creates more excitement and as a result takes less control of your opponent to score. Take the risk to flip him to his back, without even controlling him and get two points. The great thing about freestyle wrestling is you can even throw a guy over your head, which is legal, and if you do it with proper technique, style, and flair and the referee will reward you with a five point move. Many wrestlers that we have spoken to love freestyle because it’s fast, exciting, and it was easier to score points. Most freestyle matches also are mostly on your feet in the neutral position. Everyone loves to go takedowns. That's 80% of freestyle wrestling.
2. If your goal is to be a city champion, league champion, state champion or state placer, (or a great referee or coach) and a lofty goal I might add, freestyle increases your chances dramatically. If one wrestler is getting 40 matches a year in the high school or junior high season and another wrestler is getting those same 40 matches plus 30 matches in the freestyle season whom do you think is going to get better at a faster rate? The wrestler with more matches. More competition will give you more opportunities to improve your technique, skill, and mat strategy. More minutes on the mat = more wins. Are your high school, junior high or elementary opponents going to freestyle tournaments? If they are and you’re not, then your competitors are getting ahead of you. Don’t let them. The best wrestlers in the state are going to these tournaments. You should too.
3. Freestyle wrestling is for everyone. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced wrestler, boy or girl, big or small, five years old or seventy five years old there’s a freestyle tournament that is right for you. There are many novice freestyle wrestling tournaments all over the nation that will give you an opportunity to try freestyle for the first time. Are you really good and looking for a challenge? Go to the biggest and the best tournaments in the world in your age group. Tournaments like the Cadet or Junior Nationals attract the best wrestlers in the United States.
4. If you’re a good high school wrestler, freestyle wrestling will increase your opportunity to earn a college wrestling scholarship. Many of the NCAA Division I college coaches travel to USA Wrestling’s Junior and Cadet Nationals to watch the best wrestlers in the nation with the goal of attracting the best high school wrestlers to come to their university. Unless you are a multiple high school state champion from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, or California, you will need to wrestle freestyle to receive the exposure so college coaches will believe you can compete at a national level. Beat a state champion from Pennsylvania, Ohio, or New York in a freestyle tournament and you will receive strong consideration for a college wrestling scholarship. In other words, if you are a state champion in a smaller populated state your chances of getting a wrestling scholarship are minimal to none.
Wrestle freestyle and increase your chances of earning a scholarship dramatically. College coaches need to know that you can compete against the best in the nation before they will feel comfortable offering you scholarship money. College coaches get excited knowing that when a wrestler comes into their program that they might become not only an NCAA Champion but also a World and Olympic Champion. Dream to become a World and Olympic Champion.
The time is now to learn freestyle wrestling. Whether you just want to improve your wrestling technique and skill, become a state placer or champion, or even want to become a World and Olympic Champion, freestyle wrestling is mandatory to become successful. If you have high wrestling goals, freestyle wrestling must be a part of your yearly wrestling plan.
We are committed to helping you learn freestyle and you, we're sure, will find it exciting. We look forward to seeing you at a freestyle tournament!
Sincerely,
Coach Jones
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I would definately do this club if I lived in the greater Hartford area.
I can attest to this for 2 reaons:
1. I coached with Coach Lish and Gladiators for a limited duration. A person can tell a lot about a person when he/she is working alongside a person with talent. Here is what I deduced:
He is extremely well-versed in Freestyle (a rarity in Connecticut) and has a great demeanor (the kind of person you feel immediately like you belong in his wrestling room). While I was not fortunate to meet the other coaches, I know Coach Lish is sensible, practical, and is committed to ALL wrestlers. Trust me, I know quality when I see it. I learned from this man even while I was in college, training in the off-season. He instructs on what works and stresses it.
2. Bristol wrestling has a tradition of winning-period. The only way for an off-season wrestler to get better is to absorb the atmosphere of both the coaches and wrestlers. Simply being in a room with other talented wrestlers is contructive, but it needs to be paired with excellent instruction. I can think of very few places where wrestlers get the chance be around not only excellent wrestlers, but a superior coach that loves what he does.
I think that should be sufficient. Good luck Coach Lish; have a great freestyle season!
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First let me thank 'naust' (mom?) for the complimentary post.
Who usually attends Gladiator? - not sure yet this year, but we draw a lot from Bristol, Plainville, Farmington, Terryville, Thomaston and West Hartford (Conard). Last year we also had kids from Berlin, Winsted and Woodbury.
Lots of kids have come through the club as youth and with freestyle. I don't want to use anyone's name as advertisement, but we had numerous medalists for the class and open championships this year. We have had Open Champs, New England Finalists and All-Americans in the past come through our club and numerous alumnae in college. This is not unlike every other club that has been around for a little while.
Some years our room is very competitive with upwards of 45 kids and other years it is a little light. There are so many options for off season clubs, that the important thing is to find a place you're comfortable and put in the time. We are very affordable - the $150 fee covers your USA Card ($35), a year membership to the Boys and Girls Club ($40), a T-shirt ($12), and entry into our freestyle tournament(s)($20 - $40). The Club membership gives you access to all Boys and Girls Club programs - like open gym, open mats, the weight room, etc, and it also gets you eligible for scholarships - we have sponsored many of our wrestlers for the CT National Team in the past with profits from our tournaments.
While I appreciate the compliments from 'naust', in all seriousness, there are many great coaches in this state that are willing to put the time into you if you can make the committment. Find an offseason club to work out with consistently. Make a committment, wrestle in some tournaments, and I guarantee you will see the rewards for your effforts next season.
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