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Minnesota/USA Wrestling

Coaches Corner

 
About 70% of kids drop out of organized sports by age 13....
according to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

What parents and coaches can do about it...

  1. Promote athletics to develop healthy habits, not as a means to an end
  2. Come up with an intrinsic, team-oriented definition of sports success
  3. Keep in mind playing one sport all the time might hurt you
  4. Watch for overuse injuries, and take care of them before they get worse
  5. Use sleep and nutrition to drive performance
  6. Watch closely for signs of burnout
  7. Always be mindful of your kid's emotional state, especially after injury
  8. Stay ahead of the curve with your pediatrician
  9. Be well-rounded (and not just with sports)
  10. Remember: Sports are supposed to be fun.

Want to be a great coach, click on the links and register for the short courses full of tips to make sports fun and safe for kids of all ages and abilities.  

How to Coach Kids

Coaching Girls

MN/USA Membership Director Amie Engels

MN/USA Membership Director Amie Engels

Amie can help verify your club coach’s requirements and if they have been met

CLUB LEADERS

Feel free to email Amie your list of coaches and she can let you know if they have anything to complete. 

NOTE: many clubs use college aged wrestlers to coach and run practices.  They STILL NEED to obtain their Leadership Card, regardless if they have an athlete card.  

MN/USA Wrestling Matside Coaches Requirements

 

REQUIREMENTS TO COACH AT MNUSAW STATE and USAW Regional National and National level competitions

 

Mat-side Coaches:

MNUSAW takes the responsibility of coaching young athletes very seriously. In order to be in the coaches corner mat-side or to have any engagement with referees or table workers, SafeSport and USA Wrestling require all individuals to be properly certified. 

Coaches that have everything completed before the tournament can purchase a coaches band online through the state registration system for $15.00 before March 13th at 11:59pm. Coaches bands will also be available at the Coaches Registration table for a $25.00 charge the day of the tournament this includes your admission to the tournament for the weekend.  You must meet the following criteria to get a coaches pass.

Purchase Coaches Band for MN/USA State

1.  A Current USA Wrestling Leader Card, that includes a background check (takes about 7 to 14 days) and completion of SafeSport curriculum (2-4 hours) depending on if it's the first SS certification or a renewal refresher course.
2.  NCEP Copper Certification Certification or higher.  Note: at Regional Nationals (ex. Northern Plains) and other National Level competitions a Copper certification is only good for 14U and younger.  You will need to acquire a Bronze Certification to coach 16U and older athletes.  This will take a few hours to complete. 
3.  Evidence of completion of concussion training (*note this concussion training is not part of Copper or Bronze certification and requires a separate training. (1 hour) 
  • If you have completed concussion training with in the past 2 years with another organization simply bring in a copy of it to show us when you pay for your coaches pass at State. If you do it through the USA Wrestling membership system you won't need to keep bringing a copy of it.
  • To complete the certification and concussion  training go to the USA Wrestling membership site (https://www.usawmembership.com) and log-in using your leadership information, from the drop down menu titled “Manage” you will see a link titled “Heads Up Concussion” and ” Coach Certifications”.
  • This training is only good for 2 years from completion date. If you have complete concussion training in the USA Wrestling membership system along with your "Wrestling Leader" membership it will show up as the letters CT on your printed  membership card.  This is something that is mandatory for coaching youth sports in Minnesota and several other states.

Please note that these need to be done BEFORE the tournament in order to purchase a coaches band. 

Any parent without a coach’s band will NOT be allowed in the corner and are NOT allowed to interact with the table or referees in any manner. Parents will need to coordinate with coaches to determine who will be accompanying the child and coaching the child mat-side.  SafeSport requires MNUSAW to operate within these guidelines.  There will be no exceptions to this policy.

  • We will not be holding matches waiting for coaches at State as we are on a time limit for each session.

Please reach out to Amie Engels, MN/USA Membership Director aengels@mnusawrestling.org with any questions. 

Additional Information

USAW Greco-Freestyle Rule Book with Video Challenge Procedures

Check back for quick and up-to-date information.  Reference the hyperlinks to assist in the understanding of the rules and rule changes.  

The National Federation of High School (NFHS) rulebook which governs Folkstyle competitions. 

USAW has no jurisdiction in that organization.