Intermediate Wrestling Program
From Individual Skills to Complete Wrestling Systems
The Broad Axe Intermediate Wrestling Program is where experienced young wrestlers begin connecting individual techniques into complete systems of offense, defense, and counter-wrestling.
Athletes train at a faster pace, drill with greater intensity, wrestle significantly more live situations, and continue building the technical foundation they will need as they grow.
Program Details
Primary Schedule
Monday and Wednesday, 5:20-6:50 p.m.
Additional Opportunity
Tuesday and Thursday, 7:00-8:30 p.m., by coach invitation
Ages
Generally 8-12 years old
Experience
Generally three or more years of wrestling experience
Placement
Sign up online. Coaches will recommend a change if a kid is in the wrong class.
The Next Stage of Development
The Intermediate Program is designed for wrestlers who already understand the sport’s basic positions, movements, and practice expectations.
Rather than teaching techniques only as isolated skills, our coaches begin organizing them into complete systems. Athletes learn how attacks, defenses, reactions, counters, and transitions work together during a match.
This is where wrestlers begin to understand not only what technique to use, but also when to use it, why it works, and what to do when an opponent reacts.
What Athletes Will Learn
Intermediate instruction may include:
- Complete offensive systems
- Takedown setups and finishes
- Chain wrestling
- Defensive systems
- Counter-wrestling
- Mat returns
- Escapes and reversals
- Turns and pinning combinations
- Position-specific strategies
- Transitions between positions
- Situational awareness
- Match management
- Pace and pressure
- Competition preparation
The curriculum is repeated and developed throughout each month. New athletes may initially feel challenged by the amount of information, but important positions and systems are revisited frequently.
Athletes are not expected to master everything immediately. They are expected to stay engaged, keep working, and improve through repetition.
A Faster, More Demanding Practice
Intermediate practice represents a significant step up from the Beginner Program.
Athletes should be prepared for:
- Faster-paced instruction
- Higher-intensity drilling
- Longer and more demanding practice periods
- Approximately two to three times more live wrestling
- More situational wrestling
- Greater physical conditioning
- More responsibility for maintaining the room’s pace
- Increased expectations for effort, focus, and coachability
Our coaches continue to provide detailed instruction, correction, and support. Athletes must also be capable of staying engaged and keeping up with a more experienced room.
Training in Systems
The Beginner Program focuses on building essential skills one piece at a time.
The Intermediate Program teaches athletes how those pieces fit together.
For example, wrestlers may learn how to move from a setup to an attack, respond to an opponent’s defense, transition into a second attack, complete the takedown, and immediately begin working from the top position.
This systems-based approach helps athletes become more adaptable, confident, and effective during live wrestling and competition.
Intermediate Does Not Mean Less Accomplished
The Intermediate Program includes athletes at many competitive levels, including Keystone and PJW state qualifiers, medalists, and champions.
Program placement is not determined by wins, losses, rankings, or tournament credentials. Winning a Keystone or PJW state title does not automatically place an athlete in the Advanced Program.
A younger athlete may be highly successful in competition and still belong in the Intermediate room because its age range, instruction, practice structure, and training partners provide the best environment for continued development.
Intermediate is not simply a waiting room for Advanced. It is a high-level developmental program where accomplished young wrestlers learn complete systems, increase their training pace, and build strong technical foundations.
Combined Intermediate and Advanced Practices
Selected Intermediate athletes may be invited to attend combined Intermediate and Advanced practices on Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00-8:30 p.m.
These sessions provide appropriate Intermediate wrestlers with:
- Exposure to a faster training environment
- Additional live wrestling
- More experienced partners
- Greater physical and technical challenges
- A gradual introduction to Advanced practice expectations
Participation in the combined class is by coach invitation.
Invitations are based on age, maturity, partner availability, safety, training needs, pace, and coach judgment—not tournament credentials alone.
Being invited to a combined practice does not automatically change an athlete’s primary placement. It simply provides an additional training opportunity when the coaches believe it will benefit the athlete and the room.
Long-Term Athlete Development
The Intermediate Program helps athletes prepare for the demands they may encounter as they get older.
Readiness for Advanced is based on more than competitive success. Coaches consider:
- Age and grade
- Physical and emotional maturity
- Technical development
- Ability to wrestle through complete positions
- Practice pace
- Conditioning
- Effort
- Focus
- Coachability
- Training consistency
- Partner safety
- Available training partners
Athletes develop at different rates. Broad Axe will place each athlete in the environment that best supports safe, productive, long-term growth.
Is Intermediate the Right Fit?
The Intermediate Program may be appropriate if your athlete:
- Is generally 8-12 years old
- Has approximately three or more years of experience
- Understands basic wrestling positions and rules
- Can participate in a faster practice
- Is prepared for significantly more live wrestling
- Can listen, drill, and remain engaged
- Wants to learn more advanced wrestling systems
- Needs a challenging, age-appropriate training environment
Competitive records and state-level accomplishments do not determine placement.
Sign up if this is the room that fits. If you are not sure which class to come to, call (610) 301-4440 or email melissa@broadaxewrestling.com.
Coaches will make recommendations to families if they feel a kid is in the wrong class.