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A

Comprehensive Parents Guide to


Lovett Wrestling

LTC (Ret) David E.A. Johnson, USA


February 2016

A Comprehensive Parents Guide to


Lovett Wrestling
LTC (Ret) David E.A. Johnson, USA

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 2
UNDERSTANDING WRESTLING .......................................................................................................... 3
THE LOVETT PROGRAM ....................................................................................................................... 4
WRESTLING PRACTICES ....................................................................................................................... 7
INDIVIDUAL MATCHES ......................................................................................................................... 8
DUAL MEETS ......................................................................................................................................... 10
TOURNAMENTS .................................................................................................................................... 12
BEING A SUPPORTIVE FAMILY ........................................................................................................ 14
GEAR ......................................................................................................................................................................... 14
DIET= EATING FOR COMPETITION ...................................................................................................................... 15
SLEEP AND RECOVERY ........................................................................................................................................... 16
HEALTH .................................................................................................................................................................... 16
COMMITMENT ......................................................................................................................................................... 16
BEING A SUPPORTIVE FAN ............................................................................................................... 17
REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS .............................................................................................................. 18
CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 20
APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................................... 21
APPENDIX 1 (TYPICAL UPPER SCHOOL WRESTLING YEAR) .......................................................................... 22
APPENDIX 2 (RESOURCES) ................................................................................................................................... 24
Books: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Camps: .................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Clubs: ....................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Training Centers: ............................................................................................................................................... 26
APPENDIX 3 (OFF/PRE-SEASON WORKOUTS) ................................................................................................ 27
APPENDIX 4 (STRATEGY LETTER TO MY SON) ............................................................................................... 30



Disclaimer: This work is the solely the opinion of the author and publication, printing
or sharing should not be construed to imply agreement, endorsement or an official
position of the Lovett School, the Lovett wrestling program, parents, alumni, staff,
students or any other organization with which the author may be directly or indirectly
affiliated.

Introduction

On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds, that on other days, on
other fields, shall bear the fruits of victory.- GEN Douglas MacArthur

Having had three sons wrestle at Lovett over the past decade, I have learned a few
things that can provide the family with more fun and bonding, the wrestler with
more personal growth, and the team with more success. It helps that I wrestled in
elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and afterwards in the Army.
But, since I know most parents approach the sport for the first time at Lovett, I want
to contribute this work to a sport and program that has meant so much to my family.

First, wrestling, one of the earliest of all sports, is the only one described in the Bible
(Genesis), found on 5,000 year old cave paintings and described in Sumerian
literature (The Saga of Gilgamesh and Enkiddu). The national sport of seventeen
nations, including India, it is one of the original Olympic sports. Great wrestling
enthusiasts from Abraham Lincoln to Donald Rumsfeld have sung its praises.
Americans have been renowned wrestlers from the time of the Revolution. It is
extremely popular in the east, mid-west, and north of the country. Cheerleaders and
bands are frequently at dual meets. A recent college dual was held in Iowa in a
football stadium with around 42,000 watching the two wrestlers on one mat.
College and high school matches are televised in hot beds like Ohio and
Pennsylvania.

Professional wrestling is a choreographed drama, performed by professional
athletes, like professional skating. The highest level of wrestling is amateur Olympic
wrestling in a form known as Freestyle. The highest level of folk style wrestling, the
kind done in high schools across the country, is NCAA Division 1 (interestingly,
strong programs are in some of the most competitive universities: Ivy League,
Service Academies, Stanford, Northwestern, Duke, UNC, etc.).

The mental toughness and body control developed through wrestling pays off
elsewhere. Over 168 current and former professional football players wrestled. In
fact, one summer when I took some Lovett kids to a Purler wrestling camp in St.
Charles, Missouri, I saw the football coach waiting in the hall. He said, When I got
here, we couldnt tackle grass, so wrestling camp is part of our pre-season and well
wait to lockdown for two-a-days next week. Wrestling is a martial art with all of the
discipline and development of confidence that suggests. In fact, the results of the
new sport of Mixed-Martial Arts indicate that it is easier to teach a wrestler to
grapple and strike than vice versa.

This document is broken into chapters and appendices designed as references. First,
we will talk about the basic challenges, an understanding of the sport and the Lovett
Program. Then we will get down to brass tacks about how practices, matches, and
tournaments work. Next come a series of chapters about how to support the
program and your wrestler. Finally, some appendices provide practical guidance on
optimal performance, additional resources (camps, coaches, etc.) and a letters I
wrote for one of my sons.

My mother once described wrestling as ballet with blood. It is a sport of the common
man performed by uncommon men. The level of stress shared by parents of even
opposing wrestlers from opposite sides of the railroad tracks, and among the
wrestlers themselves creates deep bonds. And believe it or not right now, you will
fall in love with wrestling. She did.

Understanding Wrestling


Because of the intensity of the sport, wrestling is a great place to teach life lessons. I
had learned to overcome fear of losing, the joy of hard work, to seek out the best
competition, and the desire for excellence. In addition to mental and physical
toughness, I felt I had gained a strategic understanding that helped me in combat
and business- create motion, synchronize around your strengths, and take
advantage of the opportunities you are given, instead of waiting for those you hope
will come. So, when we had the great Lovett program available, I introduced my
oldest son to the sport.

He was never going to be built for basketball, and there was no way he would take a
season off from sport. That just leads to wasted time and hooliganism, not to
mention tomfoolery. He came home after the first day in awe. Everyone gets to play
every minute of every practice (very important to him after his middle school
football experience)! There were successful wrestlers ranging in size from the very
small to the very large (In High School, they compete in 14 weight classes around 10
pounds apart, ranging from 106 pounds to 285 pounds). If you learned the cool
moves just right, you could beat strong kids. He got really tired and banged up, but
got to rough house and no one threatened to suspend him. He didnt win much right
away. Almost nobody does. But it was really neat to be noticed by the eighth grade
wrestlers his size and high school wrestlers in the hallways, since the team practices
together. Later, as a ninth grade backup, he got invited to his senior drill partners
graduation. He was thrilled, when he did win, because no one on his team could hold
him back or claim credit. It was all his. Because the kids wrestle off in practice to see
who will get to wrestle for the school at their weight class, the sport is built upon
true merit. There is no daddy ball or coach bias here. My youngest, as a freshman,
beat out a senior who had been wrestling for six years, to go to the traditional
tournaments and place at State.

Wrestling is a team sport with individual responsibility and accountability at its


heart. Some few of the boys have the desire and aptitude to put in the extra-ordinary
amounts of time and dedication it takes to become champions these days. To
paraphrase wrestling legend Dan Gable, once your wrestler has endured the ups and
downs of wrestling, everything else in life will be easy. Equally important- I will
reiterate this later and you will understand as I describe other facets of the sport-
win or lose, every wrestler in the room counts.

The Lovett Program



Current schedules, rosters, etc. can be found on the Lovett web site:
http://www.lovett.org/page.cfm?p=2120&teamID=258. Because the short
wrestling season impacts fall and winter breaks, the season schedule is usually
posted the first week in September.

We are blessed to have one of the best programs in the state, with a deep tradition
of excellence. When wrestling was starting to gain popularity in Georgia, Lovett was
a dominant force. Former head coach Jim Glasser, with the fourth most wins as a
High School coach in the country, member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame,
came to Lovett from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga NCAA Division 1
wrestling program and brought a disciplined system. As a PE teacher, he actively
sought out athletes in middle school and insisted they, not their parents, deal with
him directly. He overcame the initial singlets look queer objections, pointing out
that those who used that kind of excuse were usually just afraid of hard work or
losing. Kids see through that stuff pretty fast. He racked up a record of 13 dual and
traditional State Championships, 40 Area Championships, and 41 individual State
Champions. He was so effective a coach that he even won a State Championship
filling in as tennis coach. He created and integrated the middle school program, a
major innovation at the time. Beloved by his wrestlers, his alumni established a
large fund just for Lovett wrestling in his name.

Since coach Glassers retirement, coach Billy Maldonado has taken the reins. A two-
time NCAA All-American, Co-Captain at Iowa State University, and inductee to the
Indiana Wrestling Hall of Fame, Coach Maldonado is a former Assistant Head Coach
at Army West Point (NCAA Division 1). In his first few years, he has recruited five
outstanding assistants with NCAA Division 1 wrestling experience and a strong
cadre of volunteers. He has changed the summer camp to create a more productive
experience for his typical wrestler. He has established a lower school program,
implemented a video and review process for matches, provided a coach professional
development program, and established the youth Riverbank Rumble tournament.
His system has produced a hard-nosed style of wrestling that is a pleasure to watch
and has AAAAA and AAAAAA programs talking about our aggressiveness and third
period conditioning.

Dedicated professional training staff led by Beth Garrett supports the wrestling
program to ensure that the wrestlers maintain their health throughout the season.
Beth, the mother of a wrestler, and part of the program for over a decade, leads a
staff that helps the wrestlers understand proper weight management and diet as
well as treating injuries and infections, managing rehabilitation programs and
coordinating medical support. They are present at every major venue and always
available to consult with parents, day or night.

