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Sebolt Wrestling Academy

That's not entirely true. Yes, he gets your Caleb Rathjen type kids that see other nationally ranked studs there and then he starts going himself, but kids like Ayala and Scheiver have been with him for a since they were young. I'm sure they were already talented, but there are a lot of kids who are talented when they are young that don't go on to win multiple Fargo titles. Just off the top of my head Fort Dodge and Ankeny have both had average kids when they were young start going to Sebolt during JH and end up having pretty good HS careers.


Who are the average kids he made great? I know of some solid FD middle school kids who didn't get accepted into his club because they didn't have the tournament resume to qualify. TJ simply cherrypicks the high caliber guys for his club.
 
Who are the average kids he made great? I know of some solid FD middle school kids who didn't get accepted into his club because they didn't have the tournament resume to qualify. TJ simply cherrypicks the high caliber guys for his club.
I never said great, you said that. I said pretty good high scool careers. Off the top of my head I can think of the older Ross kid that graduated from FD, and two that graduated this past year Proffit from CC/WSR and Kallem from Ankeny. I don't know the selection process, but do know he only takes a certain number of kids. I would assume it's harder to get in now than 5 years ago. Not sure if he still does them, but his camps aren't easy to get in either. Maybe he'll start taking more kids now that he has his own facility? If it was about money he could certainly make a lot more if he took everyone who wanted in his club. (its crazy that there is a list willing to pay that kind of money if their kid isn't good already) If that many people want in and you only have so many spots of coarse you're going to take the best kids. I've personally never seen him approaching parents of "the best kids" and telling them they should join his club, but maybe he does.
 
I never said great, you said that. I said pretty good high scool careers. Off the top of my head I can think of the older Ross kid that graduated from FD, and two that graduated this past year Proffit from CC/WSR and Kallem from Ankeny. I don't know the selection process, but do know he only takes a certain number of kids. I would assume it's harder to get in now than 5 years ago. Not sure if he still does them, but his camps aren't easy to get in either. Maybe he'll start taking more kids now that he has his own facility? If it was about money he could certainly make a lot more if he took everyone who wanted in his club. (its crazy that there is a list willing to pay that kind of money if their kid isn't good already) If that many people want in and you only have so many spots of coarse you're going to take the best kids. I've personally never seen him approaching parents of "the best kids" and telling them they should join his club, but maybe he does.


The Ross kid was always going to be good.

It's hard to qualify who is most responsible for an athlete's progression. I'm sure TS's club does help. It's additional training against other good athletes.

That being said, I wouldn't go as far as saying TJ creates the best guys. There is a selection bias. He only takes guys with good tournament resumes and has turned away some solid kids.
 
The Ross kid was always going to be good.

It's hard to qualify who is most responsible for an athlete's progression. I'm sure TS's club does help. It's additional training against other good athletes.

That being said, I wouldn't go as far as saying TJ creates the best guys. There is a selection bias. He only takes guys with good tournament resumes and has turned away some solid kids.
You can say that about a lot of kids. You asked for an example and I gave you 3 kids off the top of my head that made decent sized jumps. Whatever clicked with each of them I have no idea, but they were all going to Sebolt on a regular basis. I am aware there is a selection bias, but if you were a parent paying $250 a month wouldn't you want to be assured your kid was in a room full of studs. There are plenty of other clubs around that will take anybody who wants to pay the monthly fee. I know his spring camp and Man of Steel camp used to be open to kids who weren't in his club throughout the year and they were very difficult to get in. I'm not sure if they still do those, but it was always worth the money because you knew the level of competition in the room was going to be the highest.
 
Who are the average kids he made great? I know of some solid FD middle school kids who didn't get accepted into his club because they didn't have the tournament resume to qualify. TJ simply cherrypicks the high caliber guys for his club.
False
 
Lol, I can name specific FD kids. It's absolutely true.

There are Ft. Dodge kids in that club that are not "elite." There are probably more Ft. Dodge kids in TJs club than any other school.
 
There are Ft. Dodge kids in that club that are not "elite." There are probably more Ft. Dodge kids in TJs club than any other school.


Are you arguing that you don't have to submit a tournament resume with his applications and that he turns down kids that don't place in enough higher profile kids tournaments?

I'm not even arguing that this is wrong but he certainly cherrypicks the guys he wants.
 
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Are you arguing that you don't have to submit a tournament resume with his applications and that he turns down kids that don't place in enough higher profile kids tournaments?

I'm not even arguing that this is wrong but he certainly cherrypicks the guys he wants.

His first year in Ames, there definitely was an application. That is no longer the case. There's a lot of younger kids who don't come in with resumes and definitely get better. Couldn't tell you about the HS age kids though.
A lot of things you do see are many AAU studs from other teams either get beat or have a close match with a SWA kid. The next week you see that kid at SWA practice.

But there are certainly other clubs to get good at. Many awesome wrestlers at DC Elite, Big Game Hunters, CIWC, etc.
 
His first year in Ames, there definitely was an application. That is no longer the case. There's a lot of younger kids who don't come in with resumes and definitely get better. Couldn't tell you about the HS age kids though.
A lot of things you do see are many AAU studs from other teams either get beat or have a close match with a SWA kid. The next week you see that kid at SWA practice.

But there are certainly other clubs to get good at. Many awesome wrestlers at DC Elite, Big Game Hunters, CIWC, etc.


Interesting. I just checked his website and it still has an application asking for top accomplishments.
 
Interesting. I just checked his website and it still has an application asking for top accomplishments.

I don't know, you'll have to choose to believe me or not. But there have been multiple kids come in the room in the last couple of years and you thought, um ok... but they are definitely getting better.

I don't know their circumstances though. Maybe they are friends of a friend or something. I keep to my self mostly. Either way, I enjoy the club. So maybe I'm not the best opinion to seek.
 
Whatever it is a parent or athlete is looking for in a club it can be found in Iowa. They are all different and unique in their own way. Each provides a different opportunity. Each is similar but very different at the same time.

Here is a revelation, just because a kid is in a club does not make him great AND the communities and schools the athletes grow up in play a larger role than most would like to admit. That is one thing I wish would change. The teams, communities and coaches these kids wrestle for get little recognition. Our local school offers year around wrestling opportunities plus strength and conditioning training, mindset training and they travel to out of season events. The wrestlers do attend club along side their local opportunities but all you hear about is the Sebolt kid or the Big game kid. What about the Bettendorf kid or the Albia kid and what those communities have done to develop them?
 
People seem to be suggesting this is who this post is about:



Edit: for the record doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me
 
I don't think that's an appropriate way to coach middle schoolers. Scholarships aren't won in middle school. Great recipe for burnout.

I'd agree with that. "UNACCEPTABLE" may be a bit of a stretch though IMO.
 
People seem to be suggesting this is who this post is about:



Edit: for the record doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me

The \S/ is the dead giveaway.

He yanked his team jersey from middle schoolers. Not some horrific thing on its own but might be a symptom of a bigger issue.
 
It's his club so he can run it the way he wants. Parents and kids know what they are signing up for. Not my style of coaching and wouldn't send my kid there, but that's me.
 
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