Q&A: Joel Greenlee

Joel Greenlee, head wrestling coach at Ohio University, said he has noticed generational differences between wrestlers, but his coaches and experiences on different teams have equipped him to handle the changes.

How have you addressed the difference between the current generation of athletes and your generation?

“It’s just different. I’m not saying it’s better or worse it’s just different.”

“I don’t know if I was the age group … where the coach could say, ‘Hey you’re not any good’… then I say, ‘Alright I’m gonna dig in and prove you wrong.’ But that’s definitely not going to happen now. Technically they are a lot better than we were. Mentality-wise and toughness-wise I think my era was better. We didn’t worry about getting a bloody nose. We didn’t necessarily worry about concussions. We didn’t necessarily worry that my knee hurt a little bit. With cellphones, computers and everything else … they want instant gratification.”

Have there been coaches or experiences that have shaped you as a coach?

“As far as technicians, I didn’t have the greatest high school coach, or college coach for that matter, but they were two guys that both cared about me as a person, and that I became a better man. Both those guys shaped me as a person.”

You said that you had some bad experience that shaped how you coach. Can you give some examples?

“I have been on a few teams … where they really didn’t care about you. That wasn’t because they didn’t, but that they took you for granted. I figured out that guys need to know they are important. Everyone has a role, and we need to figure what it is so they feel important.”