For lower school, there is a club program that starts at kindergarten, leverages the
Team Georgia Wrestling (http://www.teamgeorgiawrestling.com ) tournaments,
and meets after regular High School practices a few times per week. These kids do
not have to be Lovett students, but are coached by a volunteer who was a former
Lovett standout. The goal is to enjoy learning the sport. The kids get USA wrestling
cards and register for tournaments on that site. The Team Georgia club program can
support off and pre-season tournament wrestling by middle and upper school
athletes too. Lovett hosts a youth beginners tournament every year, attracting up to
600 very young wrestlers and families to compete all day in two gyms. The Lovett
wrestling parents support set up, hospitality, management, and concessions. The
Varsity wrestlers referee matches and occupy scoring tables with the Mat Lions as
leaders. Lovetts statewide reputation has only grown, as the tournament has set
very high standards for efficiency and hospitality.

Lovett wrestling really begins in the middle school. The season starts around the
end of October. Starting in 6th grade, the wrestlers learn and review the basics and
do practice drills under the supervision of specifically dedicated coaches in the same
room and at the same time as the Varsity. The Varsity will stay at practice longer
and has additional requirements. The goal of the middle school program is to learn
the basics correctly, learn to drill properly, learn about commitment, and learn to
compete. So typically, even if the weight classes are not full, coaches seek out
exhibition matches to ensure each wrestler gets a chance to participate. There is a
tradition of an Iron Man Award at the end of the season for those wrestlers who
attend every practice and match. Wrestlers who are hurt (but not contagious) are
expected to study in the wrestling room during practice. The season contains twenty
or so matches and ends with a conference championship around the last week in
January. To be successful in upper school does require some extra work on
technique and additional mat time at a summer camp or training center.

The upper school Varsity/Junior Varsity season begins at the end of October. The
team competes in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) in classifications
based on school size. While there is no GHSA regulation of off-season activity prior
to 1 August, pre-season activity is constrained. There can be no school-sponsored or
coach-led, directed or communicated practices. Team conditioning and other cross
training is allowed, as are captain-led practices. Coaches may work individually with
wrestlers in groups no larger than three from 1 August until the first day of official
practice. Only GHSA-approved community coaches may practice with the team
during the season. Practices for the Varsity run about two hours daily and

tournaments, matches or additional practices can occur on most Saturdays. The fall
sport athletes can show up as late as mid-December, scrambling to get into shape to
wrestle (with a great football block lasting 3 seconds, a single match is the
equivalent of almost half a season of blocking). Every second of the season is a race
to improve faster than the other teams and wrestlers. The program is allowed
twenty venues before the post-season. A venue can be a dual meet, quad meet or a
tournament. No wrestler may exceed five matches per day. So while the theoretical
maximum matches in a season is 100, the reality is that most wrestlers get around
thirty matches and a great season is fifty matches. Mat time is essential to the teams
hopes of a State Championship and wrestlers commit to be at every practice and
venue. The dedicated assistant coaches in each group of weights spend exorbitant
amounts of time with individual wrestlers on the mats in the off and pre-season, as
well as after practices and on weekends. Mentoring the kids to deal with their
performance, emotions and other concerns, they become part of your family over
the years. The Area Dual (team) Championships start the post-season in the second
week of January followed by the State Dual Championships (a two-day event- lots of
Fan Fun!) in Macon, GA. The Area Traditional (Individual) Championship is usually
the last week in January. Only the top four placers advance to create an eight-man
bracket at Section. The top four at Section advance to State. Then the two-day
(another fun time!) State Championship takes place in mid-February at the Gwinnett
Arena (Note that spring sports have begun. No worries about tryouts, they will save
your wrestler a space, but they have to know he is coming). Like football and other
sports, there is a week long school-sponsored optional wrestling camp over the
summer, usually in June. Middle school wrestlers may attend. Brochures with dates
are handed out at the end of season banquet in February or March.

Mat Lions are a group of young women who act as managers for the program. They
support the team on the scoring tables and film matches for the coaching staff. They
elect their own leader, providing a resume-building opportunity, and recruit
replacements. Typically, the Mat Lions may have a brother who is a wrestler, be part
of a friend group or advisory with some wrestlers, or even have a mother or sister
who was a Mat Lion. They are an integral part of the very tight wrestling
community. They have a number of unique traditions, which, since I did not have a
daughter involved, I cannot describe.

The team itself has a number of traditions established over the years. Luckily, hazing
is not one of them. Although the freshmen do carry stuff and move mats around, the
upper class leaders typically pitch in. For a long time, all seniors were considered
captains, which led to confusion, too many chefs, or the tragedy of the commons.
The team now elects captains who can inspire them during the off-season and pre-
season to excellence. The team has a special singlet for the championship round.
Each wrestler may have a special post weigh-in soup or muffin and pre-match ritual.
A few key social traditions include the locker room Christmas tree; moms
decorating lockers and parent send off before the State Duals; the team dressing in
navy blazers, button down shirts and khaki slacks for State Dual weigh-ins; parents
sharing lunch at the Rookery in Macon; parents and coaches gathering for a social

hour after the State Duals back in Atlanta; cardboard singlets with the names of
coaches and those advancing to the next post season tournament along the entrance
road; a Food Feast at someones home (with freshmen tasked with bringing certain
items) after the individual state championships; burning Christmas trees at the food
feast; and a large collage of the wrestlers available at the banquet. The end of season
banquet has a number of awards other than letters, including the Jordan Williams
award for hard work, the Iron Man awards, and Rookie-of-the-Year.

The Team Mom coordinates the parent support, social activities and passes on
critical messages from the coach. She has an email list, access to the Fans of Lovett
Wrestling Facebook page, and a phone text group message. Another parent acts as
the stringer, writing about the program by noon every Sunday for inclusion in the
Lionbackers newsletter. Someone else is usually tasked to take photographs all year
for the collage. But, we all know enough to take pictures of our own child that we
can share anyway. There are very specific rules for the content and layout of both
the newsletter and the collage that are passed on by the previous position holder.
She collects for the team gift to the coaches and presents them at the banquet, which
will occur after the season on a weekend around early March (the only parent with a
role at the banquet).

Wrestling Practices


Practice usually starts at 3:50pm and ends at 6pm for the upper school. The upper
school may practice on Saturday. Middle school may finish around 5:30pm. Some
wrestlers will typically stay an extra 30 minutes after practice to drill with a specific
partner or get extra conditioning. Captains may schedule conditioning in the
morning before school starts. Wrestling practices at the Varsity level are often
planned in 30-second increments. Obviously, middle school and club practices are
run with different goals and can include useful games and more rest periods with
longer instruction. It is important for everyone to show up early, stretched, and
ready to practice for two hours with only designated break periods. Lovett kids are
highly programmed and multi-sport. So, as one of my youth coaches, the late Johnny
Lee, head coach at Harvard University, used to say: If you cannot get more mat
time, get more out of your mat time. The wrestlers should have their own water
containers they can leave on the side of the mat, so they do not have to go to or wait
for a fountain. They should have used the facility before practice. They have to stay
focused. A practice generally consists of warm ups and tumbling, stance and balance
drills, move instruction, move drilling, situation drills, hard wrestling, conditioning
or weight training, free wrestling and a warm down. Practice is a crucible that
makes wrestlers.

Like life in general, your sons associations are important. A drill partner can make
or break a wrestler. To have a good partner, one must be a good partner. Since
every second counts, a good drill partner has a realistic stance, gives 10% resistance

with realistic response, bounces up immediately to get as many repetitions in as


possible, and takes no un-scheduled breaks. Learning to drill properly is difficult-
like ballet, small things matter greatly to a techniques success. Nothing in wrestling
is comfortable with fewer than 50 repetitions. To improve every practice, for hard
wrestling your son will want three partners: one he is much better than that he can
try things on, one that is his equal who pushes him, and one who is much better than
him who gives him a goal. Unfortunately, drilling with a friend can be unhealthy-
kids should not always get to pick their partners- and if his partner is not working,
he needs to tell a coach. Sparring is harder than drilling, as both wrestlers are
moving at 50% and allowing the other to finish his turn only after creating
challenging positions. The kid who goes 100% and never lets his partner finish his
move is hurting the team. Every wrestler in the room counts.

Even without the extra work required to be a champion, a good Lovett practice can
create the mental toughness that only comes from pushing the envelope. If they can
barely crawl off the mat or feel sick after practice, they are pushing themselves.
Coaches are too nice to tell a parent the truth about their wrestler sometimes. If
your son looks tired in the third period, or loses in overtime because he fails to
attack or is slow and sloppy, or does not seem to know how to execute a move he is
trying, or rolls into a pin with seconds on the clock instead of fighting, or lets his
opponent escape without a big struggle (unless the coach tells him to cut), he is
lazy in practice and may need to change partners. Many kids have never actually
seen hard work before and may think they are working hard. Coaches can help with
technique and assign partners and work, but mental toughness and heart are the
wrestlers responsibility (This is one of the lessons they wrestle to learn).

That said, it is possible to over-train. Lower school and middle school kids need to
do other sports and activities to avoid burn out. For the Varsity wrestler, doing extra
wrestling and conditioning before practice, after practice and on weekends is a good
thing during the off and pre-season. It can be useful in moderation in the early and
mid-season, unless your wrestler is starting to grind. Their mind and their body
are worn down and they are not improving. They need recovery time- without
sabotaging the school practices. During the season, tell the coach about any extra
athletics or conditioning work you are doing outside the practice. The coach has a
plan to peak your wrestler for the post-season. Let him.

Individual Matches

A match consists of three 2-minute periods. The match starts when both wrestlers
report to the scoring table and are given red and green anklets that correspond to
the referees wristbands and the starting lines on the mat. In some cases there is a
coaching corner. The coaches can sit there and help their wrestler. Everyone else
must be on the bench or in the stands. The wrestlers go to the center and assume a

stance with one foot on the line of their color and shake hands. This is known as the
neutral position. The referee blows the whistle and begins the first 2-minute period.

