This many injuries, this early in the season, is a bit of a concern if not alarming. The fact that we always seem to be at the high end, when it comes to the amount of injuries the team deals with every year, also should be looked into.
This is NOT second guessing our coaches who i believe are the best in the business. It is to say, training to be the best every year at the highest level is very difficult in any sport, but in wrestling. It is brutal! Finding good quality information of how they train in the "off" season does not ever seem to be easy.
Also prehab methods as well as rehab methods possibly, could need to be looked into and improved. They will be getting a new facility soon. Will it have state of the art training equipment and equipment for the purposes previously mentioned? Saunas, steam rooms, dry message tables.
Most importantly, do they have the staff with the knowledge to train these young men correctly? From everything I am able to find. Not just on IOWA wrestling by the way, the answer is usually NO! Proper weight training technique is as important as proper wrestling technique! Also a proper program for each wrestler to follow, just as they would in wrestling practices, is important.
I have seen many times kids coming home from college with their "summer work-out programs" and it has made me laugh sometimes, and once was so bad I thought the kid was playing a joke on me. I had a HS national champion who trained with me bring his program from columbia. I upset him when I told him if he wanted my honest opinion, he should get a pet bird and put it in the bottom of the cage!
With the resources most of these schools have, the training should be much superior to what i could ever offer. Using the above, testing for over training, a whole area dedicated to stretching and mobility, use of a pool, list goes on and on. There also should be a nutritionist on staff making a eating plan for each wrestler. Spend the $$$$ wisely, I get a big gaming area with couches and gain TVs gets the OOOs and AAAs, but it will be these things that make a big impact.
just like to add that the reason for what I consider subpar training, facilities, in my opinion, is knowledge/time/money. That is to say, think of the amount of time you spent, or your kid spent, wrestling. How many hours did you spend on the mat? How much drilling, camps, tournaments etc..... How much would you say you learned from the time you started, to the time you finished?
How much better were you, how much more did you know about wrestling? This is the same with weight training! Most think, "just get to the gym" and you can get away with that for a while because almost anything is better then nothing and will work for a short time. Becoming an expert who can really develop true power and superior athletes takes time.
Time to gain that knowledge which usually has to come from another person because the head coaches already have so much to do. That is where money comes in, but I do not believe it is a great deal needed when you look at the overall picture. Bringing in a recent college grad is usually never the answer and just is a quick way to fill a position.
