IT'S NOT TO LATE

You can still register on line or come to practice on Monday at 4:00pm or 5:30pm

NOTE: WE MAY CHANGE THE STARTING TIMES FOR THE CLASSES IF NEEDED. MAYBE FROM 4:00PM TO 4:30PM.

On October 8th Wrestling Thunder Club is coming to the area. Coach Burdett the new head coach at Westlake High School and is committed to building a great wrestling tradition. A major building block is developing a strong youth wrestling program. On the 8th of Oct. you can come to Westlake and register at the north/east school entrance. You can also sign up at wrestlingthunder.com. Wrestling will start on Oct. 12 and 13th. We want the kids to have a great experience so we are limiting each class to 30 wrestlers. Coach Burdett will be the head coach and will have additional coaches and high school wrestlers helping. The following is some additional information
Jr. Thunder
• Starts in October 12th, 13th and runs for 4 weeks
• Kids ages K through 8
• Cost is $65 which includes T-Shirt
• Prizes will be given out weekly for different accomplishments
• Practice two nights a week for 1 1/2 hours
• 4 sessions are available and only 30 wrestlers per session.
• M, W 4:00 – 5:30, 5:30 – 7:00, T, TH 4:00 – 5:30, 5:30 – 7:00
• Introduction to wrestling, some limited competition
• Need: A good attitude and lots of energy
Each Friday all classes will get together and wrestle.

Conditioning

Monday the 28th Coach Cody Burdet and Coach Ric Thomson will run a conditioning program to prepare for the up coming wrestling season. Monday, Wednesday, Friday we will lift weights. On Tuesday and Thursday we will do some buddy conditioning on the mat. We will be using the weight lifting program that the Iowa Wrestling team uses. Any football players interested needs to talk to your coaches to make sure this works in with your football training.
Coach Burdett
Westlake Wrestling is looking for a few good men
No Guts /No Glory

Riding - Ankle Lift

This is an nice riding move that gets us in a position to score back points.

Put More Time Into Defensive Wrestling by Cary Kolat

I'm all for offensive wrestling and I want everyone I coach to put points on the board but I don't want to just win matches, I want to win championships.

The Europeans approach the sport differently and it gives them an advantage. We have trained ourselves falsely to look at defensive wrestling as a lack of guts, lack of hard work, even a lack of character on the part of the wrestler that chooses a defensive style.

I can wrestle any style I choose to wrestle. I can be on the attack, I can run the middle road and shift gears offense to defense, or I can be total defense. most defensive wrestlers like to frustrate opponents and get them to force action and then capitalize on their mistakes with counter offenses. this is their game and this is where americans fall short in international competition against the best wrestlers in the world.

Not that I like to remember these days, but when I was in college wrestling in open competitions John Fisher consistently beat me with a defensive wrestling strategy. John would sit back and look for mistakes while I continued to press the action. Each time I lost to him the bout was 1-0 or 0-0 at about the 3-minute point. Eventually I got so frustrated and tired that I made the mistake of forcing action. John Fisher was an experienced wrestler on the senior level and he understood defensive wrestling and how to use it to his advantage to take me out of my comfort zone.

Defensive wrestling or counter offensive wrestling, however you refer to it, is very important in high-level competition. This strategy will apply to all athletes with few exceptions, maybe John Smith (6x World Champion) or Satiev (9x World Champion) are extraordinary competitors with a total offense style. But even Satiev was beaten by Brandon Slay of the USA in the 2000 Olympics with Brandon’s defensive strategy. In international competition on the open level this strategy must be studied.

Wrestler 1 spends: 80% of his time on offensive wrestling and 20% on defensive wrestling. He works on 50 different takedowns offensively and then your normal sprawl, stance, re-shot. Offensively there are so many attacks on your feet and set-ups that it takes years to master these and perfect them.

Wrestler 2 spends: 80% of his time on counter offensive wrestling and 20% on true offensive wrestling. He focuses training on defending the shot and then countering the attack. He spends this time on his stance, sprawl, and the other elements of defense, which are not as hard to grasp as the offensive positions. His offensive 20% is focused on the high crotch, double, single, and snap & spin. These are the same moves he will use in his counter offensive wrestling.

The elements of defensive wrestling are so much easier to master than the offensive elements. What if wrestler 1 & 2 are even when it comes to speed, balance and strength. If they both start wrestling tomorrow and prepare to compete against each other in 6 months, who will win? To be fair, lets say that wrestler 1 is only going to focus on 20 moves on his feet. Wrestler 2 has built his defense and focused his re-shots on the same techniques he used in his offensive training. So wrestler 2 can focus more time on wearing you down, frustrating you, defending leg attempts and re-shooting.

How many repetitions does wrestler 1 have spread over 20 shots for 6 months? Has he really mastered all 20 shots? I don't think there would be a drastic difference between these two wrestlers and if they wrestled 10 matches I think it's 6-4 in favor of the defensive wrestler (it’s my blog so I'm winning this argument) being all things equal when they start. If 3-2 represents the score of one match then you stopped one takedown in there during the bout and scored one more of your own on counter offense, winning the championship. Does it really matter if you win the World, Olympic, or NCAA title by a 2-point margin or one takedown?

How do you shift gears and build into both an offensive and defensive wrestler? You build offense over years, not in a season, not in months, and not overnight. If you learn to shoot a single with two set-ups then you have two single legs not just a single. Next season, you add three more set-ups and now you have five singles. You get the point and this is true for all your offensive takedowns.