In the first period, the wrestlers seek to get a takedown through leg attacks or
throws. This involves lots of movement and violent hand fighting to shake up the
other wrestlers head and control his arms and hands in ways that set up a shot
(move attempt). Heavy hands means the wrestler should try to control and pull
down on the opponents head. Get off the rails means the wrestler should try to
create more circular motion and attack angles. The goal is to get a takedown, where
the wrestlers are on the mat with one on top and in control. Determining when this
happens and points are awarded is a challenge with very detailed criteria. The
ultimate goal is to put the opponent on his back and hold both his shoulder blades
(not the tips) on the mat for a full second. This is called a pin or fall. The
wrestlers are out of bounds when both have at least one support point outside the
outer white circle (the line is in). When the wrestlers go out of bounds, the referee
will stop the clock and move the wrestlers back to the center. If they went out in
neutral, they return that way. If a wrestler was in control, they will be in referees
position.

For the second period, if the match has not ended, the referee flips a green and red
colored disc and gives the wrestler, in the color that comes up, a choice. The
wrestler may defer his choice to the last period, start on top, start on bottom or start
in neutral. If the wrestler chooses bottom, he will get down on hands and knees with
his knees behind one long white line and his palms in front of the other. The referee
will make sure he is set and motion the opponent. The opponent will wrap one
arm around the waist to the bellybutton and grab the down wrestlers arm at the
elbow with his other hand. He will have a back leg up and be on one knee. This is
called referees position. The referee will determine both wrestlers are set and
blow the whistle. The top wrestler will try to break his opponent down flat and turn
his opponents shoulders towards the mat. It is important he get off his knees to keep
weight on his opponent and drive him forward for turning opportunities. He may
get points for a near fall, if he can keep his opponent in danger of being pinned for at
least a two count. The bottom wrestler attempts to escape or reverse the positions.
It is important that the bottom wrestler seizes and maintains hand and wrist control
to enable his escape.

The third period starts the same way as the second, with the other wrestlers choice.
When the match ends, the wrestlers shake hands and the one with the highest score
has his hand raised in victory. If the score is tied, the wrestlers will go for another
two minute, sudden victory, overtime starting in neutral. If they are still tied, they
will have two-30 second periods in referee positions. If the score is still tied in the
4th over-time, there will be a 30-second period in referees position and if the top
wrestler keeps his opponent from escaping or reversal, the top wrestler wins. There
are no ties.

Scoring:

Takedown- 2
Escape-1
Reversal-2
Near Fall (2 count)- 2
Near Fall (5 count)- 3
Pin/ Fall- ends the match
Winning by 15 or more points- Technical Fall- ends the match

Common Penalties:
Locking Hands- the top wrestler may not lock hands to keep his opponent on the
mat unless it is a pinning combination- 1
Stalling- avoiding wrestling in a variety of ways, after a warning 1
Fleeing- the wrestler may not avoid wrestling by intentionally leaving the mat-1
Potentially Dangerous Hold- stop the hold, restart the match.
Illegal Hold- stop the hold, restart the match and award-1 (if the opponent cannot
continue, the violator is disqualified)
Multiple violations result in more points and eventual disqualification.

A full set of the rules can be purchased at https://www.nfhs.org/activities-
sports/wrestling/.

Dual Meets

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Dual meets are a team event and good coaching strategy makes a big difference. A
dual meet can have pageantry and drama with a team score prominently posted
(often at the scoring table). A dual usually takes about an hour to complete.
Sometimes dual meets are part of a quad meet or tournament format, which can
take up to three hours to complete, when efficiently run. A disk toss determines
which weight class starts the meet (it is possible to build momentum with right
choice) and who must present their wrestler first. The coach/captain chooses odd or
even and for those matches the team presents their wrestler to the scoring table
first. This has big impact, especially where there are holes in the lineup.

Team points are scored:
Pin/Disqualification/Forfeit- 6 team points
Technical Fall (win by 15 or more points)- 5 team points
Major Decision (win by 8 or more points)- 4 team points
Win- 3 team points

The goal is to win big and lose small. So, a wrestler who loses, but avoids a pin is still
contributing to a team win. A team can win 9 weight classes and lose to a team that
wins only 5 weight classes (but has at least 28 points). Team points can be taken for
wrestler, coach or fan misbehavior. This is really important if there is a tie. Because
one team presents their wrestler, or forfeit, first, the second team can put in a lower
weight wrestler/backup and shift weights to take advantage of weaknesses and
holes, or rest a wrestler in a long dual tournament. A successful wrestler, who tends
to get pinned when he loses, may be replaced with a less successful wrestler who
loses small.

Someone always wins a dual meet. It is possible to tie score and have the meet go to
decision criteria:
a. The team whose opposing wrestlers or team has been penalized the greater
number of team points for flagrant or unsportsmanlike conduct shall be declared
the winner.
b. The team whose opposing wrestlers or team personnel have been penalized the
greater number of team point deductions shall be declared the winner.
c. The team whose opposing wrestlers were penalized the greater number of match
points for unsportsmanlike conduct during a match shall be declared the winner.
d. The team having won the greater number of matches (including forfeits) shall be
declared the winner.
e. The team having accumulated the greater number of points for falls, defaults,
forfeits, or disqualifications shall be declared the winner.
f. The team having the greater number of points for technical falls shall be declared
the winner.
g. The team having the greater number of points for major decisions shall be
declared the winner.
h. The team having the greater number (total match points) of first point(s) shall be
declared the winner.
i. The team having the greater number of points for near-falls shall be declared the

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winner.
j. The team having the greater number of takedowns shall be declared the winner.
k. The team having the greater number of reversals shall be declared the winner.
l. The team having the greater number of escapes shall be declared the winner.
m. The team whose opponent has been penalized more often for stalling will be
declared the winner.
n. The team, whose opponent has been warned more often for stalling, will be
declared the winner.
o. The team, whose opponent has the greater number of points for all other
infractions (i.e. false starts), will be winner.
p. If none of the above resolve the tie, a flip of a disk will determine the winner.

Every wrestler, even the backups who do not wrestle, and every parent count towards
a win in a dual meet. The mood of the team and the loud, positive, cheering of the
fans, with shouts of two! to encourage the wrestler and referee giving a takedown
or Pin! (Tombe!= Fallen! in the Olympic language-French) to build momentum,
can influence the outcome of the meet.

Tournaments


Tournaments work from brackets and seeds like Tennis and other tournament
based sports. A well-run, double-elimination tournament is still an all day affair, so
be ready to get there before breakfast and have lunch and dinner in a small Georgia
town with other Lovett parents. With about six of these events per year, parents

12

bond in the stands. Even though you may be dissimilar in background, it is amazing
to see other parents rejoice in your childs successes (teaching the wrestlers a great
lesson) and share each others pre-match stress and pain in their disappointments.
Parenting is harder than wrestling and tournaments are a crucible that bonds
parents too. No wrestler may have more than five matches in a day, so some may
take two days and the wrestler must weigh in on the second day as well. It is
important that even those wrestlers eliminated stay with their teammates to the
bitter end. This is hard to do when they are so disappointed and, possibly,
embarrassed. For accountability reasons, no wrestler should leave a tournament
without clearing it with the coach first. Depending on the venue, the team may stay
over at a hotel (so they will want entertainment, money for snacks, and their own
pillow). Parents coordinate their own reservations with the Team Mom and should
block rooms for the State Dual tournament at least 6 months ahead.

How you win or lose at a tournament really matters for the team score in a
traditional (individual) tournament. Lose by less and the other team gets fewer
points. Win by more and you get additional points for your team. Since there are
more matches in the consolation brackets, the battle in the consolations can
make the difference for a team championship. Thus, just having someone in
every weight class is important. Additional points are the same on either side of the
bracket!

Scoring consists of three components:
A. Advancement Points: 2 team points for each win on the championship
side of the bracket and 1 team point for each win on the consolation
side.
B. Additional Points: Major Decision adds1 team point; Technical Fall
adds 1.5 team points; Fall or Equivalent adds 2 team points.
C. Placement Points: Win the Quarterfinal add 3 points; Win the Semi-
Final add 9 points- 2nd Place total 12 placement points; Win the final
add 4 more points- 1st place total 16 placement points; Win
Consolation Quarterfinals add 3 points; Win the Consolation Semi-
Finals add 4 points; Win the Consolation Finals add 2 points; Win 5th
Place Match add 2 points (even though he does not go on to the next
tournament in our system).
D. Byes- No advancement points are awarded until a win in the following
match 2 points for advancement on the championship side (plus the
2 advancement points for the qualifying win)- no possibility of
Additional Points with a bye; 1 point for advancement on the
consolation bracket side (plus 1 point for advancement for the
qualifying win). Thus, byes are not actually good, especially if your
pinners get them, or you do not win the next match.

For the state traditional tournament path from the Area Championships to the
Sectional Championships and finally, the State Traditional Championship, the more
folks we advance into the next tournament, the more points we are likely to get

13

there. Thus, there is a three-stage movement to State Champions. Only the top 4
advance to Section or State, but a 5th place win creates an alternate in case of injury,
and adds team points to win the current tournament. Every wrestler counts.

