Four-time wrestling state qualifier, Coach Jacob Shulfer, is Green Hope’s newest addition to the school’s wrestling team. He coaches the girl’s wrestling team and hopes to bring them success through hard work while creating a fun environment.
Coach Shulfer has been involved with wrestling for most of his life and it has always been a close sentiment to him. He started coaching at Green Hope in hopes of developing a program that allows female athletes to thrive in the sport.
“I’ve experienced firsthand how this sport can push you to be better and coaching is my way of helping students reach their best potential,” coach Shulfer said in an interview with the GH Falcon. His main goal for the team is to develop skilled and confident wrestlers. He strives to make sure each athlete walks away with life skills that extend beyond wrestling.
Coach Shulfer mentioned, “My long-term goal is to build a strong and fully rostered girls’ team where we even have enough athletes to be able to hold separate athletes.” He plans to empower athletes, especially female athletes, by creating an environment of mutual respect, hard work and support as well as helping them feel valued and capable of reaching their goals.
“We plan to create individualized training plans to address each athlete’s strengths and areas for growth. I know that everyone starts off at a different experience level and it’s important to target each wrestler’s goals,” coach Shulfer said when asked how he would tackle the different levels of experiences, strengths and weaknesses on his team. “I believe in open communication, active listening and team-building exercises to create a trusting environment where athletes will feel supported and motivated. Through this plan, he believes he can effectively train the team as a whole and the athletes individually in a way that the athletes can carry with them even after the season.
One unique challenge Coach Shulfer recognized was building a program for female wrestlers. “Wrestling is, traditionally, a male-dominated sport and introducing it as a sport for females too may be a difficult and slow process but worth it.” He believes this will make it easier to open more doors of opportunities for females not only in sports but also in other aspects.
From his previous experience with wrestling as an athlete and a coach, Coach. Shulfer said, “I’ve learned that every athlete’s journey is unique and requires a personalised approach.” He plans to bring the skills he learned from high school programs and implement them into Green Hope wrestling. Shulfer hopes his tenure at the school will help wrestlers leave with a stronger sense of resilience and confidence that goes beyond the mat. “These qualities can shape their lives,” he believes.
Coach Shulfer hopes to take his team on a journey to success filled with growth, confidence and resilience. He believes coaching the girls team is a way to open more doors for female athletics.