When I created KOLAT.COM a friend who has more NCAA titles than me (I won't mention his name) said, "how does your single leg series have 75 clips in it?" I gave him the breakdown that I just gave you in the paragraph above and he understood. He already knew this but needed to be reminded. Wrestling comes easy to some of us and we don’t think of it in terms of a different takedown with each set-up but that is truly what it is when you change the set-up or as they say, "there is more than one way to skin a cat."

This article is meant for those who are interested in aiming for the highest level of wrestling competition on a world stage. It will be beneficial to all wrestlers, but if you are attempting to become one of the best in the world, defense wins the championships.

Now don't read this blog and run out and change your training to 80/20 on the defensive side. But do take note and realize that defense is an integral part of the sport. If you are a beginner wrestler in the sport 80/20 might be a good rule for you to get started in the competition and then begin building your offense over time. If they can't score on you, it's going to be really tough to beat you!

cary kolat

The key to a successful takedown is to start with a good setup. All three videos highlight a setup. Watch how the setups create the opening for the takedown.

Arm Drag

Elbow Control

Push - Pull an Go

MOVE to MOVE to SCORE

We need to have a number one move but when it gets stopped we are then ready to follow it with our other number one move. MOVE to MOVE to MOVE to SCORE

Wanted: Volunteers

For the upcoming Wrestling Season we are looking for anyone interested in wrestling to help out with both Jr. Thunder Wrestling and Westlake HS Wrestling. We need volunteer coaches and help generally with building the program. Please contact Coach Burdett if you are interested.

Wrestling Meeting

All students interested in wrestling will be invited for donuts in the wrestling room on September 15. We will discuss the upcoming season. Any person interested in helping with the team please come as well.

Twister Video

This is a great move, you set it up by trying a cement mixer and as he reacts you go the other way. This move become popular when a college wrestler used it to pin several of his opponents. In college he had 104 win with 64 wins by pin. To make this move safe, grab the hand from under the chin and then roll.

Mental toughness

What is Mental Toughness and how to Develop It?

David Yukelson, Ph.D., Coordinator of Sport Psychology Services
Morgan Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes, Penn State University
What is Mental Toughness? Quotes from Penn State Student-Athletes:

“Mental toughness is doing whatever is necessary to get the job done including handling the demands of a tough workout, withstanding pain, or touching an opponent out at the end of a race.”
– Jennifer Eberst, Women’s Swimming& Diving

"You can't be a good swimmer without being mentally tough. You wouldn't make it through a single workout if you weren't. Swimmers must have the mental ability to let go of what their body feels and focus on the race, their stroke, or anything else that helps them finish the race."
– Sally Anderson, Women's Swimming & Diving

"Mental toughness is not letting anyone break you." – Jimi Mitchell, Football

“Mental toughness is not being affected by anything but what’s going on in the game or competition no matter what coaches, other players, or refs are doing. It’s being able to block out what’s not important.”
– Jenny Brenden, Women’s Basketball

Definition: Mental toughness is having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to:
Generally cope better than your opponents with the many demands (e.g., competition, training, lifestyle) that are placed on you as a performer. Specifically, to be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, resilient, and in control under pressure (Jones et al, 2002)

Key psychological characteristics associated with mentally tough elite athletes
Jones et al (2002):
• Self-Belief:
Having an unshakable belief in your ability to achieve competition goals
Unique qualities that make you better than your opponents.
• Motivation:
Having an insatiable desire and internalized motivation to succeed (you really got to want it)
Ability to bounce back from performance setbacks with increased determination to succeed.
• Focus:
Remain fully focused on the task at hand in the face of competition-specific distractions
Able to switch f affected by others performance or your own internal distractions (worry, negative mind chatter)
• Composure/Handling Pressure:
Able to regain psychological control following unexpected evenor distractions
Thriving on the pressure of competition (embracing pressure, stepping into the moment)
Accept that anxiety is inevitable in competition and know you can cope with it

Key component of mental toughness is learning how to condition your mind to think confidently and be able to overcome frustration/self-critical negativity (reframe self-talk into what it is you want to occur)

• Yukelson Nugget: Don’t allow frustration to undermine your confidence or focus
Importance of Being Positive:

“You can program yourself to be positive. Being Positive is a discipline … and the more adversity you face, the more positive you have to be. Being positive helps build confidence and self-esteem”
Rick Pitino, University of Louisville Head Basketball Coach

Developing Mental Toughness
1. Starts with the right attitude and state of mind (know what your core confidence is all about):
• Confidence comes in knowing your are prepared and having an unshakable belief in your abilities to reach intended goals
• Also linked to mentality of being a “Competitive Warrior”
• Jerry Lynch (2002): “Confidence is about who puts it on the line, who has the courage to compete like a warrior without fear of failure”
• Courage to leave it all out on the athletic field, play with heart, determination, and full focus

2. Program your mind for success ahead of time with positive affirmations and expectations
• Expect the best from yourself; affirm what it is you are going to do to be successful
o Confident goal oriented statements starting with “I will, I can, I am going to…”)
o Focus on those things you want to occur, rather than things you’re afraid might go wrong
• Script Success: Visualize yourself performing the way you want (confident, energized, full focus)

3. Routinize Your Behaviors: Develop a systematic pre-performance routine that clicks on desired mental-emotional state of mind (practice, pre-game, competition)
• Practice (once you walk through the gate, you commit yourself to giving it everything you have the entire practice – this includes making a commitment to listening, learning, executing skills/drills with precision and full focus)
• Pre-game competition – develop a systematic routine for engineering the environment and getting yourself ready
• During Competition (once you walk b/w the lines, you are committing yourself to being mentally tough and a great competitor throughout the entire game).