Being a Supportive Family


Gear
Wrestling has only a few required standard items: a singlet, slider shorts, wrestling
shoes and a headgear. If your child has braces, a mouth guard is required. Speak
with the trainer for more information. The team provides the competition singlets.
Shoes should fit tightly and have no room for growth. A wrestler may go through 2
pairs of shoes per year at anywhere from 40-90$ per pair. We bought Cael
Sanderson V. x shoes in Lovett blue and white, not only for aesthetics, but Cael, an
undefeated wrestling legend and head coach at Penn State, was Co-Captain at Iowa
State with coach Maldonado and runs the summer team camp we attend. Wrestling
shoes are only worn on the mat and street shoes should never touch a mat
(including those of coaches, trainers and mat lions) to reduce the chance of skin
infections. Additionally, most wrestlers like to have a kneepad on their shooting leg
to reduce the bruising that happens with hundreds of shot repetitions. Shoes,
headgear and other supplies can be purchased at
http://www.suplay.com/index.asp?src= or http://www.wwsport.com.

During each practice your child will sweat through a pair of sweats and two shirts.
So, they will need at least four pairs of Lovett wrestling mesh shorts and four Lovett

14

wrestling shirts, four slider shorts, six pairs of white athletic socks, and two pairs of
sweats. I recommend the cheap grey crew neck sweats with your last name printed
across the back shoulders with a black sharpie for camps and drilling. They will drill
in sweats and then strip them off and change into a fresh shirt for hard wrestling.
You try to avoid hoods and pockets where possible to reduce the risk of someone
getting a hand or finger caught in the clothes. They need to bring this nasty stuff
home every day for you to get in the laundry. They will need a Nalgene water bottle
to take to practice and put near the mat.

They should have a wrestling gear bag to take to school every day and for matches
and tournaments. It should contain: shoes, headgear, mouth guard (optional), knee
pad (optional), two pairs of socks, two shirts, shorts, two pairs of slider shorts,
sweats, a water bottle, and a plastic ziploc with pedialyte, two power bars, nail
clippers and athletic tape. For camp, they should have a small memo pad and pencil
to write down what they have learned each day.

Diet= Eating for Competition


The sport is not about cutting weight. It is about optimizing it. The modern family
eats incredible amounts of tasty, but unhealthy food. The average healthy athletic
male has around 12% body fat and extra pounds of fiber resting in their gut. The
average athletic female is almost body fat. Your child is eating for combat and
trying to ensure they optimize their performance, this generally means avoiding
sugar and processed food. Fresh vegetables, eggs, whole grain, skim milk, chicken,
peanut butter, cheese, nuts, rice, fish and small amounts of fruit will be staples
during the season. Avoid red meat and greasy or fried food. They will eat small
amounts (or large, if they are trying to gain weight) as often as every three hours- an
alarm helps to keep track of this. Because wrestling and conditioning burns so many
calories, your child will lose weight without starvation. One key to optimal weight is
to greatly increase water consumption and manage hydration levels. They should be
drinking a gallon of water every day, except the day prior to weighing in. To ensure
they get all their vitamins, it helps to take a daily vitamin and some fish oil. Having
an empty milk container for water and a food scale will help them manage their diet.
And, yes, you will need seven recipes for chicken, but go light on the sauces. Some
protein supplements can be used for one of the snacks, but are not a substitute for a
balanced diet. Good menus can be found with a Google search and the trainer
usually hands out some guidance at the initial parent meeting.

To get ready for combat, a wrestler does not want to eat a great deal prior to a
match. The typical week has a Sunday where the wrestler eats comfortably and may
have a treat. They will drink a full gallon of water. On Monday, the wrestler will eat
healthy meals heavy on protein with at least three eggs per day. Do not miss any
meals! They should be careful to be no more than 9 pounds over target weight
before practice and drink a gallon of water that day. On Wednesday and Thursday,
they may choose to reduce the insoluble fiber in their diet, switching from whole
grains to white bread and pasta. Water consumption remains high. The wrestler
should be no more than a pound over target weight after practice. On Friday, the

15

wrestler should cut water consumption to only 1 quart. The wrestler should be
around a pound under target after practice. That night, a small amount of meat,
pasta and water with pedialyte (weighed in a food scale to account for the difference
to target weight) put the energy in place for the first match. The wrestler goes to
sleep about a quarter pound over weight. After weigh-in early Saturday morning,
the wrestler can have a 50/50 powerade and water mixture and warm chicken
noodle soup before the warm up and first match. The tendency is to overeat, eat the
wrong foods, drink too much and hurt performance. Immediately after the first
match, the wrestler should eat a power bar and get more fluids. Your child can snack
on banana muffins, etc. between matches. To eat otherwise is to put diesel fuel in a
Ferrari, creating a huge disadvantage in the race to come. You will be amazed what
your son can become on a proper diet. Their grades will even improve.

The downside is that the supportive family, sisters included, have to avoid even
having chips, candy, cookies and brownies, etc. in the house. Also, most meals will
have to be home cooked. Everyones diet is affected.

Sleep and Recovery


The goal is for the wrestler to get nine hours of sleep. They will need to manage
their time and homework to get to bed before 10:30pm. They may also need to get
additional sleep on Sunday morning. Sleep is essential for their recovery and ability
to continue to improve. In the upper school, extra-conditioning and weight lifting
outside practice typically occurs throughout the season on Sunday, Monday and
Tuesday. It is important to coordinate extra work with the coach to ensure that
there are at least two days to recover prior to an important tournament or match.
Over-training can hurt performance.

Health

Good sleep and diet help to keep the kids healthy. The wrestling season
unfortunately occurs during flu and cold season, so it is important to take
appropriate precautions to keep the entire team from getting sick because one child
does not get vaccinated or decides to come to practice when contagious. The mats
are disinfected, but keeping them clean is always a struggle. It is important that your
wrestler showers and uses Hibiclens (we always visit CVS and put two large bottles
in the shower at the beginning of the season. We also get some Advil, refreezable ice
packs and saran wrap) at home every evening, even if they already got a shower at
school. This is why bed sheets and wrestling gear also need to be laundered
regularly. The trainer needs to determine if any new bump is acne or could be
bacterial. So communication is essential.

Commitment
The wrestler is committed to his sport and team. They have signed the Lovett Sports
agreement to avoid smoking and other detrimental activities. They need our
commitment too. The Team Mom may reach out for help with concessions or other
activities. Your help will be appreciated. Wrestling season in the upper school will
have practice Christmas week and a national tournament on New Years Day. Family

16

trips may have to wait until the spring. Certainly, pulling your wrestler from an
event early for family fun is not feasible for the success of the program. Every
wrestler should have the goal to attend every practice and venue, even if they are
hurt and not competing, unless contagious. Wrestling in upper school is less about
native talent and athleticism than knowledge and instinct. This means that the
wrestler with more raw time on the mat can have a huge advantage, especially, if
they have top-tier coaching in a progressive learning environment. Important skills
that build upon the knowledge and drills of the previous practice are taught in every
practice.

Being a Supportive Fan


Most upper school venues are on Saturday. Tournaments cost 7-10$ cash for a daily
admission. Fans generally show up at least 30 minutes prior to the first match.
Showing up, cheering, and understanding their effort is great parenting. Your child
will be proud of you, if you do it right. The goal is to be positive, even when you are
upset. The goal is to cheer for teammates who are being very successful, even when
your child is not. This is a great lesson: that someone elses success does not
diminish our achievements. We help them celebrate the pursuit of excellence. As
Lovett parents we represent our community. We dress nicely and behave more
nicely- winning graciously and losing gracefully. This is hard, since wrestling is not a
golf clap sport. It is loud and raucus and highly emotionally charged. The easiest rule
of thumb is to cheer loudly for the Lovett wrestler and never mention his opponent
or their school in any way. Remember, those parents are proud of their kids and
school too. We may dispute or suggest a call loudly, but never insult the referee
personally.

When your child loses, they may storm off the mat. Let the coach handle this
behavior. Always back up the referee and the coach. This loss will pass and
sometimes, after your child is left alone for a while, they will recover their
composure and regret their comments or behavior. This is just learning a great
lesson about resilience.

We have some decent social media presence with our Fans of Lovett Wrestling
Facebook page and following each other on twitter and group texts. There are other
sites, like Georgia Varsity Vent. Be careful about being sucked in to predictions and
the comments of trolls. There are lots of envious folks who want to attack private
school programs. Sometimes they are hoping you will describe weaknesses in the
line up or injuries. Other sources of information include You Tube video channels
and the SE Wrestling blog. The AJC has little to no competence in describing local
wrestling. Now that we have film, your child may share his hudl video account with
you for matches you miss. Some schools are part of the NFHS network program and
will broadcast their matches with us. The GHSA finals are broadcast this way on

17

Georgia Public Broadcasting. All of this lets alumni and former parents, like me, stay
in touch while working and from anywhere in the world.

Let the Team Mom lead and create a cheering section, saving seats and bringing
shakers or foam fingers or banners. When we sit close together, behind the team
bench, we have real impact. Sometimes you may be getting up to wander and cheer
because of nerves or a wrestler on a far mat. But that space becomes home base.
Before we leave, we all pitch in to pick up garbage and water bottles to ensure that
our piece of the stands is left in good condition. Others will not do so and the hosts
will appreciate our effort. We are Lovett wrestling.

