I DIDN'T ACHIEVE MY GOALS IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT I STILL WANT TO WRESTLE IN COLLEGE

So, you didn’t get to exactly where you wanted to be. First thing is – don’t give up hope! Wrestling does not have to end in high school.

There is a right fit for every wrestler.

Here are a few things to get you started.

There are multiple levels of college wrestling. You don’t have to be recruited into an elite program in order to continue pursuing your passion.

Depending on your wrestling pedigree, grades, tests, and so much more, you may find yourself looking at a: D1, D2, D3, NAIA, JC, or club team. Each of these divisions comes with their own set of rules and parameters. There is even a group of California JCs that compete in their own championship!

If you’re a female athlete, you should know the WCWA is growing rapidly, and you can find more info here (insert http://www.nwcaonline.com/growing-wrestling/growing-womens-wrestling/wcwa/).

A few Google searches will put you in front of a list college programs. You can also check out this awesome map of colleges that offer wrestling. (link to https://batchgeo.com/map/c0e81f035bb980370884a6157e67ed9a)

Also, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (link to http://www.nwcaonline.com/) is a good place to do some research.

And, even if the school you are interested in doesn’t have wrestling, you can always start your own club there and compete in the NWCA (link to https://ncwa.net/). Don’t be afraid to be proactive – don’t be afraid to chart your own path!

Article written by:  Jason Welch (3x NCAA DI All-American & Head Coach of San Francisco State University)