4. Poise and Composure: learn how to let go of mistakes quickly if things do not go the way you want
• Key part of mental training is about compensating, adjusting, and trusting
• If plan A does not work, go to plan B or C
• Use of “Focal Points” are effective to help focus attention back onto task at hand
• Be persistent and mentally tough, don’t allow frustration to undermine your confidence/focus

5. Take control of Negative Self-Talk: Reframe “stinking thinking” into positive task oriented suggestions
• Starts with awareness of situations that cause you to get frustrated, rushed, intimidated, lose focus – then reframe the negativity into positive, mentally tough self-suggestions:
• Basketball: Instead of “I can’t hit that shot if my life depended on it”, let go, reframe it back into something more positive and task oriented “get a good look at the basket, see it, feel it, trust it”
• Baseball pitcher pressing, “I can’t get my change up working today”, reframe it, step off the rubber, breathe, refocus, visualize the feel of good release point and follow through, say to yourself “this one is going to drop off the shelf”
• Field Hockey player consumed w/negative thoughts, worried about messing up “This girl is so quick, I can’t shake her”, reframe -“win the tackle, aggressive to the ball, do the simple”
• Ineffective outside hitter in volleyball – “keep bringing it, aggressive swings, read and react, fly to the ball”

6. Look at failure as a stepping stone for future achievement:
Champions approach to overcoming adversity: Play to win as opposed to fear making mistakes
He missed 9000 shots, missed 26 game winning shots, lost 300 games - Michael Jordan, NBA 6 time World Champion “I failed over and over, that is why I succeed”
• Focus on the process of competing well, winning will take care of itself

7. Be a difference maker, step up and have a peak performance when it matters the most

Self-Reflective Assignment: Sustaining Self-Belief – Preparing for Future Events:
In the foreseeable future, what things are likely to affect your confidence and self-belief?
What will you do about it?

Russan Wrestling

This is one of the best examples of never giving up in a scramble. A persistent wrestler can often beat a more talented or more experienced wrestler.

Reshot

We will be working hard on the reshot.

Schedule

Our wrestling schedule is complete. We are going to have three home duals and three away duels. We will be going to five tournaments not counting Region and State. In December we will go to two dual tournaments which means we will wrestle as a team and progress in the brackets as a team. These are nice because each wrestler will get as many as five matches a day win or lose.
In December we will have three double elimination tournaments. These will help prepare us for the Region and State. The Rocky Mountain Tournament is at UVU and will simulate the State tournament as close as you can get.
It will be FUN.
Coach Burdett

Twister

Westlake Wrestling Calendar

Funk 1 / Front Headlock to Spin

Essentials to Becoming a Champion

By Warren Applegate

1. Be academically eligible. If you are you aren't allowed to compete you can't be a champion no matter how good you are.

2. Be strong enough to not be over-powered by any opponent. It isn't necessary to be the strongest wrestler, but it helps. You need enough upper body strength to neutralize your strongest opponent's attempts to over power you.

3. Be in as good or better condition than any of your opponents. Being able to wrestle as hard the last 10 seconds of the match as the first 10 seconds is very important Countless numbers of matches in the NCAA tournament have been settled by someone getting a takedown or escape just before time ran out.

4. Have a superior leg attack defense. The highest percentage takedowns are leg attacks i.e. single leg, double leg, high crotch, Ankle pick, inside and outside fireman's carry. If you can stop all of the takedown attempts of any opponent you can wrestle more aggressively.

5. Have a superior defense on bottom. You cannot get ridden for more than 15 seconds if you want to be a successful college wrestler. A inside leg standup is probably the most common escape used at the college level. You also can't let your opponent break you down or turn you for a nearfall or pin.

6. Master a leg attack series. A single leg or double leg takedown should be the first takedown you master.

7. Master a breakdown/ride. It is important to be able to control your opponent on the mat. In many cases it will be necessary to win by 1 point. In college riding time frequently determines who wins the match.

8. Master a pinning combination series. Half nelsons, cradles, chicken wings, etc. You need to know how to set up your opponent so he'll fall into a pin hold before he realizes it.

9. There will be times when there is less than one minute left in a match and you are trailing by 3 or more points. In these situations a leg takedown isn't going to win the match for you, it will only make the score closer. You need a 5-point move from the down and neutral position in these situations. This is when it is time to pull something out of your "bag of tricks". It will be a move that is fundamentally sound, but is not frequently seen by most wrestlers.

10. Last, but certainly not least is mental toughness. In my opinion wrestling is 90 percent mental. The successful wrestlers in college or at the world level are pretty equal in terms of technical skills. Occasionally there will be one superior athlete compared to the others. However, it usually comes down to the wrestler who wants to win the most that determines the outcome of a match. I've seen wrestlers who weren't as good as athletes as other wrestlers, but they found ways to win. A wrestling match is a test of "wills", if you keep constant pressure on your opponent throughout the entire match eventually almost all of them will give up at some point, because they are exhausted physically and/or mentally.

Underhook to Double - Duck to Throw

Fundraiser

August 11: Westlake Atheltics Department is hosting a golf tournament . It'll be a 4-player scramble starting at 2 pm at Talon's Cove in Saratoga Springs. The cost is $250 per FOURSOME, not per person. There will be prizes for winners and snacks and gifts for all. To register, call Coach Lou Andrus at (801) 836-5687 or Mike O'Connor at (801) 367-3941. Make sure they mention that they were referred by Thunder Wrestling

August 14: Westlake Athletics Department is hosting a Dinner Auction at the school in conjunction with the Open House. Cafe Rio will provide dinner foe $10 and there will be an auction. The items we're going to auction will be provided by each sports team. Any profit from donated items will go into the wrestling.. Any item donated must be submitted by the first of August. Go to school web page for more information.