Realistic Expectations

Realistically, there are a few different levels of commitment to wrestling and to any
sport, and parent expectations should be in line with the level of commitment. All
high school sports today have become more professionalized and demanding. In
general, a solid upper school wrestler will break into the lineup in their junior year,
perhaps sooner at the very light or heavier weights where there is less population
density. Wrestling is still a great sport for athletes with all levels of commitment and
physical capacity. We can hope for four types of result based on their choices and
potential.

On the low end of the scale, we can hope our wrestlers show up and work hard at
every in-season event, practice and coach-led conditioning session. For a great
multi-sport athlete, that wrestler will likely be able to qualify for the State
Traditional Championships and win more than two out of three matches during the
season. The athlete sees value in the sport and has some fun. An average athlete,
who misses some practice, fails to work their hardest, or starts wrestling later in
upper school will not likely make it to the state traditional tournament (again, much
depends on the weight class- the middle weights are full of highly committed, year-
round wrestlers. There are always some of these in any weight class). However,
parents should expect all who wrestle will learn extremely valuable life lessons and
skills, build individual confidence, strong team bonds, have some fun, cross-train for
other sports, and participate in a major Lovett tradition of excellence.

Next on the scale is the solid multi-sport athlete who commits fully to the program
and works extra with the coaches and attends camp in the off or pre-season. This is
athlete is proud to be a wrestler. At this level, general athleticism becomes less
important to success than system and technique. These wrestlers are likely to
achieve All-State honors and win about three out of four times during the season.

The third level of expectation is the good athlete who commits fully in season,
working extra with the coaches after practice. They have been wrestling since
middle school. They attend the right camps and perhaps attend a training center in

18

the off and pre-season. They are fully committed every day in the pre-season.
Wrestling is their most important sport and they wrestle in some way throughout
the year. The athlete loves the sport. This wrestler will win nine out of ten times,
losing to only the top competitors in his weight class in the state. This athlete may
become a State Champion, depending upon the weight class. This wrestler is the
meat and potatoes of many great college wrestling programs. The key to
participating after high school is to be seen, perhaps attending the chosen
universitys summer camp.

On the highest end, the college scholarship wrestler will be a great athlete who
becomes a single sport wrestler before his junior year in upper school. This wrestler
will win almost always, except against a national caliber opponent. He will have
started wrestling in lower school. He meets all of the other commitment
requirements. This athlete wrestles year-round, often travelling to seek national
level competition. This wrestler will win at Prep Slam (our only venue with national
exposure), face and defeat national quality opponents, and have done well at the
Free Style or Greco nationals in July in Fargo, ND. He will be a multi-year State
Champion. Finally, their grades and standardized testing must make them at least
eligible for the quality of the program they are seeking to join. If this is your childs
intention, they need to start talking with the head coach and athletic department in
their sophomore spring (pretty much the same for any sport these days).

Your wrestler will put enough pressure on himself. This pressure can be counter-
productive. For us, as parents, to have realistic expectations is helpful to prevent us
from adding to their stress. That said, there are always those who exceed
expectations.

19

Conclusion


It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man
stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit
belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust
and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again
and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who
does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great
devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the
end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least
fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and
timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.- Pres. Theodore Roosevelt


The wrestling program will repay your commitment with great parenting
opportunities, tighter family bonds, and a caring community. For many, these bonds
and memories are their most vivid throughout a lifetime of achievement.
GO LIONS!


A Lovett father and son share a moment after a tough Area Traditional match

20


Appendices

1.
2.
3.
4.

Typical Upper School Wrestling Year


Resources
Off/Pre-Season Workouts
Pre-Season Strategy Letter to My Son

21


Appendix 1 (Typical Upper School Wrestling Year)



Typical Upper School Year-Round Wrestling Cycle
(Dates are Approximate- Season Highlighted)

1 August (Pre-Season Begins)
wrestling specific conditioning/balance
and flexibility/ hand fighting; captain-led
practice; individual work with coaches;
training center work; pre-season
tournaments

26 October (Super 32)
Invitation only pre-season national for
state placers and qualifying tournament
winners, in SC- apply online /USA
Wrestling card

29 October (First Official Practice)
Stance and Motion; technique; drill focus;
conditioning

1 December (Mid-Season)
Situations; system chain focus, hard
wrestling, conditioning; compete out of
classification

15 December (Last Fall Sports)
Last fall sports athletes join the team;
review; lineup shifts

22 December (War Eagle Tournament) Moderate conference competition

1 January (Prep Slam Tournament)
Toughest official competition of the year;
national exposure

2 January (Late Season)
Hard wrestling; sustainment
conditioning; early weight class shift

6 January (Area Duals)
Area Dual Championships; top 2 teams
advance

12-13 January (State Duals)
State Duals, Macon GA= Big Parent
Bonding and Fun

22

18 January (Westminster)

26 January (Area Traditional)

Late season tune up matches; last wrestle


offs; late weight class shift; peak
conditioning
Weight class set; top four advance to
Section


28 January (Lovett Spring Sports Start) Try-out spots are held for winter sport
athletes

6 February (Section Traditional)
Top four advance to State; place
determines seed

12-13 February (State Traditional)
Gwinnet Arena; team departs Thursday
after school; two day tournament; top 6
placers are All-State

15 February (Spring Athletes)
spring athletes go to their sports thru at
least 14 May.

28 February (Awards Banquet)
Awards Banquet for Letters and
Recognition

29 March (NHSWCA Nationals)
Invitation only HS national championship
in Virginia Beach for each year group; top
eight are All-American

1 April (Off-Season Begins)
Begin Freestyle (FS)/Greco wrestling;
Wrestling clubs; training center work;
power lifting; sprints

15 May (Graduation)
Lovett M,W wrestling practices start to
prepare for camp

25 May (Regional FS)
Southeast FS Championships and
qualifying tournaments

15-22 June (Lovett Team Camp)
Team camp; technique, bonding

15-23 July (FS Nationals)
FS/Greco nationals in Fargo, ND; top eight
are All-American

The Cycle Starts Again



23

Appendix 2 (Resources)

Books:
I recommend-
1) Wrestle Tough by Mike Chapman, http://www.amazon.com/Wrestling-
Tough-Mike-Chapman/dp/0736056378

2) Finish Strong: The Dan Russell Story by Dan Russell,
http://www.amazon.com/Finish-Strong-Dan-Russell-
Story/dp/1936770709/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456239652&sr
=1-1&keywords=finish+strong+the+dan+russell+story


3) Four Days to Glory: Wrestling with the Soul of the American Heartland by Mark
Kreidler, http://www.amazon.com/Four-Days-Glory-Wrestling-
Heartland/dp/0060823194/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456
236522&sr=1-1-fkmr2&keyword

4) A Season on the Mat: Dan Gable and the Pursuit of Perfection by Nolan Zavoral,
http://www.amazon.com/Season-Mat-Gable-Pursuit-
Perfection/dp/1416535535/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=145623639
2&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Pursuit+wrestling


Video:
It is harder to paint a masterpiece if you have never seen one. There are a few
categories of video that are useful: top quality college and HS matches, training, self-
critique, inspirational, fun fictional.

1) For quality matches, effective technique video, inspiration and wrestling
news, nothing can beat a subscription to Flowrestling.
www.flowrestling.com.

2) The best wrestling training for coaches, parents and athletes can be found at
www.attackstylewrestling.com with coach Darryl Weber. This is an
incredible platform for development.

3) Your wrestler will get access to hudl, and may share his username/password
with you. He can build highlights there and self-critique. www.hudl.com

4) Specific technique instruction can be purchased for down load from
Champion Productions, http://www.championshipproductions.com/cgi-
bin/champ/wrestling-dvds-videos.html, and found on You Tube (Cary Kolat
or Layton stuff).

24

5) Inspirational videos include Veritas: The Jon Trenge Story (a documentary on


the career of a Lehigh standout), http://www.amazon.com/Veritas-Jon-
Trenge/dp/B002FM0B0U, and Takedowns and Falls (a documentary about a
Cinderella-story team winning the PA state championship),
http://www.amazon.com/Takedowns-Falls-Jeff-
Sweigard/dp/B00EVAJW8G/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-
tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1456240292&sr=1-1&keywords=Takedowns+and+Falls.
Lovett has a hype video on You Tube from 2015 made by a student and may
have more recent works- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4H36Y-
Xov4
6) Fun fictional movies about HS wrestling include: Win-Win, Legendary, and
Vision Quest.

Camps:

The Lovett Optional camp each year takes place in mid-June and is primarily
useful for team bonding, some additional mat time, and meeting some wrestling
legends. It is actually as optional for the upper school as the pre-season lock down is
for Football. We currently attend the Penn State camp run at Berry College under
the auspices of Journeyman Wrestling-
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45946935/PSU%20Brochure%202016.pdf

There are several kinds of camps that can help your wrestler catch up to the year-
round kids and have a great season. There are others that waste your money. First,
avoid most college camps, as they are survey camps that show a ton of moves. Next
avoid boot camps that focus too heavily on conditioning and mental toughness-
there is plenty of time for that during the season when it matters and the best
conditioning for wrestling is hard drill. The following camp systems are your best
bet:
1) For the advanced wrestler (2 years minimum): Jeff Jordan State Champ Camp
(Ohio)- if you can get selected- http://www.jordantrained.com . Heavy drill,
hard wrestling with great partners, limited highly effective moves,
motivational leadership and personal attention.

2) For the intermediate wrestler: Purler Wrestling Takedown Machine
(Missouri)- http://www.purlerwrestling.com/camps-clinics/ . Massive
amounts of drill, little hard wrestling, very focused on foundational moves.
Those moves will be instinctive when the camp is over. Consider the other
Purler Camps, especially the 7 Deadly Moves Weekend Camp, when it is
offered.


