Duane Bastress is the head coach for the men's and women's wrestling team at the York College of Pennsylvania. He is also the strength and conditioning coach for the athletic program at York. Coach Bastress was also a college wrestler himself at York. He was a two-time national champion and went 40-0 his senior season and at the time of his graduation, he held a 65-0 winning streak. If you're going to take college wrestling advice from anyone, it should definitely be Coach Bastress. Here are 19 pieces of college wrestling recruiting information with Coach Duane Bastress:
1. What are some of the most important qualities you look for in a college wrestling recruit?
- Are they a good person? Will they represent themselves and our program in a positive manner?
- Are they a good student? Do they take schooling seriously and want to be successful in the classroom as much as they do on the mat?
- Do they love the sport? They should have a passion for everything that goes into the sport. Then, they will become successful!
2. What is the best way for a recruit to get on your radar?
- Email or send a message via Twitter/Instagram.
- They can send video. I usually can find videos of them, but I like for them to send some as well.
- If they have a big win, or wrestle at a certain event, make sure that we know. Then, hopefully, we can get out there to watch them.
3. When and how should an athlete contact you?
Most kids have been starting the contacting part of recruiting after their sophomore year. They can email, reach me via Twitter, or text me as well.
4. What are the must-dos and don'ts when being recruited?
Must DO: Narrow down the schools that have the major that you are looking for. Make sure to visit different schools to see what you do and do not like.
Don't: Pass over a school because of its division. You can be successful at any level and most importantly you're going to get an education first.
6. What are the main dos and don'ts for a recruit's highlight tape?
I like to see highlights but I also want to see some tough matches they have been in. I also don't mind seeing some matches that they lost. This allows me to see how they handle defeat/setbacks.
7. When do you recommend recruits share their highlight reels with you?
Usually, I recommend sharing highlight reels during the season unless you wrestle in some big off-season tournaments. I am the one that heads up our recruiting, so I will review the tapes and see what I like and don't like.
8. Can you tell us the importance of watching highlight reels vs. seeing an athlete in-person at events such as showcases and camps?
In-person is so much better. Then you get to see how they handle themselves during competition and not competing. I really like to see how a kid practices, if they drill hard or if they go through the motions, and if they are willing to learn and want to learn.
I try to see every athlete that we bring in either in-person or via video.
9. What do you look for when viewing the highlight tapes?
- Technique knowledge
- Power/Explosiveness
- Wrestling IQ about situations
- How they handle themselves after a loss, bad call, etc.
- The type of opponent that they are wrestling.
10. What can a player expect when they enter college?
Training is more intense. Traveling on weekends to events. We help with gear and laundry services. Expect a high level of commitment on and off the mat.
11. Do you have a story of a successful athlete that you can share?
Ryan Flynn was one of the best kids we have ever had here at York College. He had an underwhelming high school career, but he came in from day one and became successful on and off the mat. He became a 4x Scholar All-American, 3x NCAA Qualifier, and an All-American.
He was always one match away from becoming an All-American and he finally beat a nationally ranked kid to do so and achieve his first and only All-American honors. I can still picture to this day his reaction when it happened. It was a lifetime of work that had finally paid off.
12. If an athlete is looking to become a coach, what advice would you give them?
Decide what level you want to coach at. You need to make sure you find the right position that fits what you are looking for. It also means you have to get your foot in the door and start out at the bottom maybe but keep your goals in mind and what you want to achieve.
13. Tell our readers about yourself. How would you describe your coaching style?
My coaching style is one that is demanding but understanding. I will demand your best every day but understand that there is more to life than wrestling.
The most rewarding thing about coaching is when a kid accomplishes their goals. Helping them achieve something that they hold so dear. Relationships are another big thing! I love building lifelong relationships with my athletes.
14. What does it take to be successful on your team?
Give 100% in whatever we are doing. That could be school work, lifts, practice, etc, just give 100% of what you have at that moment.
I value honesty and communication.
I also tell our athletes to ask themselves this question. Would Coach approve of this? If the answer is no, then they shouldn't do it.
15. Can you share stories of college wrestling athletes that have gone on to do great things after college?
Three of my guys have gotten married and both are successful in their careers. We have guys who range in all types of careers from engineers to nurses, to state police, and everywhere in between. All are successful in their own way.
16. What advice would you give an athlete to help them do well both on the team and in class?
We do a certain amount of study hall hours per week. We do offer academic assistance if needed and I will help set that up with them. Communicate with coaches. We preach that we have an open-door policy and they can come in and ask for help at any time of the day. We are here to help them win National Championships but also to help prepare them for life, so I will do everything I can to make sure they are successful!
17. What are 3 words your players would use to describe you?
Passionate, Demanding, and Understanding.
18. What platforms do you use to discover or recruit athletes?
NSCA and Social media (Twitter and Instagram). Also, from current athletes that reach out to us about someone they wrestled/trained with that they feel would be a good fit for our wrestling family.
Image Credit: Alchetron
* Originally published on August 21, 2023, by Bella Nevin
