Fast-forward to this summer and the program has already grown by leaps and bounds following a highly-successful first season that saw four Liberty Hill grapplers qualify for the state tournament.
As a result, Zieschang was able to host the Panthers' first-ever summer wrestling camp, an event that attracted 50 young athletes ranging from kindergarten to incoming ninth-graders.
According to Zieschang, perhaps the most stark contrast between this summer and last was not only the fact the program had already gained enough traction to host such an event, but the presence of current Panthers varsity wrestlers to help show the ropes to those in attendance, including senior Aubree Schubert, junior Blake Hunter and sophomore Alyciana Rogers, who all qualified for the state meet last season.
“It's been very exciting to see where we are now compared to last summer,” said Zieschang. “Last year, we were teaching all of our kids a new sport from scratch. But, this year, it doesn't feel like we're just starting out at square one anymore, so we can speed up the learning curve. Now, we have some of our wrestlers that have advanced enough in their knowledge of the sport to be able to pass it along to the little wrestlers and we have kids as young as five years old, so that's exciting for us.”
Zieschang added now his current team members are experiencing what he went through last season from a coach's perspective.
“I've had some of them say to me, 'Wow, it's hard to teach,'” he said. “But, it's been a good experience for them and with their own advancement as wrestlers, they can be more technical in their coaching and I've already seen moves being taught by some of our wrestlers they just learned two weeks ago themselves, which allows us to spread knowledge more quickly.”
Mornings were set aside for kindergarten through fifth grade, with afternoons for the middle-school athletes, but Zieschang said there was only one discernible difference between the sessions.
“Really, it's very similar as far as the techniques we're teaching,” he said. “But, with the older kids, we can increase the pace we coach at. I always tell them you can watch college wrestling and you'll see the same basic moves we do here – it's just much faster.”
As Zieschang and his squad ready themselves for their second season of competition this winter, one advantage he has over last year is being able to build on the foundations that were laid last year, he said.
“Now, I can focus on helping each wrestler with his or her individual style depending on what their strengths and weaknesses are,” said Zieschang. “These are little things that could've won matches last year, but we just didn't have time for. Now we can make better use of our time.”
Despite girls and boys competing separately, though, the camp provides a place where wrestlers of both genders can share the mat in what is a unique opportunity not afforded many other sports, said Zieschang.
“If you look at other sports like basketball, for example, they have separate teams for girls and boys,” he said. “Even though we compete separately, we're all part of one team, which provides a different kind of energy and makes us feel more united.”
As a result, the summer camp is also conducted in co-ed fashion, although most times each will pair up with their own side.
“I think young kids need to find a comfort level with the sport initially,” said Zieschang. “But to me, they're all just wrestlers.”
Zieschang hopes the campers will take away from the four days a spark that will ignite in the form of future participation in the sport, he said.
“Wrestling is something that once it gets in your blood, it stays there,” said Zieschang. “Some of these kids will only wrestle over the summer and not again unti... Click here to read full article
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