Athletor

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TJ Sebolt is a 4x Iowa state champion with a 207-1 career record and the founder of Sebolt Wrestling Academy, one of the top youth programs in the country. He sits down with Mike Mal to talk about coaching his daughter on the international stage, the real story behind how SWA started with just 4 kids, and why he refuses to put a state championship board in his wrestling room. 🔗 Championship Fundraising Challenge - Raise your first $500 in 2 weeks or your money back: https://www.athletorlive.com/product/championship-fundraising-challenge 🔗 Full Championship Fundraising Course: https://www.athletorlive.com/product/championship-fundraising-course ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 — Introduction and overseas wrestling food horror stories 3:13 — First-time dad coach: coaching his daughter internationally 8:28 — The car ride after a bad practice — when to speak up and when to shut up 18:04 — Iron fist vs. velvet glove: learning to read your athletes 28:18 — How Sebolt Wrestling Academy started with 60 kids, kept 4 34:33 — No state championship board: raising the standard beyond state titles 38:58 — Rapid fire: best shoe, Mount Rushmore, podcasts 42:32 — "Everything has to be fun" — the discipline and discomfort problem 📋 ABOUT THIS EPISODE TJ Sebolt (207-1, 4x Iowa state champion, Dave Schultz Award) built Sebolt Wrestling Academy from a two-mat room in Mason City to an elite program in Jefferson, Iowa that has produced wrestlers like Nathan Jesuroga, Drake Ayala, Cullen Schriever, and Dreshaun Ross. In this episode, Sebolt opens up about coaching his daughter at U15 Worlds in Mexico City, what he learned from the Nate Jesuroga situation, why SWA's goal boards skip state titles entirely, and his take on the "everything has to be fun" trend in youth sports. Both coaches get raw about the dad-coach balancing act — when to let a bad practice go and when to have the hard conversation. 🎙️ ABOUT ATHLETOR PODCAST The Athletor Podcast brings you conversations with the coaches, athletes, and minds shaping wrestling. Subscribe for new episodes weekly. 🔗 CONNECT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXjsj-4x50ZVLOvSjaUEM9A Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athletor.live/ X: https://x.com/athletor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/athletor.live/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@athletor

Ep. 0187

How TJ Sebolt Built an Elite Wrestling Club Starting with 4 Kids

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