There’s nothing like experience as the measure of potential with successful wrestling coaches. While there certainly is some validity to that statement, the sport of wrestling has evolved significantly in recent years – with coaching certification to ensure that coaches, from beginner volunteers to those with decades of technical expertise at the highest levels of the sport – continue to grow.

Coaching wrestling isn’t only about technical mastery, or the number years, that any leader has invested in the sport. As wrestling evolves, coaching expertise has to grow with it. USA Wrestling has four levels of certification, starting with Copper, then moving to Bronze, Silver and finally Gold. 

Predictably, there are far more Copper and Bronze certified coaches than there are Silver and Gold, as the time and commitments increase substantially with Silver and Gold-level education. For example, Copper and Bronze certification requirements can be completed in a number of hours on line, while Silver and Bronze require significantly more hours, attendance at live events and significant efforts for research. Importantly, all levels require background checks and completion of SafeSport training yearly

Beyond those requirements, there’s also a significant difference in what’s covered in each level of certification. Lower-level certifications focus more on established best practices and compliance, while upper-level certifications go far deeper to issues like psychological health of athletes, periodization of training and more.

Why should a parent or guardian care about certification of a wrestling coach? Because it’s add level of credibility to be accredited through national governing body of amateur wrestling in the United States. And because the level of certification is a significant distinction among coaches who have committed themselves to the sport.

Volunteer coaches likely shouldn’t be expected to have certification beyond Copper or Bronze. But year-round clubs should most definitely be expected to have a coach or two at the upper levels of certification – Silver or Gold.

As parents and guardians, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask a prospective wrestling leader you’d entrust your kids to about levels of coaching certification in that club.  And to ensure the response is accurate, ask to see their USA Wrestling card, which will have their – or their fellow coaches’ – certification level indicated on it. As the saying goes, “the more you know. . .”