Ionia Wrestling Expectations

  1. Expectations: The following is a list of expectations for participants in the Ionia High School Wrestling Program.
  2. Practice time
  3. Arrive to practice on time and ready (including dressed and appropriate shoes for the start of practice).
  4. Practice will start at 3:00 pm everyday (excluding meet days and Sundays).
  5. We will not enter the wrestling room prior to practice. The wrestling room is our designated work room. There will be no horse play, laughing, joking or misbehavior in the wrestling room. Once we step foot in the room its all business. We are serious, focused and determined to get the most out of the time we have in there. Any horseplay, or misbehavior in the wrestling room may result in your removal from the team. Once we enter the room you are expected to give 100% the entire practice.
  6. On the days that coaches have staff meetings (Mondays) you are expected to be at practice and ready at the usual time. The team captains will get you started with your conditioning and circuit.
  7. Practice will end no later than 4:30pm. In the event that there are discipline issues THE TEAM will work after 4:30pm (time dependant upon severity of the problem).
  8. Absences
  9. You are allowed absolutely ZERO unexcused absences.
  10. The coaches will decide if an absence is to be excused or not.
  11. Examples of excused absences would include: doctors appointments (with a doctors slip), family emergencies (with a note from home), illness (as long as it’s excused with the high school office), etc.
  12. Example of unexcused absences would include: missing practice for school related issues without getting authorization from the coaches, attending the DAWGS program without approval from the coaches, arriving 10 minutes late to practice without the coaches being aware of your circumstances.
  13. Any after school activity that interferes with wrestling MUST be decided upon by the coaches prior to the missed day. For example: if you are struggling in a class and need to go to DAWGS, you will not be excused from missing part of practice unless you make PRIOR arrangements with the coaches. You will not be allowed to go do DAWGS the day that you talk to the coaches about going to it. Be responsible and think ahead.
  14. If there is a legitimate emergency… call one of the coaches and explain the situation (we will ask for a note from home).
  15. Be a good wrestling partner… DO NOT be a lazy partner.
  16. When drilling, give the resistance that you would give in a match. It does your partner no good if you don’t give him match-like resistance.
  17. You should have the same exertion of energy being the offensive partner as the defensive partner.
  18. One thing that I DETEST to hear is “I CAN’T!’ simply don’t use those words.
  19. Self fulfilling prophecies- you will do what you think you can do. “I can’t” always turns out to be correct.
  20. Don’t give up… keep trying.
  21. Don’t walk on the mats with your street shoes. If you forget your shoes you can borrow a pair (for a price).
  22. Street shoes carry small particles of dirt that can put small cuts in the mat. Those cuts open up over time.
  23. We have newly reconditioned mats that should last us a long time as long as we take good care of them.
  24. ASK questions… if your having trouble with a skill ask for assistance from the coaches, that’s why we are here.
  25. We don’t know that you’re having trouble unless you let us know.
  26. If we are working with another group then you need to continue to drill until we can get to you. Do not stand around waiting for us to coach you.
  27. Go to the bathroom before practice starts (Do not ask to leave during Practice).
  28. Once in the practice room we are all business. If you leave the room the tendency is to loose that work ethic.
  29. We will not leave the room once in it until the work for the day is over.
  30. Use the restroom prior to practice beginning.
  31. Stay in the wrestling room unless directed to leave.
  32. See prior expectation
  33. ALWAYS display good sportsmanship.
  34. Above all things we will show class. We will win like men and loose like men. The important thing is that you learn from loses and don’t make the same mistake.
  35. Any athlete who shows poor sportsman ship is at risk of loosing their varsity letter, and being dismissed from the team.
  36. DO all of your wrestling related homework assignments. Including school work which always comes first.
  37. Don’t get upset if you don’t have instant success. Many great wrestlers struggled at first with the sport. They became great with hard work and refusing to give up.
  38. Keep the language clean… be gentlemen!
  39. Appearance: You are expected to show a school appropriate physical appearance.
  40. Varsity: On the days of meets you are expected to wear kaki or tan pants and your wrestling warm-up jacket.
  41. Junior Varsity: On the days of meets (even if you are not going to be competing) you are expected to dress up in a respectful manner. For example a collared shirt preferably of school colors and kaki or tan pants.
  42. Have fun!
  43. Varsity Letter Requirements
  44. To earn a varsity letter in wrestling you must earn 30 team points in varsity matches during the season and also finish the season in good standing. You earn points by placing in individual tournaments or winning matches in varsity dual meets.
  45. Athletes also have the opportunity to earn points toward their varsity letter (at the coaches discretion) for making weight every weight check.
  46. Athletes that are put on the weekly achievements poster will also have the opportunity to earn extra points toward their varsity letter.
  47. Practice Objectives/Expectations
  48. Practice: Practice is not play time! Once we set foot on that mat, our goal is to show and instruct wrestling techniques that will make Ionia Wrestling championship caliber.
  49. This instruction starts with the fundamentals in November, and will culminate in March at the Michigan High School State Finals.
  50. Practice is where we make mistakes and learn from those mistakes.
  51. Training to be a State Champion is accomplished by doing more drills, more wrestling, and very demanding conditioning.
  52. Our goal is to develop a finely tuned athlete to compete at the Regional and State Levels.
  53. Skills: Attacks and counter attacks as they relate to takedowns, pinning, reversals, and escapes. Basic and advanced techniques are covered, a lot of live wrestling, sparring and hands on instruction.

  1. Season Schedule
  2. November
  3. Rules/Positions
  4. Introduction Stance
  5. Defensive Sprawling
  6. Basic Takedowns
  7. Basic Riding
  8. Basic Turning
  1. December
  2. Stance
  3. Defensive Sprawling
  4. Responsive Defensive (Act-React)
  5. Basic Takedowns cont.
  6. Moderate Takedowns (putting multiple takedowns together)
  7. Basic Riding cont.
  8. Riding to turning
  9. Basic Turning
  1. January
  2. Refined Stance
  3. Defensive Sprawling
  4. Responsive Defensive (Act-React)
  5. Basic Takedowns cont.
  6. Advanced Riding
  7. Cheap tilts / advanced Turning
  1. February
  2. Preparation for district, regional, state tournaments
  3. Responsive Defensive (Act-React)
  4. Responsive Offence (Act-React)
  5. Advanced Riding
  6. Cheap tilts / advanced Turning
  1. March
  2. Preparation for state finals