Wrestling for football Pros and Cons

Not a fan of the weight loss thing.

I don't mind the weight loss aspect, they're only losing water weight or weight I didn't want them carrying anyways. I'd rather have a kid be 180 and built than 240 and o-beast.

One word.

Leverage!

Both my Dad and I wrestled and played DT. There are certainly advantages to wrestling, in particular it helps develop hand fighting skills and strength. On the other hand, I trashed a knee wrestling and lost a season of football and my dad broke 7 fingers.

I think you have to examine it on a case by case basis. Some kids gain a lot from it - usually the kids who are contributors but not studs. The real stud football players, in my opinion, just face a bigger risk of injury than anything else. Either way, I don't feel strongly enough about it to coerce any of my players one way or the other.

I think wrestling is great for football for a variety of reasons. The one-on-one, no bs nature is awesome. Each kid knows THEY lost and everyone knows how it happened. It's hard to explain to mom and dad sometimes that Johnny missed his blocking assignment from left guard. They won't see it or get it. But, they will see him win or lose on the mat.

Our good wrestlers have always been good football players and I think a lot has to do with the mindset they have when they wrestled. There is some carryover to that.

Technically speaking, the handfighting is a great skills for all football players. We encourage our big boys to wrestle to trim their weight down and hone some skills they may not have. Winter is not a dead time for our strength & conditioning program, but we tail it down after football is over and really start our winter program once we come back from our Christmas break. So, the wrestlers don't miss much and they're staying active and engaged.

It's great for younger kids to teach aggressiveness, get them over fear of contact, build toughness ect... It's great for the over-weight kids as cardio.

It's a real issue for the 150 lb types (you get the idea) that are trying to wrestle in the 140s. We want them at 170. Losing 2 pounds isn't the issue, it's the not gaining 20.

Not a ton you can do with a 150 pound kid who isn't quick enough to play in the secondary. You can take the same kid at 170 and look at him as a RB/LB or even on the lines if he's a strong/tough kid.

if they are actually competing and not doing it as a grab butt activity I like it more than basketball. Obviously the pro's have been talked about, losing weight for the big guys, working leverage, better feet, aggressiveness, not being able to hide. Obviously I would love to have them lifting as well but if they are doing something then more power to them, especially if it is well organized. The only issue I have is what KS was talking about, the kids in the middle weights who would really benefit from putting on some good weight but keep it off for wrestling.

Just quick food for thought though, a lot of us complain/combat specialization, how would saying kids need to be in the weight room instead of wrestling any different then the basketball or baseball coach saying that they need to be playing year round?

Even from a wrestling perspective, putting on 20 lbs of muscle would be a boon.

The coaching points of the single leg take down are similar to the drive block. Also, competition is better than sitting on the couch.

Some of the best players I have coached have also been wrestlers, so I am a big proponent of the sport. The biggest problem that I have is when the weight cutting is forced to go to extreme measures.

If they are working off the weight through work in practice, work outs, and eating right I am all for it.

The problem comes in when the kids are losing weight because they are not eating anything for days at a time, wear multiple layers of sweats or a trashbag, and go run or on the elliptical with the door closed all practice.

During one of our weight sessions last year I had to pull a wrestling kid off the elliptical because he looked like he was on the verge of passing out.

Anything athletic that the kids can do, that they enjoy, is great. if a kid hates wrestling, he shouldn't do it.

I'd prefer them be in our weight room unless they really want to wrestle (and I used to be a wrestling coach). Same goes for basketball, soccer, etc. If you really love it, do it. Otherwise, get in the weight room.

I agree. If the kid WANTS to wrestle, I would support it.

I do not like when pressure is put on a kid who DOES NOT want to wrestle. Just because he would likely be good does not mean that he should do it. I would not like a kid to come out for football if his heart was not in it.

Wow, interesting thread from the perspective of a football and wrestling coach.

All I can say is if you're a football coach who doesn't support wrestling in your school I think you're missing out on a great asset to your football program. Why? Lot's of reasons but I'm guessing you were never involved with wrestling or you'd know better. I expect my football coach to talk to a kid just as I'll approach a "wrestler" who would benefit the football team. That's teamwork and it's beneficial to kids to know that their coach cares about them more than just for football.

Mental toughness, toughness, toughness. Who are the mentally toughest kids on your team. Wrestlers. They may not be the fastest, may not have the best vertical, may not be the best 40 times but they are the "glue" to tough, physical teams. The sport of wrestling "molds" that mentality more than anything I've ever been involved with. Including football.

Tackling, tackling, tackling; the double leg take down is a glorified "football tackle". Wrestlers will practice/drill" that technique thousands of times (literally) in a given year in the practice room to perfect it. That's like an extra 1,000 football tackles out of season. Muscle memory for tackling big time. What defensive unit couldn't benefit from better tackling? Who are your linebackers; wrestlers? Yep, they can tackle/double leg and are tough kids.

Leverage: yes, leverage and hips, balance and weight feel, great feet. Those are all skills kids, especially big boys, learn as survival skills in wrestling that translate well to the trenches. How many times have we put the 175 lb. kid at left guard because we have no 250 lb. option? It's always a bonus if he's wrestled and understands leverage to even up the size disadvantage.

Point of diminishing returns; your guys can lift all winter; fine. You're eventually going to "peak" in both weight gain and strength gains in May/June. You can still get those gains with a great offseason after track. That's what the summer weight room is for. The weight room doesn't develop "skills".

I'd rather have a 150 pound kid who can move, run, and hold up for 4 quarters than a 250 pound softy who isn't prepared to do any of the aforementioned but can bench press a house.

If you're arguing about the benefits of a kid's weight gain as opposed to the benefits of developing sports specific skills for football (toughness, tackling, leverage, footwork, etc) I'll argue with you until the cows come home.

OK, I'll get off of my soap box now.

I LOVE the physical aspects of wrestling and what it has to offer... I hate our wrestling coach and what he has athletes do to their bodies...

Our 165lb tailback dropped to 135 last wrestling season I watched him not eat, wear 4 layers to school every day, spit in a bottle all day on the day of a wrestling meet. I even expressed my concern to the coach and he looked at me like I was crazy. He was cut before he dropped the weight, and as far as I'm concerned never recovered. The first 3 games of the year couldn't make it through the full game because of cramping and other things. I witnessed the kid drink water like it was going out of style all week, and still cramped. Also, noticed that physically on the football field this year he was no better then he was last year. That wrestling season in my opinion truly set this kid back 1 year in a football mind.

It doesn't help things either that our wrestling coach weighs about 400 pounds and he's encouraging kids to cut weight... I will say if the right coach was in place, I would back the program 100%, but until then i'd rather have my kids lift weights all winter!