STEEL RESOLVE: USA Wrestling Coach’s Corner feature on TJ Sebolt

Photo: TJ Sebolt leads one of the nation’s premier clubs in Jefferson, Iowa.

By Tristan Warner

Editor’s Note: This USA Wrestling Coach’s Corner feature originally appeared in WIN’s Volume 32 Issue 1, the High School and College Preview Edition, which printed on Oct. 10, 2025. 

TJ Sebolt was among the best prep wrestlers in Iowa history during his competition days. The 2006 graduate of Centerville High School mounted an incredible 207-1 career record on his way to capturing four state titles.

That is a dramatic turnaround for a guy who started his wrestling career 0-27 by getting pinned 27 times when he first took up the sport in early elementary school.

An avid fan of Superman as a kid, which is evidenced today by the club’s look-alike logo, TJ’s father, Scott, used to encourage his mild-mannered son to be more ferocious on the mat by saying, “take off the glasses Clark and bring out the red and blue.”

Simply put, from a very young age, Sebolt adhered to an intensely regimented training routine where he cultivated an elite work ethic and sense of discipline. These intangible lessons helped him achieve high levels of success on the mat, undoubtedly.

But his experiences also taught him a lot about coaching, a career path he never knew he would embark on some day. He learned the dos and don’ts, and in his own evolution as the leader of one of the nation’s premier wrestling clubs, Sebolt Wrestling Academy (SWA), he continues to invest in his own development just as he pours into hundreds of kids across the state of Iowa and even across state lines in the Midwest.

“I got away from it for a while and then coached at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC),” Sebolt recalled. “I had some serious kids and enjoyed working with them, so the spark got relit.”

He decided to open his own club and initially began running practices out of the NIACC room.

“I first started with fourth grade and up, and I just wanted to help kids. I remember vividly working with some kids and seeing them benefit from the ways you help them; it was so satisfying to see them accomplish things they wanted to do.”

After expanding to the Iowa State room, the COVID pandemic shutdown complicated things. Sebolt bought his own place in Jefferson, Iowa, 35 minutes west of Ames.

Today the SWA is widely recognized among the nation’s most prolific wrestling clubs. Regularly, his practice facility is littered with dozens of the nation’s annual top pound-for-pound recruits. In fact, the banners that hang on the walls of the facility are largely reserved for national and international accomplishers, as Sebolt would quickly run out of wall space if state-level awards were recognized.

Though Sebolt urges his wrestlers to set ever-higher goals on the mat, his greater mission is to instill life lessons that endure far beyond the nearly two-inch-thick foam beneath their feet.

“We are big on doing what is hard, not what is easy,” he explained. “Make the right choice even if it is not the easy choice. If there is a pile of dishes on the counter … you can walk away and say, ‘mom wash my stuff.’ or you can do it yourself. It might be annoying or inconvenient but wire your mind to do these things instead of slacking off.

“Everything spills over. If you are messy here, it is going to spill over to somewhere else. Academics or cutting corners in class spills over to cutting corners in wrestling or diet. Do the right things and be a person of good character.”

While Sebolt has developed impactful relationships with countless accomplished student-athletes, he insists it is important for coaches not to cut corners to win kids over.

“Forming good relationships is critical, but it has to be done the right way,” he explained. “Some coaches just try to be their buddy. You are still an authoritative figure. They have to know you love them and want the best for them, but that happens over time.

“You want them to know the guy in their corner is going to fight for them, but it takes time. It is huge to have an almost father-son bond, but it doesn’t happen overnight.

“Over time you have kids who have been there for years, and they know what you expect of them. If that person knows you care about them, both will fight harder for each other.”

And fighting hard is a cornerstone of any Sebolt practice. On the club’s website, SWA training is described as “an opportunity for those wrestlers who are the 1%ers … meaning, we will challenge you on a level you’ve never been challenged before — mentally, physically and emotionally.”

In order to continue to offer such top-tier coaching and training opportunities, Sebolt admits he never stops putting the work in to adapt and grow as a leader in the sport.

When you’re passionate about your kids reaching their goals, he says, internal growth comes as a byproduct.

“You’ve got to stay plugged into wrestling. If you are going to all of these events and you’re in the thick of it, you’re going to see new trends and new positions. You evolve that way.

“You study film, break it down, and figure out ways to implement the things you see. Then you try to find ways to beat it. When you stay in it, it is relatively easy to keep innovating.”

And speaking of evolution, SWA is also keeping up with the rapid growth of girls’ and women’s wrestling, among the nation’s fastest-growing sports.

“This year we just started a Monday night girls-only practice,” Sebolt added. “All attention is on them. We had a guy donate a shower room and make individual showers for girls and their own private changing quarters. We are evolving piece by piece.”

The last bit of helpful advice he provided for coaches in the sport of wrestling is unique but endearing.

“Find a great wife,” he advised. “I have a great wife who fully supports what we do. We grinded for almost 10 years before it really took off.

“Both my daughters wrestle now, and if they didn’t, I don’t know how we would do it. It is what our family does, and we have made it part of our life. I am lucky and blessed.”