 It was a good season overall for the Lynx. What does first-year head
coach Steven Bradley have to say about his team's successes in this
past year?
"We had a lot of hardworking kids, and they had a good commitment
to the team this year," Bradley said.
Achieving such a placement does not come easy. It takes an entire
season of hard work and dedication to reach such a position.
Bradley, as head coach of the Lincoln College wrestling team,
revealed what sort of training the team members endure and what it
was like to work with this year's athletes.
Training takes place every weekday at 3 p.m. A typical week
begins with light workouts and drilling on Monday. Drills consist of
practicing various wrestling techniques, both on the mat and on
foot. "Monday is also the day we go over things to work on from the
last meet," said Bradley.
Tuesday practices are usually harder, with the team members
actually wrestling against each other, and the drills become more
intense. Wednesday brings more of the same.
Thursday practice is not only composed of physical effort.
"Thursday is a day of mental preparation," said Bradley. Thursday is
the day when the team members have to get ready for their opponents
the upcoming Saturday.
The week's practice ends on Friday with some light exercise.
"It's a last chance to drop any extra weight," said Bradley.
Wrestling meets are always on Saturday, and practice starts again
the following Monday.
As for holiday breaks, at least part of the wrestling team
remains on campus after most of the students have left. Christmas
break is one example. The starters stay on campus an extra week, and
they return to school a week before the break officially ends.
While Bradley has been an assistant coach with the Lincoln
College wrestling team for the last three years, this season marked
his first year as head coach. His predecessor was Dave Klemm, who is
now the athletic director. As a result, Bradley has begun to take a
more active role in recruiting students. The head coach typically
handles recruitment more than the assistant coaches do, and this new
responsibility has provided Bradley with a new challenge.
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"Recruiting is all about getting in contact with the kids," said
Bradley. "They have to be able to advance both academically and
athletically."
The wrestlers have to maintain good grades if they wish to retain
their eligibility. Scholarships can be offered to potential
recruits, but those funds are limited.
Bradley remarks that the athletes, while possessing a strong work
ethic early in the season, "had to learn how to believe in the work
that they had done and use that work as confidence." As the season
moved on, however, the members came together as a team much easier.
This year also presented greater challenges due to a changing
team roster.
"Six sophomores graduated last year, so this year's team is
younger," said Bradley.
There were also a number of significant injuries this year, and
multiple athletes had to cut their season short as a result. Players
who were too injured to continue take away valuable practice
opponents, and the outcomes of meets were affected as well.
Despite an initial lack of belief and a younger, shrinking
roster, the Lynx pulled off an impressive placement at the NJCAA
tournament this year.
Bradley, a former high school and college wrestler, is in his
fourth year as part of the athletics department at Lincoln College.
He was previously an assistant coach at the University of
Indianapolis, his alma mater.
[By DEREK HURLEY]
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