We are going to offer a pre-season program for the upcoming folkstyle season. We will start Aug.27th @ Harlem High School 6-8 on Mondays and Wednesdays. Sunday @ East High School from 3-5. With the last practice on Nov.5th. The cost is $125 if you sign-up before Aug 20th and $175 after. The price includes the cost of your USA Wrestling card. For more information contact Jamie Crossno @ attritionwc@comcast.net or 815-871-3964

Why Wrestle Greco

By Steve Fraser

The way I see it is wrestling is wrestling! Upper body or lower body. To be the best wrestler you need to be good at all wrestling attacks and counters. Wrestling Greco Roman helped me tremendously in many areas of my wrestling. It allowed me to develop skills that I used in Freestyle and folkstyle.
Learning how to pummel was probably one of the biggest benefits I leaned from wrestling Greco. Pummeling enables you to set your opponent up for upper or lower body attacks. Pummeling enables you to get your opponent tired. Pummeling enables you to destroy your opponents offensive attack. Pummeling enables you to control your opponent. Pummeling enables you to burn seconds off the clock while still looking aggressive. Pummeling enables you to break your opponents mental and physical conditioning. Pummeling enables you to get in great position and keep your opponent in poor position. Pummeling enables you to set the pace of the match. It allows you to get momentum going in your favor or stop his momentum. All in all Pummeling is the actual wrestling of wrestling! It is the fight of wrestling!
I use pummeling to get my National Team in great wrestling shape. Pummel matches are a great exercise for wrestling conditioning.
The year I won the Olympic Gold Medal in Greco (1984) was the same year I won the US National Freestyle Championship. Like I stated earlier...wrestling is wrestling. Learn techniques, tactics and strategies in both upper and lower body attacks and you will be unstoppable!
"Expect to Win with Relentless Intensity"



In Conclusion:

The Old Folkstyle vs Freestyle Controversy

Surprisingly, there are still a number of old time high school wrestling coaches who promote the philosophy that somehow Freestyle wrestling will effect the performance of a Folkstyle wrestler. This opinion is usually offered by coaches who either don't understand Freestyle, or who don't want their wrestlers to be exposed to more progressive wrestling programs and techniques.
Rest assured virtually no modern NCAA champions, or for that matter local high school state champions, restrict themselves by only competing in Folkstyle. In fact (at least in Maryland), there are very few recent high school state champions that don't belong to a spring Freestyle club. Freestyle is close enough to Folkstyle that it can be learned sufficiently to participate in a couple of practices. Many wrestlers learn Freestyle simply by entering a tournament. Also, since the emphasis in Freestyle is on action rather than control, many Folkstyle wrestlers find they prefer the faster pace of Freestyle once they get used to it. Freestyle helps develop footwork, aggressiveness, balance, takedowns, and low attack techniques. It also incorporates a number of moves which are easily modified for Folkstyle use. In addition, if the wrestler also learns the Greco-Roman style, his throws and hip motion will drastically improve as well. Any coach who doesn't recognize the these benefits and won't endorse off-season Freestyle participation is holding his wrestlers back in the dark ages

WHAT WILL FREESTYLE WRESTLING DO FOR YOU?

1. Freestyle wrestling is Fun. It is very exciting, creative, and dynamic because you can score points from almost anywhere. You will receive more points for a spectacular throw, 5 points, than you do a normal takedown, 1 point. Freestyle takes less control of your opponent to score points. Flip him to his back and get two points. You don't even have to hold him on his back to score but if you do you will get more points. Throw a guy over your head, which is legal, and you will score 5 points for grand amplitude. Many wrestlers that we have spoke to love freestyle because its 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 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 30 matches in the freestyle season whom do you think is going to get better at a faster rate? More matches will improve your technique, skill, and mat strategy. More minutes on the mat = more wins. Are your high school or junior high opponents going to these tournaments and getting ahead of you? The best wrestlers in the state are going to these tournaments. Are you going?

3. Freestyle wrestling allows the best kids in the state a chance to compete against the best in the nation. Most of the best tournaments in the nation are freestyle wrestling. Now, with the addition of freestyle wrestling in our state, West Virginia wrestlers will be able to compete with the best in the nation.

4. Freestyle wrestling will increase your opportunity to earn a college wrestling scholarship. Because most of the NCAA Division I college coaches recruit at The Junior Nationals, a freestyle and Greco-Roman event in Fargo, ND, the need to learn and excel in freestyle wrestling, is even more important. Unless you are a multiple high school state champion from Pennsylvania, Ohio, or New York you will need to wrestle freestyle to gain 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 West Virginia, Arizona, or Nevada State champion your chances of getting a wrestling scholarship is minimal to none. Wrestle freestyle and increase your chances of earning a scholarship dramatically. We, at West Virginia University, need to know that you can compete against the best in the nation before we will feel comfortable offering you scholarship money. If you want to earn a scholarship to WVU learn to wrestle freestyle. We want wrestlers that want to wrestle beyond college to try to become World and Olympic Champions here at WVU. That helps our program. Freestyle and Greco Roman are the only wrestling done in the Olympic Games.


The time is now to learn freestyle wrestling. Whether you just want to improve your wrestling technique and skill, want to 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 the freestyle tournaments!

Coach Chad Vandiver made the Olympic Team trials this weekend. He won the Northern Plains Tournament @ 60 kilos. He will try to make the olympics this June in Las Vegas. So wish Chad luck if you get a chance.

I would like to thank the following businesses for there support:

Paymaster Pawn 1103 7th St. Rockford 815-964-7237

Car Biz Auto Credit 5705 N. 2nd Loves Park 815-637-2663

River Valley Kitchens And Baths,Inc 815-637-4001
www.rivervalleyKB.com

A Canine Creation Pet Grooming Winnebago, IL
815-335-3647

Rockford Billiard Cafe
www.RockfordBilliardCafe.com

Ultimate Fight Shop Upper Level Cherryvale Mall
815-332-7145
www.myspace.com/jesse_saldivar

Frank Giammarese @ 1st Step Mortgage
815-519-9335

Dr. Jon Strutzenberg
102 Landmark Dr.
Winnebago,IL
815-335-1016

Anna's Pizza and Pasta
101 S. Benton St.
Winnebago,IL
815-335-1065

Semevolos Flooring
815-985-0030

S&R Custom Homes
815-962-2896
www.snrhomes.com

Palmdale Farms
Jerry & Peggy
Tom & Melody

MDES Municipal Design and Environmental Services, Inc.
1475 S. Perryville Rd., Suite 100
Rockford

To provide a safe environment to learn the international styles of wrestling, Freestyle and Greco-Roman, by USA Wrestling certified coaches. As well as provide an opportunity to compete at the local, state, and national levels.

The direct link to our website is: http://www.totalleague.com/attritionwc.

Come back often for updates, news, and team progress.