3) The local wrestling training centers offer decent camps in the summer as
well.

25

Clubs:
Lovett has a wrestling club. There are other local clubs that work together and
compete during the summer. One of the best programs is Team Georgia,
http://www.teamgeorgiawrestling.com .
Training Centers:
One of the best training centers in the country, The Wrestling Center with Arturo
Holmes, http://twcthewrestlingcen.wix.com/thewrestlingcenter , is literally 10
minutes from Lovett in Smyrna. It is open M-TH from 6-8pm for 20$ per session
with annual membership available, It is also open on Sunday from 3-5pm for 25$.
The principle advantage is additional mat time with good wrestling partners and
very effective technique detail. TWC also offers summer camp. Out-of-state-
wrestlers have been known to travel up to three hours to get to the Sunday practices
at TWC.

Other centers include spin-offs TWA, http://www.academytrained.com , and CMP
http://cmptrained.com . The scramble camp at CMP North is unique and effective.
Some of the best teams in the state are located near these centers and their best
wrestlers will practice there,

26

Appendix 3 (Off/Pre-Season Workouts)


Off-Season: During the off-season, a standard power lifting program and diet, along
with cross training (swimming, basketball, lacrosse, tennis) is sufficient. Lovett
football workouts are good when augmented with stadium stairs and sprints. The
weight program consists of fewer repetitions and heavier weights.

Pre-season: This is an essential preparation period. Even the fall athletes should
participate in some activities and wrestling on Sundays. This program is a general
guide.

Pre-Season Workout Ideas- 8-9 Weeks (Start In-season Plyometric Program 1
Nov)

Preseason- 1 hr Work out and up to 1 hr Individual Drill = 5 Work out Days (3 X
Weights- M, W, F; 1 X Fun Day-Tu or Th;1 X Endurance Day-Tu or Th; Run 2 miles
before lifting M,W, F) and 2 Recovery Days.

Rotate ONE senior giving a motivational Speech; Another leading stretches; and one
giving the closeout motivation.

Stretching- Get a Routine. Stretch before and after in three parts: 1. Start with
Static Stretching from the top down. 2. Do dynamic stretching- Jog, 10X Jumping
Jacks, 10X Frankensteins or Toe Touchers, 10X Lunge Twist, Cartwheels, Shoulder
Rolls. 3. Partner Assisted- Shoulder Stretch, Split leg Lower Back, Leg Press.

Endurance Days Ideas-
1. >3mi. Round the World- Run around the campus and finish with a sprint up
the hill to the tennis courts
2. Indian Run- 12 X around the upper grass field. Slow jog, then trail man
sprints to the front.
3. Stadium Tournament- 1 period of stairs run up, 1 period hop up, 1 period
buddy piggyback up then walk 2 laps around the track slowly, do 5 push ups
then do another match (get 4 matches)
4. Hammer Run- 8 Laps, the leader sets the pace (sprint some and jog some)
and sprints or jogs a half lap then does 10 Burpees or Push Ups or Sit Ups or
4-count Flutter Kicks or Rocky Rollups, then gets up and sets off again
5. The Hill- Up Woodland Brook to the Railroad and back
6. Pyramid Sprints/Suicides- On a Football Field, Sprint 10 yards, 25 Yards; 50
yards, 75 yards, 100 yards; 75 yards, 50 yards, 25 yards, 10 yards; then do 5
yards and back, 10 yards and back, 25 yards and back, 10 yards and back, 5
yards and back.

27

7. Plate Drill Run- Sprint 8 Laps; 12 reps Plate exercise in between each (Plate
Lunge and Twist, Plate Twist, Plate Row, Plate Curl, Plate Press, Plate Over
the shoulder, Plate Around The World Alternate Directions)
8. Monkey Drills- Jog 2 Laps around the track; Ladder- every box, every other
box, Icky; Partner Assisted Sit Ups/ Neck Lifts X 10; Change Partners; Wheel
Barrow Race across field then change partner; Sprint a Lap; Piggy Back
Across field and back, then change partner; Sprint a lap; Leap Frog with
partner across the field; Sprint a Lap; Bear Crawl Across Field; Sprint a lap;
Duck Walk across field; Sprint a Lap; Crab Walk across field; Sprint a Lap.
9. Run a Cross Country Race on the Lovett Course (Added Benefit: X-Country
Team becomes invested in Wrestling)

Fun Days Ideas-
1. Swimming- 2 Lap swim skills observation (separate groups as needed); 3
length sprints free-style; Relay Race; 3 length sprints free style; 1 minute
tread water (wrists and ears stay out of the water); 3 X 30 second wall kicks;
Free Swim (Volleyball or Water Polo?)
2. Yoga- get an instructor; one of the school administrators is certified. Yoga is
on the MCWA pre-season workout plan for a Saturday exercise---so do some!
3. Tumbling- Work out with the Cheerleaders (added benefit: Cheerleading
team becomes invested in Wrestling)
4. Basketball Tournament- Stretch, do mid- full court suicides to warm up;
Break into 5 man teams and play 3 X 10 minute Games
5. Hand Fight Day- Run Stadium Stairs 1 Period to warm up; Do 3 X 1 min
Stance and Motion; Review hand fight (circle, push pull, hit pick, pass, drag,
post); Do 6 X 30 second Hand Fights; Jog a lap to finish
6. Community Carwash (A Saturday Bonding Thing)- plan 60 days out and raise
money for Breast Cancer, etc.

Weight Lifting M, W, F- Lift Heavy, Few Repetitions Aug/ Sep- Plyometric/
Circuits in October. RM= Rep Max.

1. Phase 1 (4 Wks):
Front Squat- 4 X 5 80% 5RM
Romanian Dead Lift- 4 X 5 80% 5RM
Standing Shoulder Press- 4 X 5 80% 5RM
Pull Ups- 4 X Max
Bench Dumb Bell Fly- 3 X 10 85% 10RM
Straight Bar Curl- 3 X 10 85% 10RM
Dumb Bell Kickbacks- 3 X 10 85% 10RM
Ab Twisting Crunch w/Plate- 3 X 20
Farmers Carry- 3 X 30 Sec (Alternate with 5 Clap Push Ups)

2. Phase 2 (5 Wks):
Warm Up- 30 pull-ups, 60 pushups, 90 prisoner squats

28

Monday- Man Circuit 50-75% of Body Weight X5 1 min between circuits


5 reps Superset- Power Clean, Push Jerk, Front Squat (full range of
motion), Romanian Deadlift, Power Clean after 5th set finish with 10
min. Abs

Wednesday- Body Weight Circuit (1 min Each Max Reps) X3 5 Min between
circuits
Bench Decline Push Up, Pull Up, Sunshine, Alternating Medicine Ball
Push Ups, Overhead Plate Lunge, Side Bench Hops, Plate Hold/
Farmers Carry, Partner Neck/Abs, Leg Lifts, Plank


Friday- Crazy Circuit X3- 5 Min. between circuits
Bent Over Dumb Bell Row (change over every 10), Lat Machine Rope
Grip Snap Downs, Curls, Box Jumps, Overhead (backwards) Smash
Ball Sprints, Buddy Pull, Kettle Ball Between the Legs Swing, Kettle
Ball Back Lunges, Sandbag Burpees, Sand Bag Buddy Twist- 1 min per
station.

Wrestling
1. Go to Arturo from 6-8 PM; T, Th.
2. After the weight workout; M, W, F- Do your Stance and Motion Warm Up 3 X
1Min, Hand fight 3 X 30sec and wrestle with Kip or Max. Focus on
Positioning, Footwork, and Handfight.
3. In October, go to Arturo on Sunday 3-5 pm.

Take 5 Days Off 21- 26 October just before the season starts for recovery and mental
hygiene.

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Appendix 4 (Strategy Letter to My Son)



This note was written for a wrestler with at least two years experience:

PJ,

This is for you to review again this year. I have made some modifications- especially in the last page.
You need to hone your mental game, understanding and attitude to stand on that podium at the end
of the season. I cared enough to write this and I hope you will read it, since it is all I can do for you.
and there will be a quiz. ;D.

Wrestling

1. The Mental Game: You tend to win when you control the tempo of the match. Either way,
like life, the real fight is in your head. The other guy is only a training aide to challenge you.
As an offensive wrestler, you have to win the gunfight and hit your move first. This
is tough to do when you have read the other guys press clippings or put pressure on
yourself. Doubt springs from lack of confidence in your preparation or abilities. Stress causes
us to wrestle worse and decide more slowlyfunny how much better we do when it is for
fun. So your goal is to be familiar with the various situations and body positions of
Wrestling, have some well-drilled responses and train your mind to relax. Before a match,
visualize your moves. Plan the match out from start to finish several ways- takedown to first
period pin; takedown to tilt to second period ride to pin; counter-takedown to ride to tilt to
second period chain escape to takedown to ride to pin. Imagine your moves and your set ups
and finishes. Only your core moves. Visualize success and then wrestle your match from
the whistle.
As a defensive wrestler, you move and lure your opponent into shooting when and
where you know it will happen. Weight on the head and neck causes one- of- two reactions-
and one of them is to shoot low to get away from the pressure. Creating openings you know
are there, also attracts a shot or other reaction. Speed comes from confidence and
understanding what must happen next. Again, you initiate action to get a response and
control the tempo of the match. Even defending, you must have an aggressive counter-
attacking mindset. He tries something you knew was coming and you crush his soul,
conceding nothing.
Toughness is earned by fighting through challenges. Since this is mental, you can
destroy the opponent by racing back to the center and acting as if you are not winded, when
he is. You practice this every work out and practice. Do not cheat yourself. Fans can see
when a wrestler has given up and is doing the fake valiant effort. It is obvious when a
competitor is looking for an excuse to get pinned. I will point it out to you this winter. This is
where a team is important to reinforcing the will, enhancing confidence, and reducing the
stress on a teammate. Be a great teammate and remember that Lovett never loses an
overtime match (I know you do not).