THE LOSS THAT MADE THE MAN

On Saturday, March 28, 1970, Dan Gable of Iowa State lost to Larry Owings of the University of Washington in the 142-pound weight class at the 1970 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Evanston, Ill. Gable, a senior, entered the match with a perfect career record of 181-0-0 through high school and college.

In chemistry class, he wrote scouting reports in his notebook: height, weight and record of his next opponent; lists of the guy's tendencies; stick-figure sketches of moves and counters. He marked time between one match and the next the way they do at Cape Canaveral. The countdown began when the referee held up his arm after a win. Every second, every day, every gesture and ritual from that moment on ticked him closer to zero hour: The next time the whistle blew. No variation. No distractions.

Dan Gable, right, had a leg up on every wrestler he faced ... until the final match of his collegiate career.

Gable's older sister, Diane, had been murdered when he was a high school sophomore. He knew who had done it even before the police told him. He'd had a bad feeling about the guy. Maybe if he'd said something earlier, he could have saved her. He couldn't bring her back. He could only wrestle. "I was wrestling to recover, to lift my family up somehow," he says. "I thought every match could make things a little better." No variation. No distractions.

And then, with one match to go, he wavered. Three days before the final, he read a headline: Owings said he had come to the tournament to beat him. Gable never read headlines. Why now? Two nights before the match, he attended a banquet in which he was honored as wrestling's man of the year. He never went to banquets. He didn't care about awards. Why now? In his early matches in the tournament, he found himself glancing up, eyeballing Owings on another mat. He never looked anywhere but straight through the heart of his opponent. Why now?

Thirty minutes before the final, when he should have been going through his routine, 10-9-8 ..., he was taping a television interview, stumbling through takes in which he looked into the camera and tempted the fates: "Hi, I'm Dan Gable. Come watch me finish my career 182-0." Why now? And on the mat with Owings, even when he had a lead midway through the third period, he heard conversations going on in the crowd, noticed people moving in the stands. He was elsewhere. Why now?

"I don't know. I got caught up. I got distracted," he says. "I wasn't doing anything the way I normally would, and I'm really not sure why." Maybe he got a little full of himself. Maybe he hadn't made Owings a goal, a target, the way Owings had focused on him. Maybe the pressure to win every single time out (he had gone undefeated in winning three consecutive Iowa state titles at West Waterloo High School, too: 64-0) finally broke something inside him. Maybe the weight of Diane's memory was something he had to finally put down. It could have been all these things, he thought.

Washington's Larry Owings, left, was the only wrestler who ever felt what it was like to have his hand raised against Gable.

He stood there on the mat, watching Owings' hand go up. Can't even remember if he said anything to him. Didn't know what to do. There was no way to mark time now. No next match. No countdown. He was lost. The guilt hit him in waves, first for letting his family down by losing, and then, all over again, for letting harm come to his sister. "I didn't know until then how connected they were in my mind," he says.

The drive back to campus was quiet. He couldn't speak. Had no idea what to say. He walked into Beyer Hall, the recreation center at Iowa State, went up to the wrestling room and found someone who would get down on the mat with him. No variation. No distractions. "I was still good," he says. "That kind of shocked me. It made me know I could go on."

He went on to win at the World Freestyle Championships in 1971. In 1972, he won an Olympic gold medal in Munich. And beginning in 1976, he became the most successful coach in the history of collegiate sports, leading the University of Iowa to 15 NCAA titles and 21 consecutive Big Ten crowns.

The losses, first Diane and then the match to Owings, made him. He didn't just go on, he got better. That was the hardest part, he says. The focus came at such a high price, with so much hurt underneath.

You ask him: What is perfection? What has it meant to chase it for so long?

He's still in pursuit, he says: "If I could figure out how I could have gone back and saved Diane, and how I could have gone back and not had that loss in that tournament, and still gone on to be the same person I am today, that would be perfect."

Eric Neel is a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.

Off Season Training

Season is Coming to a Close, Now What? Author: Steven Hoffmann

The season is coming to a close and the freestyle season is beginning, and many ask, “what should I do if I want to do better next year?” Should you continue competing throughout the freestyle season, or should you take a break and come back again fresh next fall? Maybe you should spend the spring and summer focused on strength training. Maybe you should attend camps and clinics to learn new technique. What really is the best thing to do in spring and summer to become a champion?

Well, when I was in kids wrestling, there was no “folk style” season. My season began in February and ended in July. I usually then took a break until September or October and then simply had daily “practices” and “workouts” until it began again in February the following year. In high school, I would end my high school season and almost immediately begin freestyle and Greco-Roman competition. Maybe I might take a week or two off completely, but most likely I would still go out for a jog or do some weight lifting.

I would try to attend at least 2 camps and maybe 2 or 3 clinics every single year. I felt it was absolutely vital to my success to try and learn as much about the technique of wrestling as I could. Maybe I wouldn’t use everything I learned, although most of it I actually was able to add to my abilities through effective visualization and drilling, but it would also show me all the possibilities out there so that I could be prepared for almost anything when I got on the mat with any opponent.

I learned early on that it was possible to win the vast majority of matches simply by knowing techniques that your opponents did not know, or did not know well enough. If they were unfamiliar with the technique, it was unlikely they would be able to effectively counter it. I recall that before my junior year in high school, I obtained a video on the “half-nelson series”. Now, I know EXACTLY what you are thinking… Half-nelson?

Yes, I learned the half-nelson when I was 8 years old. In fact, it was the first move I ever learned. But this was a whole new series of how to use leverage and angles to effectively apply the half-nelson at a higher level. I worked on the series throughout the off-season, and when the season started, I began using it in my matches. One-by-one I was able to score and pin opponent after opponent with a simple half nelson because no one had ever seen it applied in this way. No one knew how to effectively counter it.

