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Complete the NWCA Scholastic Leadership Academy application and reserve your place in an upcoming workshop.

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Contact Jim Beichner

Interested in bringing an academy to your region or learning more about participation requirements?

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Speak directly with NWCA Coaching Development about hosting, attendance, or workshop expectations.

Call 716-289-2855

The NWCA, in collaboration with internationally renowned coaching development expert Dr. Dan Gould of Michigan State University, has built a gold standard leadership program for scholastic wrestling coaches.

The academy is designed to strengthen CEO-level coaching skills, improve alignment with educational values, and substantially increase wrestler recruitment and retention at the scholastic level.

The need for this training has never been greater. Participation challenges, shrinking roster sizes, and forfeits continue to affect the scholastic landscape, even as girls wrestling continues to grow rapidly across the country.

The goal is practical and achievable. If each high school coach recruits just three additional students, the impact can be significant.

High school boys participation is down approximately 30,000 since 2011.

The average roster size has shrunk from 37 athletes per team to 23.

On average, 29 percent of high school dual meets are now forfeits.

High school girls wrestling continues to see explosive growth, creating an urgent need for more coaches and stronger programs.

Online Modules and Workbook

Coaches complete a workbook while progressing through online modules covering topics such as recruitment and retention, working with parents, promoting girls wrestling, safety, and more.

In-Person Workshop

After completing the workbook, coaches attend an in-person workshop. Sessions can run 4 to 6 hours, with 6 hours preferred when possible.

Marine Corps Recruiting Mindset

A Marine Corps keynote speaker helps coaches get under the Marine recruiting tent and learn proven recruiting strategies that can be adapted to scholastic wrestling.

Who Should Apply

• Active coaches who are current members of the NWCA
• High school and middle school head and assistant coaches
• Head coaches who want to bring assistant coaches and others from their local community
• Club coaches who aspire to become middle school or high school coaches

Participation Expectations

There is no cost to participate. However, NWCA does need a commitment from at least 50 coaches to attend the in-person workshop in order to satisfy sponsor support.

Each online module takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes, and there are 12 total modules. All participants should complete the 360 evaluation and online modules before attending the in-person academy.

State Rules Interpretation Meetings

Piggybacking on a mandatory State High School Athletic Association rules interpretation meeting can be highly effective. Arizona, Alabama, and Delaware have successfully used this model.

State Coaches Association Clinics

Another proven model is partnering with a state high school wrestling coaches association clinic and holding the workshop the day before the multi-day clinic begins.

Board-Led Recruitment

In several successful examples, each coaches association board member took responsibility for recruiting 4 to 5 coaches into the academy.

CEU Opportunities

The Delaware Interscholastic Coaches Association secured CEU credits for participating teacher-coaches. NWCA encourages other associations to explore similar opportunities.