2. Strategy: Like all strategy, the goal is to create freedom of action. When the opponent is
pinned, he is helpless. To do this, we want to get ahead of the opponents ability to
understand what is happening. We must 1) Create Motion; 2) Synchronize around our
strengths; 3) Take what he gives you, not what you wish he did. Good business advice, too.
Step one is the most important. Every time we move or touch the opponent we do it
to move him and confuse his senses- not just to hang on. This changes his ability to defend
and creates important angles (more when we talk Physics). In particular, fast-slow motion
changes, circular motion and direction changes are REALLY important. Get off the Rails
(moving straight backwards and forwards)! The opponent targets you with senses found
mostly in his head- sight, sound, hearing---balance! Not only does attacking his head and

30

3.

neck create fatigue and move the rest of his body, it creates confusion and balance issues.
That is what we mean by Heavy Hands.
Step two refers to what is known as style. Based upon body-type, strength, weight,
flexibility, speed, balance, and coaching, we all do things differently. Typically folks talk
about Iowa and Oklahoma State styles. I like to refer to these as Ram and Snake styles. I
also see Bulls- Erdoes or Bears- Emerson- at higher weights. With some nuance, Kyle Dake
is a Gorilla and David Taylor is a Monkey. Those two are closest to your style and weight and
you should watch their matches closely and the moves they use. If you are not structured to
bulldoze someone, it makes little sense to try to do it in a match, even should the opening
present itself.
Step three means that moves are only the logical containers for body position. If you
find yourself in a body position that you can use, you need to be mentally flexible enough to
take advantage of it, even when it is unplanned. If you wait for the position you want, or try
to force a move that does not fit the body position, you will not succeed. Since the opponent
gets a vote, this is more frequent than not. Otherwise, Wrestling would be a Math problem
and not a game.

Physics: The rules of Physics are really important to Wrestling. Keep in mind: A) For every
Action, there is an equal and opposite Reaction, B) A body in motion tends to stay in motion; a
body at rest tends to stay at rest, C) Length of the moment arm and force required are inversely
proportional.
When we push into another wrestler, they will push back to maintain their position.
We take advantage of this. They must have the mechanical means to push in the opposing
direction. Thus, if we take the force in a circular direction or push at a 45-degree angle to a
support, they must reposition a support or generate a great deal more force because of the
moment. If we apply a short moment arm to the end of a longer one, they must generate
proportionally more force to maintain position (half nelson with elbow bent and hand on top
of the head pushing at a 45 degree angle makes it easy). All good technique creates
temporary mechanical advantage. If you are going to shoot or turn him, get him moving.
Chain escape moves together to make one set up the next. The momentum from your
primary and secondary attacks should set each other up as well. Spin/ Counter spin drills
demonstrate this principle. Also, fluid breakdown drills that have the wrestler changing
breakdowns and sides show the value of momentum.
From this perspective, stance and body position are vital. We want our elbows
into our sides and no duck wings flapping that could create long moment arms and lever-
fulcrum relationships that could damage shoulders. If there is a tie up, we never go ear-to
ear. We use our forehead in their temple and an inside tie to gain an angular advantage or
stay head to- head We need a low, balanced stance that allows us to react to different angles
of attack. Against a lanky wrestler, pressure down on the head compress his stance and
makes it difficult for him to establish support. Against a stocky wrestler, lifting an under
hook can put him on tiptoe and make it difficult to establish support. Hand fighting uses
momentum and these principles to continually keep the opponent off balance.
In Referees Position, we need a wide frog base and to get our elbows in as soon as
possible to provide 360-degree support and prevent the creation of a lever (elbows out to
spring up and table top base are just signs of ridiculously bad coaching). It helps to start
with thumbs facing forward on the mat instead of in. On bottom, we move to create angles
and momentum, while shrinking the surface against which the rider can apply pressure. A
good top position is equally important for generating motion and leverage. Do not get lazy
during practice and hang your head across his back or mount out of match sequence. On top,
we must break the opponents stance by putting pressure on the vulnerable supports and
creating motion that creates angles and useful momentum. The Iowa Ride removes a leg
support and an Augsburg Ride uses that to build to a cradle, for example. The Claw Ride
targets the front arm with body weight and opens up a pull back series as well. Just visualize
the others and you see the point. Relentless forward pressure stops the opponents first

31

4.

move and pins his hands to the mat. You also understand why driving the back knee up the
butt in a chop ride, rather than pulling him onto you gets to be important.
Hip pressure is a big part of the Physics of Wrestling. Your real power comes from
your hips and core. Just like when you tackle in football, the goal is to get the hips in, so you
can use your body frame instead of your muscles against the force generated by the
opponent. We get perpendicular and drive across the hips to turn the opponent, because we
can generate more force than his supports can counteract. Also, his hips control his center of
gravity. When we are pinning and get up on our toes, drive our hips in and head up, Chest to
Chest (Chest to Face works great, too), the arc of our body focuses all of our weight and
gravity in a narrow point down onto the opponent. Just like when we have legs in and fly
like superman or pee for distance, hip pressure acts like a ratchet and locks the opponent
in place with overwhelming force. When we pull our hips back, the pressure loosens and the
opponent can shift enough for us to turn him and then lock it down again with hip pressure-
float drills/ backpack monkeys with the rider periodically locking the hips in demonstrate
this.
Wrist and ankle control are hotly contested because of physics. First, in order to
insert the lever, you must have control of the leading edge. So defensive control prevents the
use of that lever. Next, controlling a point far out on the moment arm requires less strength
and makes the opponent vastly less capable to control or use that support.

The Basic Situations: A Wrestling match has one period starting in Neutral and two in
Referees Position. We know we will find ourselves in these positions. In Neutral, winning
the hand fight is essential. The set ups that produce this win are finite and drillable- Circle,
Fake, Push-Pull, Hit, Pick/Pass, Drag, Post. Heavier weights could spend a quarter of a
practice on this alone. A good game is to set a time and the wrestler who pushes his
opponent out of a circle or gets him to place both hands on the mat gets a point. In Referees
Position, we have Breakdowns and Escape chains we can drill. We can also work on a base
drill that stops the opponents first move on top (half, chop, ankle, claw, leg in). Wrestling is
not discrete. Wrestling is dynamic. So, a set up flows to a takedown that flows to a
breakdown, etc. in real life. It is useful, however to look at common positions and drill them
separately before putting them together in fluid 50/100 drills. Sometimes wrestlers
internalize the separation between moves and are not able to scramble- so whenever
possible, we should drill a move with its set up, finish and follow on. ( If you cannot get
more mat time, get more out of your mat time- Johnny Lee and Jim Peckham, Harvard
University c. 1977).
There are several other basic positions in which you will typically find yourself in a
match that demand familiarity and are worth breaking out of the general flow to train. They
are, in order of frequency: 1) in on the leg (finishing and countering), 2) standing behind (mat
returns and escapes), 3) on your belly (building a base and turning/ wrist control), 4) Front
Headlock (finishing and countering), 5) Whizzer side-by side (with over hook and without), 6)
Legs in (break downs and escapes), 7) Ankle Scramble. You now have others that come about
because of your particular style and moves. Each of these positions has a number of
responses based on the opponents actions. They can be drilled early in the season. They can
be worked as 50/100s mid-season. Then, they would be done in short gos in the
tournament prep. This year, you will have to get shown and drill, then move to setting up the
gos.
Finally, time creates some situations. What will you do when you are ahead and wish to kill
time on your feet or on top, or bottom, but still must be active? Do you have a go to move for
when you are behind and need 5 points? We will have to have a plan for these situations.
A) In on the Leg: For the attacker, the first step is to get into a good body position by
planting the elbows and hopping the knees forward to build a solid frog base. Next, there
is a series of finishes based on the opponents body position- circle, snake, pop-the-top;
dump, drag, look up, bear hug. They can be drilled like a check down list for a football
quarter back passing. For the defender, the goal is to create circular motion and apply
pressure down to prevent a base- feed a hip, whizzer, cross face, drag by. Then

32

B)

C)

D)

E)

