Adjusting to a New Club or Coach

Change is inevitable in wrestling.

Each year offers something new and different: A new weight class, new workout partners, and new coaches. Others find themselves joining new teams or clubs and the great unknown that comes along with something new can create anxiety and trepidation about the season ahead. 

Those who are most successful view change as an opportunity, not a setback. Especially when working with a new coach or joining a new club.

Growth Mindset

It's important to have a growth mindset, says Chris Owens, Director of Wrestling Operations and National Team Coach for Idaho USA Wrestling. So if you are new to a club or team this year, be flexible, open-minded, and excited about the opportunity to learn from someone new.   

"Parents and coaches should encourage young wrestlers to get multiple experiences in different rooms and from different coaches," says Owens, a member of the USA Wrestling Coaches Council and longtime assistant coach at Boise State University. 

Joining a new club provides these benefits, says Owens:

• The ability to train/learn with different coaches/workout partners: "Access to different coaching philosophies will help build a strong foundation," says Owens. "Access to new/more training partners will provide the opportunity to learn different styles of wrestling and technique in different ways. There's rarely only one way to be successful.”

• Force you outside your comfort zone — providing both physical and mental training benefits. Training with new partners in a new room can also help one get over their fear of failure in the sport, says Owens. By joining a new club, you're trying something new. Now take that approach to the mat. Try new things. Fail. Retry. Succeed. Develop.

• Develop more friendships: By expanding your wrestling network, you simply meet more people and develop more friendships and relationships. 

• Meet others who want to succeed: "Raise the bar by being around others that have high-level goals in wrestling and life," says Owens. "Surround yourself with greatness."

• Prepare you for high school and college wrestling: When wrestlers get to high school or college, coaching staffs often change, especially the assistants. By learning from a variety of coaches at a young age, wrestlers will be prepared for these changes as they advance in the sport. 

When joining a new club or learning from a new coach, first impressions are key, says Bior Guigni, Executive Director, Boston Youth Wrestling and Beat the Streets Boston. 

"Show up on time, be ready, and come to learn," says Guigni. "Be coachable. You will always encounter new opportunities and coaches in life, never stop being a student of the sport. Come with a growth mindset. Everyone has something to offer if you are willing to learn."

Erin Vandiver, Girls Head Wrestling Coach at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pennsylvania, agrees. 

"Be respectful, know that it takes time to build trust," says Vandiver. “Be open and positive. Ask a lot of questions that are productive and conducive to learning and growing." 

Fresh Start

A new club is a chance for a fresh, new start. If there were issues/challenges at your last club, leave those issues behind says Josh Nolan, Owner of Silver State Wrestling Academy in Reno/Sparks and Carson City, Nevada.

"Don’t bring in any drama," says Nolan. "Whether it is from another club you are coming from or your high school situation, the new club and coaches are a chance to start fresh. If the staff sees you as a problem or someone who brings in unneeded drama it will hurt the relationship from the start." 

Do Your Research

Nolan spent several years working with the Legends of Gold Wrestling Club in Beresford, South Dakota, before starting his new club in Nevada in the summer of 2020. Before joining a new club, Nolan recommends checking out the club website and social media pages to learn as much as possible. For example, the Silver State Wrestling Academy website shares the Academy Code of Conduct, a program overview, training options, background and bio info on the coaching staff, links to the program social media pages, and much more. 

"Check out the club/coaches social media," says Nolan. "With social media being used by coaches and clubs more and more, it is very easy to have a solid understanding of what to expect before stepping in to the room to train."

Before joining any club, parents/wrestlers should set up a meeting with the club coaches. Ask questions, such as these, says Nolan:

• What are the club’s/coaches' expectations?
• How do you hold the athletes and families accountable?
• What do club members need to do to be successful?
• How can you help me reach my goals?

"Do your research, understand the club and coaches' values, and how it aligns with yours," says Guigni. 

A clear understanding of expectations, club goals, rules, safety protocols, coaching style, and practice structure is also important.

"Know what is expected of the athletes and what you should expect from the coach," says Vandiver. "Always talk with your coaches and know best practices for communicating outside the wrestling room." 

Be excited about the new opportunity — set goals and work towards them. Know there may be an adjustment period (including an adjustment for the coaches building that relationship with the new wrestler) but in the long run, that adjustment period can be the change needed to grow as a wrestler. 

"A new perspective can often make us feel uncomfortable and make us want to revert to habits that we are used to," says Nolan. "But it's important to remember that you are at this new club for a reason and that anything making you feel uncomfortable is probably challenging you and will make you better in the long run. This will also help the staff see that you are coachable and willing to listen and get better." 

And finally, parents and wrestlers should work to become an asset for the club and sport. Volunteer when needed. Help out when you can. Be a part of the new family. 

"Give back and help others with the transition," says Guigni. "By giving back, you become an asset."