This is a huge advantage that you can gain over your competition in the off season. I highly suggest camps, clinics, training videos, books, or whatever you can do to increase your knowledge of wrestling techniques while in the off season. But this is not enough by a long shot. In my opinion, off season competition is vital for anyone who wished great improvement and success. Does this mean you can’t be a State Champion without wrestling freestyle? No. It has been done and will be done again. Will your chances by 100 times higher if you wrestle freestyle? There is no question. I cannot think of a single wrestler that was on the first string with me at the University of Wisconsin, nor one single wrestler that was first string in any division I school that did not wrestle freestyle in the “off season”. Competition makes you better. Period!

Finally, what about the other stuff like drilling and weight lifting? This is what I did on MY real off season. In that time from August to about October, I spent my time increasing muscle mass, keeping in good condition with nice easy 3 or 4 mile jogs, and drilling. Most of the drilling I did was through visualization, which is a whole other topic for another post, but I would also drill against an invisible opponent on our mats in our garage, or even get with my buddies maybe once a week to drill and go over the new techniques we had learned.

Bottom line, champions are not champions from November to February. I never stopped wrestling. I stopped competing for a while. Maybe slowed down. I would take the pressure off by just having nice easy practices, or just lie down on a lawn chair while getting a tan and visualize for an hour or so. But I always had one simple thing nagging me in the back of my mind:

While I am drilling these new techniques, or visualizing, or lifting weights, or going to camps… While I am doing all these things, my opponents are eating ice cream and playing video games. And when next season comes, I will be the one getting my hand raised, and they will be wondering why they weren’t able to compete with me.

Even to this day, some 15 years after my last competition, I smile when I think about that. If you are smiling too, then you know the answers to the questions I raised at the start of this post.

Be the Champion, and everyone will be dumbfounded trying to figure out how the heck you did it. Good Luck!

FOOTBALL AND WRESTLING

YOU CANNOT IGNORE THE CONNECTION! WRESTLING CAN AND WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER FOOTBALL PLAYER. THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL SKILLS YOU DEVELOP IN WRESTLING WILL MAKE YOU BETTER ON THE FIELD.

10 GREAT REASONS FOOTBALL PLAYERS SHOULD WRESTLE:

1. Learn to set and accomplish goals.

2. Improve strength.

3. Improve agility.

4. Improve mental toughness (maintain your competitive edge).

5. Learn to stay low and drive through your opponent.

6. The best wrestler get’s the spot.

7. Improve dedication.

8. Improve motivation.

9. Improve flexibility.

10. No favorites.

NFL PLAYERS THAT WRESTLED (AND THESE ARE JUST THE ONES WE KNOW OF):



