DRUSLININKAI, Lithuania (August 16) -- The Lithuanian Wrestling Federation successfully hosted a UWW Level 3 Coaches Course focused on periodization and coaching Philosophy from August 4 to 7, 2026. The advanced training program brought together 20 coaches -- 14 men and 6 women -- representing the Lithuanian Wrestling Federation, with support provided through the IOC Olympic Solidarity programme.
The course was led by UWW Certified Educator Yusup ABDUSALAMOV, who guided participants through an intensive four-day program designed to elevate coaching competencies through advanced theory, practical application, and strategic planning modules.
Director of International Relations for the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania Vaida MACIANSKIENE and President of the Lithuanian Wrestling Federation Aleksandr KAZAKEVIC were also present during the course.
Comprehensive Curriculum
The Level 3 programme focused on advanced coaching competencies through a combination of theory, practice, and strategic modules.
Performance Analysis: Participants explored technical and video analysis methods alongside practice design principles that enable coaches to identify and address athlete performance gaps systematically.
Periodization and Preparation: The course covered fundamentals of periodization, general and special preparation phases, annual and special training plans, and instruction of complex technique. This module equipped coaches with tools to structure long-term athlete development effectively.
Coaching Philosophy: Sessions addressed leadership styles, self-awareness, creating a vision, goal setting, and developing one's own coaching philosophy. These discussions helped coaches articulate their values and approach to athlete development.
Training Load Management: Coaches learned adaptation principles, step-down loading, recovery strategies, high-intensity training (HIT), and tapering techniques essential for optimizing athlete performance while preventing overtraining.
Competition Coaching & Safe Sport: The program concluded with strategic decision-making during matches, coaching strategies for competition, and athlete safeguarding principles.
"The course progressed smoothly and according to plan," Abdusalamov said. "The participants demonstrated outstanding discipline throughout all four days. There was not a single late arrival and full attendance at every session.
"They showed strong interest and engagement in both theoretical and practical work, actively participating, asking questions and sharing their own experience. I am confident that the knowledge and skills they developed will significantly improve the effectiveness of their coaching work."
Coaching philosophy sparked lively discussion on leadership, the role of the coach, and creating a motivating environment for athletes. Participants appreciated the opportunity to reflect on their personal coaching values and how these shape their interactions with athletes.
Along with coaching philosophy, periodization and training load management generated strong interest as participants explored structuring the annual training cycle and managing loads for athletes of different levels. The practical frameworks provided immediate applicability to their coaching contexts.
"We are very pleased with the successful implementation of the UWW Level 3 coaching program in Lithuania," Kazakevic said. "The course introduced modern international coaching methodologies that are essential for the continued development of wrestling in our country. We highly value the cooperation with UWW and Olympic Solidarity and look forward to further educational initiatives."
Participants Praise
Several coaches emphasised the quality of instruction and the depth of content covered.
"I found the Level 3 course highly valuable, particularly the way complex concepts were broken down into manageable components. The educator's expertise in both theory and practical application was evident throughout, and this gave me confidence in implementing these strategies with my athletes," one of the participating coach said.
