What You Should be Doing Right Now Part II: Tom Roehlig Shares his Insights into Off-Season training and Many Other Topics

(above):Star Pupil: Tom Roehlig protege Thomas Straughn of Massillon Perry completes his career as a 2x state champion and 4x state place winner.

An excellent wrestler at first Massillon Washington High School and then Ohio State, Tom Roehlig has exceeded his considerable stature as a competitor as a coach of youth and high school wrestlers.  His reputation for developing talent is unsurpassed in northeast Ohio- with Steve Luke, Jason Johnstone, Thomas Straughn, Dante Rini, and Dan Genetin among his many protégés.  With his nearly 30-year background in the sport as a competitor and coach, and reputation as a student of the game, Ohio Wrestling Site knew “TR” would have a lot of great insights to share into off-season training among other topics, and Roehlig did not disappoint.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  Please tell us a bit about your background in the sport.

Tom Roehlig:  I’ll start by saying I’m probably one of few that had a 3x State Champion that dominated my high school weight class and a 3x NCAA Champion that dominated my college weight class.  A tough road for not only myself to battle with, everyone in my weight had their chances, but our big goals had only a small window of opportunity.  The ironic thing is Shawn Nelson was the 3x State Champion in my high school weight class.  He attended Penn State.  Jeff Prescott was the 3x NCAA Champion in my weight class who also attended Penn State.  I heard Shawn wrestled him very tough, but was forced to compete at 126 lb.  Pretty crazy to think the best Ohio had at 119 lbs in 1989 wasn’t able to beat the best from New York.  However, I managed to get on the podium with a 5th Place finish at the State Tournament (below 2 Ohio Greats, Steve St John and Shawn Nelson) and had a great showing at the University Nationals (Freestyle) where I placed 3rd and earned All American below Jeff Prescott.

OWS: Tom, I’d like to ask you what the single most important thing for wrestlers to be doing in the off-season is, if you had to choose just one thing.

TR:     Depending on their age, I could have three separate answers.  Youth wrestlers should continue accumulating quality matches for as long as they so desire.  While getting those matches, they should also be learning the skill of preparation.

Middle School wrestlers should start experimenting with ways to get stronger.  Whether its specific drills he or she can do with a partner in the practice room, or targeted lifting exercises that will help strengthen their lesser-developed muscles. 

High School wrestlers should try to lift and practice with a purpose.  Work on weaker muscles and positions that will make them a better “finisher”.  I’ve often referenced the technique of Dustin Schlatter.  He was one of the best finishers I’ve ever seen.  In high school and now in college, it doesn’t matter what position he’s in, he usually finishes.  Whether he takes a shot, attempts an escape or is forced to counter, he usually completes what he starts.  A good portion of what he does comes from his heart, but the other half was taught.

OWS: Knowing what you know today, how would a week in the off-season look from a training standpoint if you were a high school wrestler competing today?

TR:    Depending on what one’s goals are, off-season training is when you can get stronger, faster, quicker and learn how to be a better finisher.  Providing you have a partner or coach that can assist you.  I encourage others (again depending on what their goals are) to practice at least once a week and lift at least twice a week for at least 2-3 months during the spring, summer or fall.  With that type of commitment, good results should be noticeable.  Taking time off to recover from injuries is important and should be considered.  Don’t start training like a madman if your still banged up from the winter season. 

OWS: How important is nutrition for wrestlers in the off-season?  What advice can you give athletes?

TR:     Nutrition should be important year-round if you’re serious with your goals. Especially if your not getting any type of exercise in during the off-season.  I believe in the “Pavlov” theory of training crossed over to nutrition.  Eat good, healthy food four to five times a day for at least five days in a row, then reward yourself with a meal you really enjoy, but isn’t quite as nutritious- (i.e. combo meals, a whole pizza with chips and pop, etc.) on the weekend.  Then get back on your 5 days in a row routine the following day.  Nutrition is a rough subject for high school athletes, especially if losing weight is an issue.  It’s better understood in college simply because it truly is another way one can create an advantage.  Simply by eating the right foods, you will improve your chances.

OWS: You have worked with a lot of athletes from a lot of different programs, what is the most common mistake you see wrestlers or coaches making in their approach to the sport?