Alex Stepanovich
Nick Leckey - TX State Champ
Gregory Walker - State Finalist
Jonathan Condo
Zachary Wilson
Chris Laskowski Luis Castillo, DT, San Diego Chargers (First Round Pick)
Lincoln "Drew" Hodgdon, C, Houston Texans - CA State Champ
Nick Hardwick
Fred Weary, C, Houston Texans - AL State Champ
Coy Wire, SS, Buffalo Bills - PA State Champ
Kevin Breedlove - SC State Finalist
Kevin Sampson - NJ State Champ
Benjamin Claxton - GA State Finalist
Trevor Johnson
Clinton "C.J." Brooks, Jr.
Tai Tupai
Leon Robinson - GA State Runner-Up
Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons - 2x SC State Champ (First Round Pick)
Eric Ghiaciuc, C, Cincinatti Bengals - MI State Champ
Joey Hildbold
Adam Seward, ILB, Carolina Panthers - NV State Champ
Cody Johnson
Rodney Michael
Marques Harris - CO State Champ
Larry Turner
Andrew "Tyler" Lenda - District Champ
Tim Anderson - OH State Champ
Tony Pape
Matt Roth - IA State Champ
Mike Patterson, DT, Philadelphia Eagles (First Round Pick)
David Pollack
Tim Burrough - OK State Champ
Antoineo Harris - IL State Champ
Claude Harriott
Scott Wells - TN State Champ
Alex Lewis - District Cham
Ronnie Brown, RB, Miami Dolphins (#2 Pick)
Rodney Leisle
Nick Newton
Sean Tufts
Brian Save
Kevin Atkins
Josh Minkins - District Runner-up
Tim Euhus
Andrew Tidwell-Neal - MN State Champ
Renaldo Works
Patrick "Bucky" Bab**** - IL State Champ
Morgan Pears
Art Baker, RB, Buffalo Bills
Rhonde Barber, SS, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tiki Barber, RB, New York Giants
Walter Barnes, DL, Washington Redskins - SEC Champ
Eric Bateman, OL, New York Jets
Harris Benton
Brad Benson, New York Giants – PA State Champ
Ryon Bingham – Utah State Champion for Alta High
Greg Boone, RB, Oakland Raiders
Jeff Bostic*, C, Washington Redskins – SC State Champ
Tedy Bruschi*, ILB, New England Patriots
Phil Bryant, Philadelphia Eagles – 2x National Prep Champ
Ralph Cindrich, Houston Oilers – PA State Runner-Up
Jonathan Condo, LS, Dallas Cowboys - PA State Champ, Dapper Dan Champ
Tom Cousineau*, LB, Cleveland Browns – 3rd State
Tom Covert*, OT, Chicago Bears
Chris Cooley, WR, Wash. Redskins – Utah State Champion for Logan High, High School All-American
Roger Craig*, RB, San Francisco 49’ers
Damien Covington, LB, Buffalo Bills
Curley Culp*, DL, Kansas City Chiefs – NCAA Champ Larry Czonka**, RB, Miami Dolphins
Rob Davis, ST, Green Bay Packers
Dan Dierdorff**, OT, St. Louis Cardinals
Donnie Edwards, OLB, San Diego Chargers
Carl Edwards, San Diego Chargers – 3x MD State Champ
Rob Essink, Seattle Seahawks – NCAA DII Champ
Jim Everett, QB, New Orleans Saints
DeMarco Farr, St. Louis Rams
Patrick Flannery, OL, Houston Oilers
Ed Flanagan, C, Detroit Lions
Terrell Fletcher, RB, San Diego Chargers
Bill Fralic*, G, Atlanta Falcons
Doug France*, LT, Los Angeles Rams – OH State Runner-Up
Frank Garcia, C, St. Louis Rams – 2x AZ State Champ William George, Chicago Bears – 2x PA State Champ Charlie Getty, RG, Kansas City Chiefs – 2x NCAA All-American
John Gilmore, TE, Chicago Bears
Kevin Glover*, C, Detroit Lions
La’Roi Glover*, DE, Dallas Cowboys
Mike Goff, G, Cincinnati Bengals
Bob Golic*, DT, Cleveland Browns – OH State Champ Mike Golic, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
Darien Gordon, PR/CB, Denver Broncos
Scottie Graham, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Tim Green, DE, Atlanta Falcons
Kelly Gregg, NT, Baltimore Ravens, 3x KS State Champ
Morlon Greenwood, OLB, Miami Dolphins
Archie Griffin, HB, Cincinnati Bengals
Nick Griesen, LB, New York Giants
Randy Grossman, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
John Hannah**, G, New England Patriots
John Hartunian
Carlton Haselrig*, Pittsburgh Steelers, 3x NCAA Champ Ron Heller, TE, Seattle Seahawks
Chad Hennings, DT, Dallas Cowboys – IA State Champ Jay Hilgenberg*, C, Chicago Bears – IA State Runner-Up
Orlando Huff, MLB, Seattle Seahawks
Corey Hulsy, G, Oakland Raiders
Bo Jackson*, RB, Oakland Raiders
Mario Johnson, DT, New England Patriots
Dahanie Jones, LB, New York Giants
Henry Jordan**, DT, Green Bay Packers
Dave Joyner, OL, Green Bay Packers
John Jurkovich*, DT, Cleveland Browns
Alex Karras, Detroit Lions
Tim Krumrie*, DL, Cincinnati Bengals – WI State Champ
Ernie Ladd, DL, Kansas City Chiefs
Nick Lecky, C, - KS State Champ (in 2004 NFL Draft) Jess Lewis, LB, Houston Oilers
Ray Lewis*, Baltimore Ravens – 2x FL State Champ Ronnie Lott**, DB, San Francisco 49’ers
Kirk Lowdermilk*, OL, Minnesota Vikings
Sean Mahan, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Malczyk, LS, New York Giants
Joel Mackavicka, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Steve Martin, DT, Houston Texans
Mickey Marvin, RG, Oakland Raiders
Napolean McCallum, RB, Oakland Raiders
Randle McDaniel*, G, Minnesota Vikings
Mark McDonald, SS, Arizona Cardinals
Chris McIntosh, T, Seattle Seahawks
Bryant McKinnie, T. Minnesota Vikings
Greg Meisner, DL, Los Angeles Rams
Matt Millen*, LB, Oakland Raiders
Ronald Moore, RB, Cleveland Browns
James Mungro, HB, Indianapolis Colts
Jim Nance, FB, New England Patriots – NCAA Champ Lorenzo Neal, FB, Tennessee Titans - NCAA Champ
Stephen Neal, OL, New England Patriots – NCAA Champ
Jeremy Newberry, C, San Francisco 49’ers
Haloti Ngata – 2nd State at Highland High
Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers – PA State Champ
Leo Nomellini*, T, San Francisco 49’ers – Big 10 Champ
Jonathan Ogden*, OT, Baltimore Ravens
Irv Pankey, Los Angeles Rams – 2x MD State Champ David Patten, WR, New England Patriots
Scott Peters, G, New York Giants
Bob Pickens, OL, Chicago Bears
Jim Plunkett*, QB, Oakland Raiders
Dave Porter, T, Green Bay Packers
Mike Pyle, C, Chicago Bears – IA State Champ
Rocky Rasley, G, Detroit Lions
Mike Reid, Cincinnati Bengals Eric Rhett, RB, Cleveland Browns – FL State Champ Willie Roaf*, OT, New Orleans Saints
Warren Sapp*, DT Tampa Bay Buccaneers – FL State Champ
Mark Schlereth*, OL, Washington Redskins - Alaska State Champ
Cory Schlesinger, LB, Detroit Lions - NE State Champ Steve Sefter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles, 2x PA State Champ & NCAA All-American
Tony Siragusa*, DT, Baltimore Ravens – NJ State Champ
Fred Smerlas*, Buffalo Bills - MA State Champ
Bruce Smith**, DE, Washington Redskins
Brad St. Louis, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Matt Suhey, RB, Chicago Bears
Bill Szott, OL, Washington Redskins – NJ State Champ Dave Szott, Kansas City Chiefs – NJ State Champ Woody Thompson, RB, Atlanta Falcons – PA State Champ
Jim Thorpe**, HB, New York Giants
Mike Trgovac, DC, Carolina Panthers – OH State Champ
Kyle Turley*, T, St. Louis Rams
Ryan Turnbull, RB, Cleveland Browns
Tommy Vardell, RB, San Francisco 49’ers
Adam Vinatieri*, K, New England Patriots
John Ward, OL, New York Jets – NCAA All-American Fred Weary, DB, St. Louis Rams
Charles White*, HB, Los Angeles Rams
Randy White*, DT, Dallas Cowboys
Cory Widmer, LB, New York Giants
Leo Wisniewski, NT, Baltimore/Indianaplis Colts - PA State Champ
Steve Wisniewski, G, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders - CA State Champ
Ricky Williams*, RB, Miami Dolphins
Coy Wire, LB, Buffalo Bills – PA State Runner-Up
Greg Wojochowski, St. Louis Rams *Pro-Bowler **Hall of Famer