F)

depending upon the opponents body position- limp leg, Front Headlock, crotch lock
series, ankle pass. If you own this position, you never fear to shoot. If you always win the
takedown, with the right game plan, you have every match won.
Standing Behind: For the attacker, the goal is to get hand or wrist control, shift to the
side and get hips in. This enables the attacker to lift the opponent from the mat with
ease, use a knee to kick away the support and return the man to the mat, driving your
shoulder into his back and a forearm forward into his near bicep for an arm bar. This is
not pleasant. In fact, help him up, if he wants to stand, and use the momentum. Good mat
returns can break his spirit. You can drop to a double, if he turns in. You can lift a single
and trip, if he turns away. The front trip and seatbelt are only effective if the opponent is
really leaning back or forward and your shoulder must be touching his back to execute
properly. NEVER JUST LET HIM GO because you are tired, unless the coach has told you
to cut. That is a wimpy prep school kid move (scorn intended). You will wish you had
that point later. When you do cut, push away hard, so he is too disoriented to re-attack.
The defender has to squat into a balanced base, sink his elbows inside, gain wrist/
control, arch and twist out to his attack stance ready to counter and attack. A good drill
has the defender start arching back with arms forward, the attacker starting behind with
arms open.
On the Belly: Building a base is essential to regaining the initiative and there are right
and wrong ways to do it. With very few exceptions, KEEP YOUR HEAD OFF THE MAT.
Get your head up and elbows into your sides, (fight wrist control to do this) brace
elbows into the mat and frog up your legs to a base, rocking back onto that base. If you
have to commando your base up, be wary of cradles. If the opponent has wrist control
and is under your arms with a seatbelt, use your head and one arm as supports when
you hop up to your base. Then, use your head as a tripod to create space (an exception)
and reach across to peel the wrist free with your free arm. Push back into your base.
KEEP CONTROL OF THE HAND and immediately stand up. This is one soloid move from
flat on your belly in a cross-wrist to a stand up escape. Offensively, you must stay off your
knees and flow from side to side seeking a lever (half, bar, wing, seatbelt) to drive across
the hips or another support for the turn. In fact, making a tripod and maintaining
shoulder pressure in his back to keep him flat, even when scooping a leg, is critical. The
best part of riding is making him work to carry your weight.
Front Headlock: The FHL is a pretty common position. Offensively, you must be ready to
circle instantly to create motion. Optional finishes include the primaries: Drag behind,
Throw by, and Cradle. The advanced pair is the Bulldog paired with a Cement Mixer.
Defending an FHL is usually a quick drag out or slower circle out and push the elbow
clear of the head. He who reacts and creates motion first usually wins this. If you start to
drag out and the opponent shifts to an under hook, dump. This is the drag-dump combo
that Kyler did so well to finish his Firemans Carry.
Whizzer: When working the Whizzer situation, both wrestlers are side by side on their
knees. One has an arm across the others back and the other has an over hook. This
position is so common because of the use of the Whizzer as a counter to a takedown. The
wrestler with the arm across the back can: Limp Arm, circle to a Bull Dog, create a
reinforced Under Hook, step over to hook in Legs, and roll under to a Navy Ride. The
wrestler with the Whizzer can: Limp Leg, circle to a FHL, step over to hook in Legs, stand
to a Hip Toss or Far-side Duck Under or Firemans Carry.
Legs in: Avoiding the legs with Catch, Swim and Mule Kick is another drill. But, the
higher caliber wrestlers will use their legs as levers to control the hips. In HS, leg riding
can get you a State Championship two years early in some cases. In College, legs are
more body position and a condition of the scramble than an intentional move, usually
tied to tilts and counters. The offensive wrestler starts with a cross-body ride and
anchor and the defensive wrestler starts with a poor tabletop base. The offensive
wrestler works the Guillotine series, Power-half series, Wing and pull back series as well
as cross-face counters and under hook counters. The key to effective legs is not to rush
the move; hips must attempt to stay in and on top. Legs kill time and will power. The

33

defensive wrestler rocks back to a good base and uses scrape, tripod, bounce, arm trap
and long sit counters to separate from his hips and force an arm through to turn in. If flat
on your stomach, use your legs to free the legs while keeping elbows in and tight and
head up. Drilling 50/100 both wrestlers, before 15 second go s is useful to master
technique.
G) Ankle Scramble: Top-caliber HS wrestlers, mostly East coast and Mid-west, regularly
train for the leg pass/ ankle roll counter and scramble. Both wrestlers start in a tabletop
base, side by side, facing opposite directions with the inside hand on the opponents
ankle. The goal is to straighten the opponent out, roll underneath between his legs and
build a base, getting your head higher than his. You then kick out and turn in to finish the
takedown. Alternatively, you can twist to capture or step over a leg, etc.
H) Time: The most common time situation is to be ahead by 1 point with 30 seconds on the
clock in Neutral. You must be aggressive, but avoid creating openings. First, gain control
of his shooting hand. Usually the right- a Russian Arm is perfect, but just two hands
hanging on like a baseball bat works. Next, be sure to circle forward-driving straight in
invites the 5-point move. Finally, a shallow blast double with your head up or a snap to a
FHL and circle step can show activity. The second most common time-driven situation is
to need 5 points in the last 30 seconds- Headlock, Reverse Headlock, Far-side Duck
Under/ Firemans Carry or Hip Toss are the perennial favorites. But your move needs to
be drilled. Lastly, you are on top and down by a point with one minute left- turning the
opponent has not been working. The Coach tells you to cut and take the man down
(after one minute, it is usually too late for him to get the call in). Practice your cut and re-
shot drill.

5.

Fighting Shape: Just like top-tier wrestlers have a certain stance, they also have a certain
build. The best way to get in shape for Wrestling is to wrestlea lot. But, since no one has a
mat and partner 24/7 or the constitution to endure the hammering, we work on key muscles
that may not be the focus in other non-combative sports. This results in the triangle body
shape and thicker neck, etc.
Flexibility is a key aspect of this and you always compete in practice to have the
deepest stretch, and warm up hard to get the blood flowing. You should have 15 -30
minutes stretching before practice or lifting weights- static, partner-assisted, and dynamic.
As Dan Gable said, Fifteen minutes can save a career that can be lost in seconds. Like the
Spartans before the battle of Thermopylae (or Dad before an infil for Desert Storm), dynamic
stretching and shadow combat must be part of your pre-combat ritual. Do not wait on
teammates or coaches. This is why many of the following exercises described are plyometric.
Lifting static weight only is not the most efficient use of time.
Wrestling requires a powerful grip. This can come from climbing rope, plate drills, farmers
carries, pull-ups, and general weight lifting.
A wrestler needs strong, flexible shoulders. Swimming, backwards wall walks, bear crawls,
seals, bent- over and standing rows, yoga, tumbling, plate drills, pullups and chin-ups, rope
waves, kettle balls, tire flipping, and tire/sledge work can help.
Core strength is vital and tied to every other part of the kinesthetic chain. Plyometric work
is excellent across the board, but essential for core strength. Ab bridges, tumbling, sunrises,
partner assisted resistance (table leg- overs), twisting sit ups, hanging knee-ups, cleans,
swimming, wall walks, climbing rope, squats, leg throw resisters, yoga, plate drills, tire
flipping, and kettle balls also work on core strength.
Explosive hips are the cornerstones of most wrestling, however. Hip heists, wall walks,
bridging, tumbling, squats, plate drills, squat jacks, dummy tosses, stadium stairs, tire
flipping, kettle balls, plyometric stand hops, vertical and broad jumps enhance this
capability.
Neck strength is still best improved by bridging, neck- ups, partner assisted resistance
(table sit-ups/neck raises) and shrugs.
On Weights-It is essential you lift and do non-wrestling fitness at least one day per
week all season. Otherwise, you will lose strength. Three times per week and you can get

34

stronger. Encourage your teammates to lift before school daily (alternate muscle groups) or
make the weight room to stay open after practice by talking to the Coach. You can look at
Lovett wrestlers and Jefferson, Bremen or Social Circle and see the difference their fitness
program all season makes.
When thinking of conditioning and drilling remember that you must work harder
than your opponent every single session to win. There is no such thing as talent. We do not
train for the kid we can beat. We train to beat the kid we should not be able to beat ready
when we are given that one in-a-thousand chance. Therefore, we do today what others will
not, so that we can do tomorrow what others cannot. Others would not read this, or study the
sport.
This note was just intended to give you a frame of reference and is not everything
you need to know---THE sport has been around for literally millennia. In the Bible, it is the
only sport God does. Wrestling is a combative sport and, like all forms of fighting, there is
always someone better than you. After Wrestling, though, you will be tougher than 80% of
the men you meet and 99.99% of the women, regardless of size.
Like life, falling down and failing is expected and even a vital part of sport. As GEN
Patton noted, we judge a man, not by how high he climbs, but by how high he bounces after
he falls. It is impossible to wrestle without having your heart broken at least once. As
hard as it is for a parent to see it happen, we know that those who avoid or cannot handle
heartbreak will never achieve greatness.
Success in wrestling (State Championships or undefeated seasons) is achieved often
when you are in the right weight class at the right time, and sometimes not an indicator of
skill. So you need to measure your personal success by the improvement in your abilities
against tough opponents and not against the outcomes of anyone in a different weight class.
You will find this is also true in life. Learn to embrace a challenge. Being lighter or heavier
than the norm has huge advantages inherent in a smaller pool of talent and fewer year-
round competitors, but disadvantages in a limitation on the number of effective techniques
one learns to execute.


Why listen to me? Son, I wrestled for 15 years, including NCAA D1 and in the Army;
assistant coached a local public high school club when I was on the Taft School team; wrote
an independent study on wrestling my senior year in HS; have watched you and your
brothers in camps, clinics and seasons for the past 10 years; and remained current year-
round on flowrestling.com. While I never reached the peak of my potential and cannot
compare to Coach Maldonado, I learned lessons from this sport that saved my bacon in many
other tight situations. Wrestling is a crucible; only the most resilient can pass through, while
it infuses life lessons found nowhere else except a battlefield. I hope this was useful to think
about. Keep your chin up. We are very proud of the man you are becoming. Concede Nothing
as you welcome the adversity that makes you stronger.

Love,
Dad

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