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Lance Scranton: Great coaching

Lance Scranton
Lance Scranton

I grew up playing hockey in the winter and thought the entire world spent their time around an ice sheet during the cold winter months. But, a couple of years ago, my son decided he was going to try wrestling so we traded in the chilly stands of the ice rink for the milder bleachers in gymnasiums with wrestling mat covered floors.

Wrestling, like many sports, requires skill-acquisition that takes place in a highly stressful environment. The huge difference in wrestling is the feedback loop required for young wrestlers to learn the particular skills that will translate onto the wrestling mat. This is where Craig Middle School wrestlers have a distinct advantage with a host of motivated and skilled coaches.

This past weekend, the District Championships in Meeker was a textbook display of coaching that was made even more challenging by the unavailability of two coaches who put all the duties in the hands of volunteer assistants Mark Lawton, Jimmy Rossi, Mark Voloshin and Mark Zimmerman.



The flurry of activity on the mats was matched by the seamless ability of the coaches to be in place and to know just what each young wrestler needs to be prepared for potentially six matches over a seven or eight hour day! The pace is hectic, but from a coaching perspective, watching the activity reminds me of what makes great coaching: Feedback is immediate, specific, and, out of sheer necessity, succinct! With a flurry of action taking place on up to four different mats; the coaches set a dynamic pace making certain they are available for each match to offer pre-match, match, and post-match dialogue with each wrestler.

I’m definitely a neophyte wrestling fan so I take more of an observational approach when I attend tournaments. In only his second year of wrestling, there is a confidence my son has learned because he is surrounded by men who care about challenging him and supporting his raw skills as a grappler. As is the case in any sport, great coaching, regardless of the outcome, translates into young athletes who take ownership in their success and keep the challenges in perspective.



Thanks to coaches Lawton, Rossi, Voloshin, and Zimmerman for believing in our young athletes and sacrificing your time and energy all the way through this season. Your efforts are noticed and appreciated!

Lance Scranton is a coach and a teacher at Moffat County High School.Lance Scranton is a coach and a teacher at Moffat County High School. Lance Scranton is a coach and a teacher at Moffat County High School.


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