10 Rules for Parents - Wrestling Success

Success is determined when the wrestler gets out of the program what he needs. There are many reasons to wrestle, some wrestle to have a social experience, some wrestle to get in shape for another sport and some wrestler to win a state title. The following are some rules for a successful wrestling experience:

1. In most situations our sons know we love them. What we really need to make clear through our words and actions is that they understand we will love, respect and will not be disappointed in them regardless of the outcome of any match. We may be disappointed in the results, but never the person. This will allow him to do his best without fear of failure. Be the person in his life he can look to for constant positive reinforcement.

2. Strive to be honest about your child's athletic capability, his competitive attitude and his actual skill level. This goes both ways, he may be better than what we think.

3. Be interested and supportive but don't coach your son. It's tough not to, but it's a lot tougher for the child to be inundated with advice, pep talks, and frequent critical instruction. Encourage your son to talk to the coaches, they want to help.

4. Teach him to enjoy the thrill of competition. It’s not all about winning it’s about getting better each day. Let him know that improving skills and attitudes are important. Help him to develop the feel for competing, working hard and having fun.

5. Leave your ego at home. Try not to re-live your athletic life through your child. This creates added pressure that your son does not need. Remember, we have all fumbled, lost games, been frightened.

6. Don't compare the skill, courage, or attitudes of your child with others members of the team within his presence.

7. Remember young men tend to exaggerate when being praised and criticized. Temper your reaction until you investigate.

8. Don't compete with the coach. Keep in mind that they are balancing the development of your child with the growth and development of an entire athletic program and team. Often coaches have many considerations that are not obvious to parents. Feel free to talk to the coaches.

9. Get to know the coach. Understand his philosophy, attitudes, ethics and knowledge in such a way that you are happy to have your child under his leadership.

10. Make a point of understanding courage, and the fact that it is relative. Some people can climb mountains but are afraid to fight. Others will fight but turn to jelly if a bee approaches. Everyone is frightened of certain things. Explain to your son, that courage is not the absence of fear, but means, finishing or doing something in spite of fear or discomfort.

Parents Survival Guide

Your son has made an important commitment regarding his decision to join the Westlake Thunder Wrestling Team. The coaching staff is very pleased to have your son as a member of the program, and we have organized our efforts to promote his individual success. Wrestling is a very demanding sport. It will require much effort and dedication from your son. We admire and respect him already for making this type of commitment. We hope you will take some time to talk with your son about the seriousness of this commitment.

Our Season

The season officially begins in November and continues until the end of the Utah 4A State Tournament in mid February. We will practice each school day during our season. Practices on a normal school days will run from 2:45 p.m. to 5:00. Our competitions begin towards the end of November. We are currently working on a schedule. Wrestlers will need to take care of doctor, dentist or any other appointments or school make up, out side of practice time, if they wish to compete at the varsity level. Although sick athletes should stay home, injured wrestlers are expected to come to practice.

Booster Club

Westlake Wrestling will have its own Booster Club. The Booster Club is very important to the success of the wrestling program. A strong Booster Club will make each wrestlers experience one that he will remember for the rest of his life. There are many areas that a working Booster Club can be involved in; such as wrestler recognition, fun raising, dual meet and tournament involvement. One small example is to have someone sing the National Anthem at each home dual. This is a little thing but can add to the over all experience of the fans and wrestlers. Money is always an issue. With a good fund raising program we can have more than one traveling team, more than one assistant coach, travel to large out of state tournaments, at home duels we could have a wrestler who pins his opponent throw a wrestling shirt to the crowd which would encourage students to come to the matches (and encourage pins).

Forms and Fees
Westlake High School web site will have more information.

Coaches

Coach Guy Burdett has worked with State Championship Teams, State Champions and National Champions. He has been coaching for over 15 years. He has trained at the Olympic Training Center (Silver level Training Camp). He has been a High School Head Coach, a Club coach for High School and College teams and is currently the Head Coach for Westlake High School.

Coach Cody Burdett: 3x Region Champ, 2x 3rd in State, 1x State Champ, 4x Freestyle State Champ, 4x Greg-Roman State Champ, High School All-American Honorable Mention, 2002 Las Vegas Junior Western Regional Freestyle Champion, 2002 National Freestyle All-American, 2002 Reno WOW Champion, 2002 4th at the Beast of the East 2006-2007, Utah Valley University College Wrestler

Questions

1. What measures are taken to protect the health of the wrestlers?

Daily, we stress the use of proper and legal wrestling techniques and maneuvers. Coaches monitor closely their actions during all competitive and/or scrimmage wrestling situations so that any risk of an injury is lessened. Furthermore, the boys are expected to wear their headgear during the wrestling and drill sessions to prevent cauliflower ear and other abrasions on the ear or head. They are also encouraged to wear t-shirts during any drilling and/or wrestling activity instead of a heavy sweatshirt or jersey which could cause dehydration or fatigue to occur too quickly. For each practice a wrestler should wear clean shirt and shorts. Finally, we provide access to a trainer, ice, and medical kit as needed. If a serious injury does occur, the coaches contact the parent(s) as soon as possible.

