Advanced Wrestling Program
College-Style Training for Older Wrestlers
The Broad Axe Advanced Wrestling Program is a demanding, college-style training environment designed primarily for experienced middle school and high school wrestlers.
The program combines detailed technical instruction, hard drilling, advanced wrestling systems, intense live wrestling, conditioning, and greater athlete ownership.
Placement is based on age, maturity, training needs, pace, safety, and coach judgment—not tournament results or championship credentials.
Program Details
Primary Schedule
Monday and Wednesday, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Combined Practice
Tuesday and Thursday, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Grades
Sixth through twelfth grade
Experience
Generally three or more years
Placement
Sign up online. Coaches will recommend a change if a kid is in the wrong class.
Some older athletes with less experience may be considered for the Advanced Program when their age, maturity, athletic ability, and training needs make it the most appropriate placement.
A College-Style Training Room
The Advanced Program is structured much like a college wrestling workout.
Practices are physically demanding, technically detailed, and designed for wrestlers who are prepared to train with purpose and intensity.
Athletes receive extensive instruction, but they are also expected to take greater ownership of their development. They must learn to recognize where they need improvement, ask productive questions, work intentionally with partners, and maintain high standards even when a coach is not standing directly beside them.
What Advanced Training Includes
Advanced practices may include:
- Complete offensive systems
- Advanced setups and finishes
- Chain wrestling
- Defensive and counter-offensive systems
- Position-specific strategies
- Scrambling and transitional wrestling
- Advanced top and bottom systems
- Match-specific tactics
- High-intensity drilling
- Situational wrestling
- Extended live wrestling
- Strength and conditioning
- Competition preparation
- Mental toughness and mindset training
- Film-informed technical adjustments
- Individual problem-solving within the team system
Instruction goes deeply into the details that separate a technique that looks correct from one that works consistently against experienced opponents.
What Athletes Should Expect
Advanced athletes should expect:
- Hard, purposeful drilling
- A high volume of live wrestling
- Demanding conditioning
- Detailed technical instruction
- Fast transitions between practice segments
- Experienced and competitive training partners
- Direct coaching and honest feedback
- High standards for effort and preparation
- Personal responsibility for improvement
The Advanced room is challenging by design. Athletes are expected to embrace difficult practices, respond positively to coaching, and contribute to the quality of the room.
Athlete Ownership
At this level, wrestlers must begin taking greater responsibility for their training.
That includes:
- Arriving prepared
- Understanding personal strengths and weaknesses
- Drilling with purpose
- Choosing appropriate pace and resistance
- Asking productive questions
- Seeking appropriate training partners
- Applying coaching during live wrestling
- Taking care of recovery and nutrition
- Supporting teammates
- Maintaining effort when tired
- Responding constructively to setbacks
Coaches provide the structure, instruction, and accountability. Athletes must bring the commitment.
How Advanced Placement Is Determined
Placement in the Advanced Program is based primarily on age, grade, maturity, training needs, practice pace, partner safety, and the athlete’s ability to benefit from a college-style environment.
Competition results do not determine placement.
Being a Keystone or PJW state qualifier, medalist, or champion does not automatically place an athlete in the Advanced room. Broad Axe has highly accomplished wrestlers who remain in the Intermediate Program because it is the most appropriate environment for their age and development.
The Advanced Program is designed primarily for athletes in sixth through twelfth grade. Some older athletes with less experience may belong in Advanced because the room is more appropriate for their age and physical development. At the same time, a younger state champion may remain in Intermediate because that environment is the better developmental fit.
Advanced placement is not a promotion, reward, ranking, or status designation. It identifies the training environment our coaches believe is most appropriate for an athlete.
Coaches consider:
- Age and grade
- Physical and emotional maturity
- Training pace
- Partner safety
- Technical and developmental needs
- Ability to handle a demanding practice
- Coachability
- Training habits
- Available training partners
- Long-term athlete development
Every placement decision is made with one goal: putting the athlete in the room where they can train safely, be challenged appropriately, and continue progressing.
Tuesday and Thursday Combined Practice
The Tuesday and Thursday session brings the Advanced room together with selected Intermediate athletes.
These combined practices give Advanced wrestlers access to additional training days while allowing invited Intermediate athletes to experience the room’s pace and expectations.
Advanced athletes are expected to set the example by:
- Maintaining a strong practice pace
- Being responsible training partners
- Helping less experienced or younger teammates
- Demonstrating Broad Axe standards
- Training hard without training recklessly
- Strengthening the room as a whole
Leadership is part of advanced training.
Is Advanced the Right Fit?
The Advanced Program is intended primarily for athletes who:
- Are in sixth through twelfth grade
- Generally have three or more years of wrestling experience
- Understand fundamental wrestling positions
- Can drill and wrestle at a demanding pace
- Are prepared for a high volume of live wrestling
- Can train safely with older and more experienced partners
- Accept detailed coaching and correction
- Take increasing ownership of their development
- Want a college-style training environment
- Are committed to long-term growth
Tournament success alone does not determine placement. Coaches also consider maturity, physical readiness, training habits, effort, coachability, partner safety, and the athlete’s ability to contribute positively to the room.
Train With Purpose
The Advanced Program is for older wrestlers who are ready to be challenged in a demanding, college-style environment.
It is a room where details matter, effort is expected, teammates hold one another accountable, and athletes become active participants in their own development.
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.