Wrestling plays an important role in College Sport in the US. 2100 wrestlers are annually awarded $14.5 million in scholarships, a much larger amount than in Germany. The USA proved in Athens and Peking that the colleges are capable of training names like Heny Cejudo (Olympic champion 2008 Freestyle Bantam Weight) Adam Wheeler from North Michigan University (3rd Place in Peking – Greek/Roman Heavy Weight) and Randi Miller from the Northern Michigan University (3rd Place Olympic Games – Freestyle up to 63KG) up to top international levels.All athletes are trained at their colleges by some of the best coaches in the world. The long term aim being to get them to compete at world class level. Some athletes, Kendall Cross for example (Olympic Gold 1996 – Bantam Weight) achieve this with the help of a scholarship while still at college.
Requirements for a Wrestling Scholarship
Due to the huge success and the incomparable training facilities in the USA there are a lot of applicants from Eastern Europe, South Korea and of course the US. Without professional help it is difficult to attract the attention of the trainers. To qualify for a scholarship you need to have taken part in the National Junior Championships. We of course look at each athlete individually and give them an assessment of their chances. To find out what your chances would be of receiving a scholarship fill out for free and non binding our Opportunity Assessment Form.
Training
Normally the college teams train 5 – 7 times per week in modern training facilities. Each training unit last 2 hours and includes technical as well as match situations. In addition to the technical training there are between 2 and 4 units of weight, coordination and fitness training. This is the recipe for their success; the American wrestlers improve their performance due to the professional training and the team spirit. The colleges also have the financial means to employ above average coaches, especially from Russia. In Germany, wrestling is an individual sport and in America it is the team that counts and this helps to make training and competing much more fun.
Competing
A large number of Olympic athletes and Junior World champions compete for their Colleges in the USA and are responsible for the very high level of competition. The qualification for the Nationals is at a level higher than the German League. A scholarship offers a German wrestler the chance to move on to top level sport with the aim of taking part in the Olympics or World Championships.
As you can see in the video, the Americans are really enthusiastic about wrestling!
Timing
The best time to go to the USA on a sports scholarship is straight after you finish school. College coaches prefer to give scholarships to younger students, as it enables them to continually train and improve a player’s performance over a period of four years. It is also possible to go to the US for just one year. Due to the contact we have to a large number of college coaches we have been able to help athletes after they have completed their Bachelor to do their Master in the USA. The best timing is if you contact us about one year before you plan to start studying in the USA. Wrestlers can start studying either at the Spring Semester (January) or the Fall Semester (August).
