MR TWISTER
01-15-2009, 11:00 PM
http://www.illinoismatmen.com/images/wrestlers/dennis_daniel.gifBy Andre’ Morgan
Premiumpreps.com / illinoismatmen.com
While at the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, I talked with a few selected Illinois wrestlers that wrestle for various teams around the United States. I became interested in what differences they had noticed in high school and college wrestlers. I am doing a series of feature articles on this subject.
A complete story of all of their answers can be found on premiumpreps.com in the next week but for my friends here at illinoismatmen.com here is a sample of their thoughts.
Daniel Dennis - Iowa (Grant ’05) 3x All State, 2x State Finalist, 2x Starter @ Iowa, Midlands Champion, 2008 NCAA Team Champion, 2x National Dual Team Champion, ranked # 1 @ 133 lbs.
1. What are the differences you have noticed between h.s. and college wrestling?
“The difference in college and high school wrestling for a freshman can be very straining mentally. In high school you cannot wrestle your best and still dominate. In college consistency is so important. Match after match, day after day, week after week consistency is quite a task and being able to do that is tough on a freshman.”
2. In what ways do you train different from the way you did in h.s.?
“There is not as much working on technique in college. I don’t want it to sound like we did not work hard in high school because my coach (Ryan Giest) is an excellent coach. It is just different in college because we spend so much time on live wrestling – like maybe an hour to hour and a half on wrestling live.”
3. Were you prepared for the college level coming out of h.s.?
“My high school coaches were great but in college the coaches job is to be dedicated to improve their wrestlers. They are not a coach slash history teacher. All they do is coach wrestling and it helps us improve by a lot.”
4. Describe the differences in the coaching and officiating in college?
The officials let you scramble more. They tend to let the scramble play out. Potentially dangerous does not get called as much either which is a good thing because the college wrestler is lot more polished. High school refs are more protective of high school wrestlers.
5. What differences in the team aspect do you notice between h.s. and college?
In high school kids are just doing wrestling to do it. Wrestling is something to do in the winter. Everyone in college is focused on wrestling. The person you train with, your back up and the kid you wrestle in competition are committed to wrestling. It’s their job and scholarships are on the line.”
6. How good is Illinois wrestling compared to the wrestlers from other states you face?
“There are a lot of talented wrestlers in Illinois”, said Dennis. “I have wrestled a lot of kids from other states. High school means nothing once you get in the college room. There are four time state champs all over but it has proven itself over and over that we are one of the best states. Illinois wrestlers on all levels of college wrestling have proven that they can compete.”
7. Describe balancing the academics and athletics of college versus h.s.?
“I think handling the classroom varies from person to person. I focus as much as I can on wrestling when I am wrestling but being able to balance practice and college classes is the key. Time management is so important. You learn how to use an alarm clock because your parents are not there to remind you to go to school.”
Premiumpreps.com / illinoismatmen.com
While at the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, I talked with a few selected Illinois wrestlers that wrestle for various teams around the United States. I became interested in what differences they had noticed in high school and college wrestlers. I am doing a series of feature articles on this subject.
A complete story of all of their answers can be found on premiumpreps.com in the next week but for my friends here at illinoismatmen.com here is a sample of their thoughts.
Daniel Dennis - Iowa (Grant ’05) 3x All State, 2x State Finalist, 2x Starter @ Iowa, Midlands Champion, 2008 NCAA Team Champion, 2x National Dual Team Champion, ranked # 1 @ 133 lbs.
1. What are the differences you have noticed between h.s. and college wrestling?
“The difference in college and high school wrestling for a freshman can be very straining mentally. In high school you cannot wrestle your best and still dominate. In college consistency is so important. Match after match, day after day, week after week consistency is quite a task and being able to do that is tough on a freshman.”
2. In what ways do you train different from the way you did in h.s.?
“There is not as much working on technique in college. I don’t want it to sound like we did not work hard in high school because my coach (Ryan Giest) is an excellent coach. It is just different in college because we spend so much time on live wrestling – like maybe an hour to hour and a half on wrestling live.”
3. Were you prepared for the college level coming out of h.s.?
“My high school coaches were great but in college the coaches job is to be dedicated to improve their wrestlers. They are not a coach slash history teacher. All they do is coach wrestling and it helps us improve by a lot.”
4. Describe the differences in the coaching and officiating in college?
The officials let you scramble more. They tend to let the scramble play out. Potentially dangerous does not get called as much either which is a good thing because the college wrestler is lot more polished. High school refs are more protective of high school wrestlers.
5. What differences in the team aspect do you notice between h.s. and college?
In high school kids are just doing wrestling to do it. Wrestling is something to do in the winter. Everyone in college is focused on wrestling. The person you train with, your back up and the kid you wrestle in competition are committed to wrestling. It’s their job and scholarships are on the line.”
6. How good is Illinois wrestling compared to the wrestlers from other states you face?
“There are a lot of talented wrestlers in Illinois”, said Dennis. “I have wrestled a lot of kids from other states. High school means nothing once you get in the college room. There are four time state champs all over but it has proven itself over and over that we are one of the best states. Illinois wrestlers on all levels of college wrestling have proven that they can compete.”
7. Describe balancing the academics and athletics of college versus h.s.?
“I think handling the classroom varies from person to person. I focus as much as I can on wrestling when I am wrestling but being able to balance practice and college classes is the key. Time management is so important. You learn how to use an alarm clock because your parents are not there to remind you to go to school.”