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| Drew Black,
wrestling coach, stresses intelligence, power, quickness, superb
conditioning, flexibility and a high degree of self-confidence with his
Wesleyan athletes. |
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| Posted 03.15.06 |
Wrestling Coach Says Recruiting Top Students, Top Athletes Secret to
Success on the Mat
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Q: You’ve been
coaching wrestling at Wesleyan since 1998. What spurred your interest in the
sport initially?
A: It all started my freshman year of high school in Mahwah, N.J. My brother
was a sophomore wrestler on the team. My intention was to go and play
basketball at the vertically challenged height of 4-foot-9 and 75 lbs. The
wrestling coach spoke to me in the locker room just before the wrestling
season was about to begin and said, "You may play basketball as a freshman,
but after that JV and Varsity you will probably not play much. You should
really think about coming out for wrestling. That weekend, my brother and I
talked and I decided to try something new and took my basketball sneakers to
the mat that Monday afternoon. It was one of the best decisions of my life.
Q: What is the objective in wrestling?
A: Wrestling is the oldest sport known to mankind. It was part of the first
Olympic games. I find that people who have never seen wrestling, all they
need to do is come to one wrestling event and they will be hooked. It is
difficult at first to understand the points awarded, but in basic terms, you
have two people out at the center of the mat. The wrestlers start on their
feet and look to take the other down to the mat. Next goal is to turn your
opponent over and pin his shoulders to the mat for the pin and the win. In
and around the takedown and pin there is a lot of maneuvering for an
advantageous position to dominate your opponent. A college match lasts seven
minutes with three periods.
Q: In addition to strength, what skills are needed to do this sport?
A:
Wrestling takes intelligence, power, quickness, superb conditioning,
flexibility and a high degree of self-confidence. In the sport of wrestling
there is no place to hide. There are no time-outs or substitutes. It is you
versus another opponent. One of the greatest feelings in the world is to
work so hard for something and then achieve that goal within the circle on
the mat.
Q: As an adjunct assistant professor of education, what classes do you
teach?
A: I currently teach indoor technical climbing and fitness swimming, but
have also taught the strength training classes as well.
Q: In addition to coaching wrestling, you’re also the strength and
conditioning coach, and fitness center coordinator. In these roles, are you
working with all Wesleyan athletes?
A: I work with many of our athletic teams. My goal is to have our
student-athletes receive the best and most advantageous strength and
conditioning programs needed for each student-athlete to reach his/her
individual and team goals. Our student-athletes are some of the best and
most dedicated people you will meet. Here they are at one of the best
schools in the country, no one is getting a scholarship to play, yet so many
of our student athletes want to train and prepare themselves to compete at a
national level and represent Wesleyan with pride and honor.
Q: What is the Cardinal Speed and Agility Program?
A:
It’s a program that has become extremely popular over the past eight years.
I have come to learn that most of our student-athletes call this “Drew
Black.” They say, “I have Drew Black today.” This is a voluntary program
where in the fall and spring we have 75-90 athletes in our field house going
through speed drills, agility drills, games and conditioning activities. I
have even had a professor or two come and join in the fun.
Q: Where did you go to college and when did you decide to become a coach?
A: At Syracuse University I majored in athletic training and wanted to work
with athletes in prevention and care of injury setting. I also wanted to get
my teaching certification so I could be more marketable in a public school
setting. This led me to Kent State where I was a graduate assistant in the
School of Exercise, Leisure and Sport. I did attain my teaching
certification and this is where coaching became a love and passion. It was
during my student-teaching experience at Stow-Monroe Falls High School in
Ohio. The varsity wrestling coach needed a freshman/JV coach to help. It
paid $2,000 dollars and to a college student that is like being a
millionaire. I took the job and at my first tournament I said to myself,
“Coaching is awesome, I think I want to coach and teach at the college
level.”
Q: Before coming to Wesleyan, where did you work? What attracted to you to
Wesleyan?
A: Before Wesleyan, I was the head wrestling coach, strength and
conditioning coach and fitness center coordinator at Phoenix Community
College in Phoenix, Arizona. When I applied to Wesleyan, I was not familiar
with Wesleyan at the time, but soon came to realize what a great school and
opportunity this was for me.
