I don't know if you realize this but you've answered your own question. Nothing else bothers his shoulder except for running. Even the traumatic force of being thrown on a mat repeatedly doesn't bother it, but running does. I think the obvious solution would be to stop running long distance. The only benefit of a wrestler running long distance is to lose weight. What you might not realize is that long distance running actually negates strength and agility which are two main components of wrestling.
To touch on your first question, yes it is overtraining. Not only is your son that busy with wrestling, he also receives activity in gym class. Combined with the social and intellectual pressures of school, I can imagine your son is constantly drained.
As a parent you need to ask the question...why would my son run long distance in a straight line when his sport consists of quick and agile movements on multiple planes while confined to a small area? You mentioned it in your post..."he was never a long distance runner". No he's not, so why is he running long distances? Believe it or not...the approach that is being taken to your son's training is ruining his athleticism and destroying his development.
All this activity it seems as though coaches (and possibly his parents) want him to be successful right now. What you might be missing is the fact that your son is 15 years old and is still developing physically and mentally. Do your want your son to be good now...or be good in a few years and possibly earn a collegiate scholarship?
I hope that I'm wrong, but your son is probably going to suffer and injury from being poorly and/or over-trained. Or, mentally he is going to break down.
With all that time spent training...how much time is left for his education, family, friends, etc.?? All this needs to be taken into consideration. Remember, we are not chisling athletes out of stone. We are developing them from the ground up.
Will Haskell
Athletic Development Specialist
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