2. Will a wrestler win more matches at a lower weight class?

Most wrestlers believe that by DROPPING WEIGHT, they can compete in a lower weight class where they will be stronger and win more matches. This belief is NOT TRUE; dropping weight, “by any means” can be harmful but dropping EXCESS FAT will make them bigger, faster and stronger. We want each wrestler to be as big and strong as they can be without the excess fat. Each wrestler reviews with the coaching staff his percentages of body fat, the number of pounds he wishes to lose, and the level of competition he would face at various weight classes. The coaches are very careful in monitoring each wrestler's weight loss but we need the support of the parents as well.

3. Will my son need to lose weight?

Your son may not have to lose any weight to wrestle at his weight class. His weight class selection, in fact, should be determined only after he discusses it with coach his parents and the coaching staff. The coaches reject weight loss methods that involve starvation, dehydration, laxatives, induced vomiting, or any other artificial means. These methods are considered illegal within the sport. What we hope to accomplish here is a favorable balance between ENERGY IN and ENERGY OUT. When losing weight, you can decrease your calorie count intake (ENERGY IN) or increase your physical activity (ENERGY OUT). The most effective approach is a combination of these methods. Your son should have a well-balanced diet and avoid any "fad" diets which deny him proper nutrition. Moderation is the key in regards to his eating habits, eliminate candy, pastries, junk foods, and snack between meals. Food portions can be lessened, and you may choose to provide food items high in carbohydrates (pastas, fruits, potatoes, breads) rather than foods high in fat content. If you believe your son's weight loss methods are wrong or excessive, please contact any coach immediately. If his grades in school suffer or his mood is irritable too often, again contact a coach.

4. How are varsity and junior varsity wrestlers chosen?

Unlike most other sports, positions on the wrestling team are not decided by the coaching staff, they are determined by the wrestlers. The goal is to have three competition teams. For the remaining wrestlers we will strive to find matches whenever we can. The teams are determined by challenge matches. Five challenge matches will be scheduled during the season. However, the coaching staff retains the right to name the varsity wrestler at each weight class as circumstances dictate-injury, discipline, and experience for each dual meet.

5. What does it take to have a great Wrestling Program?

I have discovered that great wrestling programs have a few things in common. The following three points are a good place to start:

1) Develop a strong wrestling culture in the school. There needs to be a strong relationship between football and wrestling. Wrestling must be "cool". We need to get the athletes to wrestle.
2) Develop a consistent wrestling program. Each program (Kids, Junior High, HS, and Club) should have program goals that progress the wrestler to the next level. I have seen examples of kids programs, for example, doing things that may help develop good "kid" wrestlers but may not help in developing great HS wrestlers. I don't care so much about “kids” national champions what I want are HS national champions and college wrestlers.
3) Develop a wrestling system. I understand there are many ways to complete any one move and all are right (to a point) if they score. By having a system in place practices are more efficient and wrestlers tend to learn more over time.

6. What can I do to help my son be successful?

To each wrestler success can means something different. Some may want to part of the team, some what to be national champions. As a parent who has coached his own son I found it a constant battle to remove my ego from my son’s successes and failures. I have seen many parents drive there kids away because they could not remove their own ego from the situation. Most wrestlers fail because they are afraid to lose. Parents need to create an emotional safety net so when the loss comes he knows he is still loved and respected regardless of the outcome of the match. Wrestling is not always a fun sport but it is very rewarding.
Thank You

The coaches certainly appreciate your support in encouraging your son to wrestle. He's taking on a big challenge, and we know that he could experience some difficulties during the season. But if we work together, your sons wrestling season can be very rewarding for him. We also look forward to seeing you at our matches. If you are interested in helping with our program or wish to order a team shirt talk to Coach Burdett 435-512-5988

Sincerely,
Coach Burdett

Wrestling and MMA

Wrestling still a pretty important martial art. Right, Thiago?
By Maggie Hendricks

Brock Lesnar. Jon Fitch. Dan Henderson. Mark Coleman. Jon Jones. Tom Lawlor. What do these gentlemen have in common, besides the fact that they were winners at UFC 100?

They all started out as wrestlers.

Say what you'd like about wrestling being boring, or the lay'n'pray style, but UFC 100 showed that wrestling is an essential part of MMA. Without it, you cannot win. Former UFC welterweight champion and collegiate wrestler Matt Hughes often says that wrestlers have an advantage because they can decide where the fight will take place, an adage that played out on Saturday.

Frank Mir had no answer for Lesnar's collegiate wrestling style, taking Mir down, then moving to the side to drive the jiu-jitsu specialist to his back. Paulo Thiago's BJJ was useless against Fitch, who didn't give Thiago room to breathe, much less move. For all of Michael Bisping's talk of outwrestling Henderson, the Brit couldn't even smell a takedown in their fight.

But the most effective wrestler at UFC 100 is the one who has never competed in the sport. Georges St. Pierre put on a takedown clinic against Thiago Alves. Double-leg takedowns, single-leg takedowns, shot and reshoot combinations, maintaining control and positioning while on top -- it was all classic wrestling. GSP never wrestled in high school or college, but he has learned how important and effective wrestling can be when used properly.

Now, no one can win big in MMA on wrestling alone. Henderson and Lesnar won with their fists. GSP mixed beautiful kicks, punches and elbows in with the takedowns. Getting a takedown means nothing without effective submission defense. But the next time you dismiss an up-and-coming fighter as another wrestler, remember how important it was to the winners of UFC 100.