Q: You led Wesleyan’s wrestling team to the highest-winning season in
history in 2001-02 with a 17-2 mark and four winning seasons over the past
five years. The team has earned scholar All-American status in 2001, 2002,
2004, 2005 and 2006. What is your secret?
A: To be honest, the secret lies within the people you are able to work
with. Wesleyan is a great school, which does attract top people to this
campus. As a faculty coach, I need to get in touch with the very best and
brightest young men all around the United States. Part of the secret to
successful teams and consistent successful seasons is having top students
who are also dedicated and committed to the sport of wrestling.
Q: What do you look for in student-athletes and what lessons do you stress?
A: I have been fortunate to have some great student-wrestlers in my eight
years here. I stress hard work, smart work and teamwork. This all starts
with setting goals so there is a destination set. The process of being a top
student and a top athlete is the secret to success. These are the things
that each member of our team has 100 percent control over. They have control
over attending every class, studying, seeking out professors for help and
guidance. They have control over how much strength training, running,
conditioning and mat-time they do throughout the year. They also have
control over their nutrition, eating smarter and healthier. The last thing
they have control over and something we talk about a lot is being a quality
community member, their actions away from the classroom and the mat. At
Wesleyan, we want the total package of a top student, top wrestler, and a
top citizen in the community and beyond. Set these as priorities, focus on
them, and have the student-athlete take responsibility and there you have
it.
Q: What are your thoughts on Dan deLalla '07, who received the New England
College Conference Wrestling Association Championship title after sitting
out the regular season with an elbow injury?
A: Dan is one of those special kids you get to work with at Wesleyan. He is
a competitor and someone who is so positive. He believes in himself because
he works extremely hard all throughout the year. I must admit that it was
difficult for me to believe that Dan could sit out the entire season, train
for two weeks and then win the New England Championship to qualify for the
national tournament. It brought great life and excitement to our team and
really boosted our team morale. The outlook and future of this wrestling
program is bright due to Dan’s accomplishments, his leadership and also the
great young talent that this team has right now.
Q: Josh Wildes '08 and Mike Lima '08 also took conference titles this year.
Do you foresee them going far in the next few years?
A: The team and I are so excited about next year and the next three years.
We did not having a winning season this year mainly due to the amount of
injuries our team sustained. The future is very bright with quality
wrestlers such as Josh and Mike. Both of these guys can be impact wrestlers
for our program in the next two years, but both need to continue to dedicate
themselves throughout the year, not just from November to February. There
are many bright spots throughout our team. Jeremy Stuart ’08 is going to be
tough the next two years as well. I should basically name our entire team
right now because I see the potential in each of them to be very successful
in the next few years.
Q: In 2005, the U.S. Marine Corps awarded you with a Coaching Leadership
Award for your outstanding work in the development of leaders at Wesleyan
and in the state. What was your reaction to this honor?
A: It was a great surprise. It was awarded to me at our annual National
Wrestling Coaches Conference. I am just trying to give back to the sport of
wrestling which has given me so much in my life. It is my pleasure to work
hard for this great sport and to be involved in young people’s lives and try
to set them in the right direction so they too can be successful people in
the world today.
Q: What wrestling organizations are you a member of?
A: I have been a member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association for 11
years now, and member of the executive committee for eight years, and the
president of our New England Wrestling Conference for four years.
Q: Does your family get into wrestling or other sports?
A: My wife, Jennifer; son Sean, 6; daughter Leah, 1 attend many of my
colleague’s games and competitions. Right now, lacrosse games are Sean’s
favorite and Leah is just happy to be with her brother. We also love to use
Wesleyan as our playground. This is such a great environment to raise a
family. My son Sean gets to be around great people, use the great facilities
and play different sports and activities.
Q: Aside from wrestling, what are your other hobbies and/or interests?
A: I am pretty simple. I love to go out to eat. I also try to stay fit
partaking in weight training, running, and the occasional noon faculty hoop
games, especially after wrestling is over. My other hobbies are quality
family time and playing with both Sean and Leah. My family is my pride and
joy. Seeing them laugh is the best hobby.
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| By
Olivia Bartlett, The Wesleyan Connection
editor |
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