TR:  While I have coached for one very respected program in Ohio, what I taught myself is that you don’t talk negatively about others that can’t defend themselves or contradict one’s teachings.  However, to answer this question, it depends again on the age, so I’ll start with high school. Some mistakes to watch out for as a coach is showing too much at one time, showing offense and defense the same day and the lack of ability to take ones style and improve the weaknesses instead of what he’s good at.  Youth coaches need to pay attention to everyone in their room and be extremely positive.  I’ve worked with many very talented kids that had a lot of heart and just needed a little bit of attention.  One year they can’t even start, yet after a few months of training, they’re standing on the podium at the state tournament.  The greatest thing about our sport is: Youth Wrestling.

From a wrestler’s stand point,  #1 be yourself, #2 never stop practicing the basics and fighting for head position  #3 develop the skills that work against you.  If you have problems getting turned with cradles, learn all the cradles and setups you can.  Become the guy that can cradle anybody.  With that knowledge, you more than likely won’t get cradled as much.  

OWS:  With your resume as a competitor and a coach, have you ever thought about “settling down” with one program?  Why is it that you choose not to do so?

TR:  As I mentioned before, I was privileged to coach at Massillon Perry for nearly a decade.  During those years, I was blessed to work with some of Ohio’s best:  Sean Smith, Brent McBurney, Brent Eibel, John Foster, Nate Vickers.  Stevie Luke and Jason Johnstone were still youth wrestlers; following them were Thomas Straughn and Danny Genetin who were becoming stud youth wrestlers as well.  With Perry’s tradition, the list is fairly long.  After nearly 10 years of coaching at the high school level, as many “non-teaching” coaches know, you sacrifice vacations, time, and for the most part, a good part of your life.  On top of working with the high school wrestlers I also helped out with the youth and middle school kids too. There I found a passion with working with younger wrestlers.  The success rate was incredible, especially when you have Stevie Luke and Jason Johnstone to prepare for their high school debut.  The pride a Perry wrestler has, is easily recognizable.  It’s part of what make them so good.  After experiencing the success of working with such a great group of youth wrestler’s, I continued by supervising open mat sessions and soon found there were a lot of young wrestler’s that had the desire to improve.  With the help of several dedicated parents and wrestlers, Team Roehlig was formed.  Jason Johnstone and Thomas Straughn came up with the name and I did the rest.  After the first year of training (1999-2000) during the spring / summer, I realized this was a better fit for me.  I have such a great collection of memories of some incredibly talented kids I was privileged to train during the off-season.  My work schedule also helped me decide to stick with off-season training vs. coaching for a specific team or school on a full time basis.

OWS: Tom, you’ve been heavily involved in wrestling in this state for the past 20 years as a top competitor and now a coach.  In your view, who are the top five wrestlers you have seen compete?

TR:  Top 5 I’ve seen compete.  #1 Alan Fried  #2 Dustin Schlatter  #3 Harry Lester  #4 Steve Luke  #5 Johnstone/Straughn.  The Top Five is tough to call. Especially when you have guys that I coached for and against.  I enjoyed watching Kyle Ott, Clint Musser, Sonny Marchette, and Joe Heskett among many others.  To watch wrestlers you’ve seen grow up and compete in High School is a blessing.  Consider coaching Johnstone in youth/middle school when he battled with Dustin Schlatter and lost, I can’t accurately remember the number but it was somewhere around 15 or 16 losses, then to watch him finally beat him at the Ironman (Schlatter’s first high school loss) was priceless.  It was a goal, a target, and a mission that was achieved.  How can I not list Jason or Thomas? 

OWS: What are training sessions at Team Roehlig like?

TR:  Intense at times, competitive, structured, informative.  Everyone learns and everyone gets better, period.

OWS: What athletes have you trained that we would know about?

TR:  As mentioned before, I’ve been privileged to work with a growing number of dedicated wrestlers.  There is such a large amount of talented kids that are always looking to gain an advantage.  The best answer I could give you would be to go to my team site: http://teamroehlig.com.  I’ve put together a list of great competitors I’ve had the honor to work with, ranging from youth to high school.

