Hawks deal with inexperience and a new coach
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The Hawks wrestling team will be dealing with some inexperience this season along with trying to get used to a new coach as they hope to compete in the difficult Big Northern Conference.
Brian Kaskavage is taking over this season for Nate Rogers after being an assistant at Oregon for the previous six years.
The kids are used to Kaskavage from their dealings with him as an assistant coach, but there are some differences in coaching technique that the kids are going to have to adjust to.
“We are going through a transition and a majority of the kids have been receptive, but there is a bit of a change in style,” said Kaskavage. “We lost a few kids, but we are down to a core group of kids that are starting to buy into the changes.”
The team has just six wrestlers returning that have varsity experience, and they will be leaning on several freshmen in the starting line-up.
That is going to make things tough in the early going, but should improve as the season moves along and they gain experience, said Kaskavage.
“I am learning as much from them as they are from me, so each day we are improving a little bit and learning from each other,” said Kaskavage. “We are not concerned with the score of the matches right now, we are concerned with what we can control. Intensity and how hard we wrestle, and if we can control that we will be strong when we get to the state series.”
They might be young and inexperienced, but Kaskavage believes they are talented and that being young isn’t the worst thing that could happen.
“This year we are pretty raw, but we have the athletes and the potential,” said Kaskavage. “Since we are starting with so many young guys I can teach them what I expect out of them. It would be much more difficult if we had a team of juniors and seniors, but that is the situation we want to be in two or three years from now.”
Getting to that point could have its share of tough times though.
“The hardest part is that we are going to have some young guys in matches that they are not prepared for,” said Kaskavage. “it gives them the opportunity to get the experience they need, but it’s different being on the varsity mat then on the J/V mat.”
The main change he wants to see in his wrestlers this season is to continue to be more and more aggressive.
“Our focus is to slowly improve on our feet, and to be aggressive. I call it aggressively relentless,” said Kaskavage. “I want the mindset of the program that we are going to make our opponent work for six minutes, and no matter what they are going to have to earn the win.”
The conference always has solid competition for Oregon, and this season is going to be no different.
“Stillman Valley is going to be the team to beat. They have a lot of depth,” said Kaskavage. “Our focus is to compete where we can compete, and then see where the cards fall. Our philosophy is that the season doesn’t start until February, and until we are just learning.”
General improvement in all facets of their craft is what Kaskavage wants to see out of his wrestlers this season.
“I want our level of intensity at practice to improve. I want them to work hard without being told to, and I want them to be ready to compete come regionals,” said Kaskavage. “I want to see us be able to perform in big matches, have a good attitude, have good intensity, and be aggressive.”
