Tommy Owen and I were able to attend the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Leadership Academy August 1-2. We were honored to be selected. We had to complete 10 modules of education and get assessments from people who know our work before attending. At the Academy, we worked with a mentor, listened to speakers and worked in groups. No doubt, the academy helped us grow as people and coaches. We know it will help us as we lead the George Mason Wrestling program.
When the Leadership Academy ended, we attended the NWCA convention. Once again, we had a great opportunity to learn and meet with other wrestling coaches. The convention was first class. We heard some great speakers and were able to get work done as a collective group. I would highly recommend coaches from all levels (kids, high school, college, post collegiate and club) attend the event in the future. You will grow as a person and coach. It will also help your program.
We also announced our first recruiting class last week. If you want the details, you can find the press release at http://www.gomason.com. Recruiting takes lots of time, effort, and money. We worked hard. It is amazing how much time it takes and how much of that time seems to be wasted time. Nevertheless, it is time you must put in to get things done. Lots of recruiting is not cumulative. You have to put in the work each year. We will have a class of 10 newcomers.
As with all recruiting classes, you try to get guys you think will do well in your program. We tried to get guys who make good life decisions and who plan on getting their degree. We told them in order to make it in our program they will have to give us their best effort and have a great attitude. It won’t be easy, but it will be rewarding.
We have high hopes for the incoming class. A few years down the road, I hope we are able to brag about their development. They have the opportunity to do great things. I hope they take advantage of the opportunity.
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