OWS:  You have trained a number of great athletes in the sport as well as being teammates with guys like Adam Disabato, Kevin Randleman, Rex Holman, Ken Ramsey and Mike Schyck.  Is there a common characteristic between all of these athletes?

TR:  Yes there is.  Work ethic, desire, mental toughness and beliefs in their own ability.

OWS: Tom, I know that as an ex-Ohio State wrestler you still bleed scarlet and gray.  Does this ever put you in an awkward position as far as advising wrestlers as to their college choice?

TR: Good question, and my answer is No.  However, over the years I made a habit of inviting Ohio State assistant (Mitch Clark) up to my practice sessions to show technique.  At that time I was hoping that some of the guys I was working with would eventually want to go there and start to dream big.  Although, it’s very hard to determine whether a wrestler may blossom late and become a great Division I, Big Ten wrestler.  OSU may not be a good fit.  On top of the fact that academic and athletic credentials play a major role in the recruiter’s decision.  There are so many good wrestling colleges and it depends on the options presented and the goals of each wrestler.

OWS: Now I understand that you are training athletes today at Team Roehlig?

TR: Yes, I’m currently working with a very impressive group of wrestler’s ranging from Youth – High School.  My spring club started a week or so ago and will last until May.  Afterwards, I have several camps all over Ohio during the summer and fall.  Information for those can be found on the team website

OWS: It is no secret that you have had a big part in the success of two-time state champion Thomas Straughn.  Can you share with us why Straughn picked Edinboro?

TR:  Honestly it was a good pick for Thomas.  His college choices included Ohio State and he really wanted to be a part of what’s happening in Columbus.  We talked about what it would be like partnering up with his high school teammate, Jason Johnstone.  The bottom line ended up being the offer Edinboro came up with, plus the recruiting class and coaching staff.  Thomas is here now; I’ll let him answer this one for me.

Thomas Straughn: The atmosphere really reminded me of training at home.  The team goals were in line with my personal goals on top of the team unity I felt during my visit.  Now after the NCAA Tournament, I’m very pleased with my decision.  I can’t wait.

OWS: Tom, you started a new site called www.accomplishyourgoal.com.   What does Accomplish Your Goal do for wrestlers and parents of wrestlers?

TR:  It wasn’t 100% my idea so I can’t take credit for starting it, however I am a contributor.  Accomplish Your Goal in short, is a recruiting service that specializes only in the sport of wrestling, plus much more.  Members have access to a collection of motivational material and software that can help them both mentally and physically.  One of the main services provided are personal websites with highlight videos, Internet marketing of each website, and video analysis. Every member that’s joined is impressed with how well they’re taken care of.  As for parents, there are plans for them as well.  We can help any parent by teaching them how to accomplish their goals too. Whether it’s a financial or nutritional goal, we have a system already in place that will help guide, motivate and support their progress from start to finish.

OWS: What does one have to do to sign up for Accomplish Your Goal?

TR:     Athletes can visit http://accomplishyourgoal.com, go to the Services Page and request access for more information and pricing.  It’s a secured site because of many reasons, all of which are explained on the FAQ page.  Parents of wrestlers can visit http://accomplishyourgoal.com/choices.htm.  The Athletic portion of Accomplish Your Goal is based on a membership.  The Nutritional and Financial sides have different options to choose from depending on the goal or target.

OWS: What wrestlers have you worked with so far?

TR:     The list has grown to over 50 wrestlers thus far without doing any advertising nationally.  Locally, seniors such as Thomas Straughn and Dante Rini both have their own private sites, which are now being used as demos.  The majority of members are underclassmen from smaller schools looking to get nationally recognized.  That’s the whole reason this site was created.  Many wrestlers don’t attend Fargo during the off-season and do not attend the Iron Man during the winter season.  A lot of college coaches are at these events, as well as Junior and Senior Nationals.  If you count only on the state tournament to gain recognition, all you need is one bad match and your scholarship chances could be gone. We get every member noticed by the college coaches they’d prefer to wrestle for and the rest takes care of itself.  It’s a fairly unique marketing system that is used and is proven to be very effective.

OWS: Tom, keep up the good work, and thanks for taking the time!
TR: No problem!

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OhioWrestlingSite.com 2005