Programs

We coaches at MHWC employ different teaching methods for different situations. Our high school environment is very much catered towards elite wrestlers who have a good foundation in the sport. Our kids environment teaches them that foundation. Please read below to get a glimpse of our coaching philosophies.

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High School

Mile High Wrestling is dedicated to helping each wrestler reach their individual best. Whether that be a state qualifier, state placer, a state champion, or a national champion.

This program can be used by young men to attain a great deal of success in their high school wrestling career, however, the ultimate goal we have is for every wrestler who trains with Mile High Wrestling to have the choice and opportunity to take this sport to the collegiate level. We feel strongly that wrestling in college is a realistic option for most everybody who has the dedication to come to a program like Mile High Wrestling Club. We also feel that the majority of wrestlers in this state simply do not know how plentiful the opportunities are for wrestling in college.

Many who do step in to a college room have a significant "lag time". That is, it takes them a while to adjust to the technical differences, intense training, and the physical and mental challenges of college wrestling. Our goal is to decrease that lag time, or eliminate it all together, through exposing our wrestlers to more of a college-like atmosphere.

There are four main areas we will concentrate on that we believe are vital in achieving one's personal best and/or preparation for college wrestling.

First and maybe the most obvious is technique. We will not only teach foundational wrestling, but current and advanced technique.
Second , we will concentrate on physical training. That doesn't mean wind sprints and push-ups, it means physical training centered around wrestling-based exercises and weight lifting used in the colleges.
Third , we will spend ample time on the various mental aspects of this sport, from dealing with pressure to having proper attitude. Every wrestler should enjoy his experience in the wrestling, and without the right mental approach to this sport, almost everything else is useless. This sport is a character building experience that will last a lifetime.
And fourth , we STRONGLY believe that the best chance for success in this sport and in life is to be self-motivated, and self-sufficient. We do not believe that you can build self sufficient wrestlers by micro-managing them. Yes, we will have a structured environment, but within that environment will be a lot of room for individual development and maturation. Our practices aren't going to be strictly catered to teaching a one-size-fits-all style. With three main coaches we will have more time to spend with individuals.

The staff at Mile High Wrestling Club also recognizes that every wrestler has different body styles and different strengths. This staff will focus on particular techniques that optimize EACH wrestlers abilities and potential. This couldn't be exemplified better than to look at the different bodies and wrestling styles utilized by coaches Tommy and Danny Clum during their high school and college careers.

Wrestling is one of those sports that can make a tremendous difference in a person's life. We have already stated that our main goal is to help each athlete get to college, but more importantly, we believe that the discipline learned in this sport can and will have a major impact on an individual's work ethic and success in life.

The Phil Nowick System of Wrestling for Kids

" They key to getting kids winning quick is to get them drilling quick. The success of young wrestlers depends on the number of quality repetitions they perform over time. Period." - Phil Nowick

"They key to getting kids drilling quick is to teach in the simplest,most straightforward manner possible : to break each move into steps which emphasize the most important details." - Phil Nowick

At MHWC, our approach to coaching kids (ages 4-14) is unique. We utilize a powerful, proven method called The Phil Nowick System of Wrestling . In coaching kids wrestling, the biggest mistake most coaches make is to assume that kids are small adults. Kids are not small adults! They don't think like adults. They don't learn like adults. As any parent knows, kids certainly don't behave like adults. Kids demand a unique focused approach to learning the sport of wrestling. The best thing about coaching kids. They don't demand depth or explanation. Kids simply want you to: 1. Tell them what to do 2. Let them do it!

At Mile High Wrestling Club, we consider ourselves wrestling teachers, not just wrestling coaches. The techniques utilized in the Phil Nowick System are high level skills. Each move in the Phil Nowick System is derived from an NCAA All-American, NCAA finalist or Olympic Medalist. However these techniques meet other criteria as well. They are simple, drillable and easy to break into steps. Put simply, if a young wrestler can't repeat a move over and over, he will never use it. Think of a young golfer or baseball player trying to learn the sport. He must practice his swing thousands and thousands of times, perfectly, before he is prepared to compete (or even to play a practice round). This Phil Nowick System of Wrestling emphasizes quality repetitions to prepare our wrestlers.

A given move is taught in steps and practiced in steps until our athletes become comfortable with the technique. Soon, our wrestlers are able to practice this technique as one, fluid movement. One this has been achieved, our wrestlers repeat the move in rapid fire sequence, over and over until it becomes second nature. This method develops proper muscle memory, proper drilling habits and an appropriate attention to detail.

Our practices DO include a great deal of live wrestling, but only after our wrestlers have drilled....and drilled. We use this approach for one reason: IT'S THE APPROACH THAT WINS!!