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Post by Fight2theEnd on Nov 22, 2016 22:08:06 GMT -5
Virginia Tech is clearly the pride of Virginia when it comes to NCAA wrestling. My question is, how long before UVA, Old Dominion, George Mason, or another VA school can challenge again? What does UVA need to do to get back on track?
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Post by Eiwaman1 on Nov 23, 2016 14:44:51 GMT -5
It is always difficult to make an assessment of a program when we’re all more or less “outsiders” I’ve always told people if you’re not in the room you really don’t know what is going on. That being said I’ll give a “high level” snapshot of what I think needs to happen.
As with any Division I school, there are 3 elements to a successful program; 1. Recruiting 2. Development 3. Scheduling I put recruiting first because it starts and ends with talent. If you aren’t getting top kids in the room you aren’t going anywhere. Along with top recruits there need to be good workout partners to push and challenge kids. Development means having your top recruits produce and making your second tier kids better. Having your second level kids improve maximizes the level of competition and also shows kids there is a payoff for hard work.
Scheduling pretty much speaks for itself but if you’re not being challenged with good competition you will not get better. This does not mean you have to have the toughest schedule in the country every year, but you do need enough tough matches to baseline your wrestlers and see where changes need to be made. The ultimate goal is peak performance at the NCAAs so everything needs to point towards March.
That’s my short answer
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Post by D1CollegeFan on Dec 1, 2016 15:32:06 GMT -5
Eiwaman1 - I agree with you on all counts and I would add that school support also plays a major role in program success. For example UVA does not allow for as many "coaches admissions" as VA Tech or ODU. George Mason has been fighting for years to get improved or new training facilities. Funding and scholarships also has an impact as well. Mason, for example has had difficulty maintaining a consistant coaching staff due to the lack of support in finding funding to pay the assistant coaches enough money to stay longer than a couple of years. All these make it very difficult to recruit and develop talent; grow a winning culture; and sustain success over a long period. Unfortunately, I don't believe that UVA or George Mason will get there any time in the near future. ODU seems to have less of a challenge from a school support perspective but seems to fall a little short each year.
Just my 2 Cents.
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Post by Eiwaman1 on Dec 5, 2016 13:04:58 GMT -5
Those are excellent points you bring up. A strong support system is important and helps build a culture of success.
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