experience and exposure

[coachp]

I have been talking about this topic over the years and wanted to give my perspective and get insight from you. I often talk about experince and exposure in a wrestlers game.

I had a conversation with a wrestler last night after a tuff 1st and 2nd round loss. I asked him if this was the biggest tournment he has ever been in? He said yes and I got to thinking.......had he have wrestled like I have seen him wrestle and not reserve he would have beat both of his opponents. Knowing that this was the biggest tournament he had ever been in put him in a position that he was not ready for. Thats where exposure comes in.

Some other kids that I see seem to be completley calm on the big stage. It's not that they are nervous about losing....it's more that they have "been there done that" mentality and that this is nothing new for them. That is a huge mental advantage that could be the difference in a match right from the start. I tell parents this same thing.....at some point you want to get your young wrestler to a larger venue to get used to that environment so you don't freeze when your not supposed to.

The other part of the equation is experience. I think that kids should get the experience that is needed to develope. If the wrestler is competing at a higher level then the other wrestlers in his weight class on a repetitive basis......don't bump him up 2 weight classes! That's a nasty recipe for an injury! Find a tournament (which typically means travel) that can push him. Wrestlers will gain experience through mat time and drill time.

Any thoughts on this? Maybe a different perspective from other parents and coaches.

 

[dont_belong]

Coach...I totally agree with this. The only thing I would add is some parents begin to push these things way too early only to find out later that the kid's best days of wrestling were spent in 7th and 8th grade. My advice is to casually mention these types of practices/tournaments and listen to what your son has to say.

Most kids will be a little apprehensive about it, but once he learns that he can hang with that level of competition, albeit he probably wont win every tournament, his confidence will soar. Oh yeah, the not winning every tournament part...is a huge obstacle for some parents as well. Keep it in perspective, don't spend the next three days harping on every little thing the kid could've done better to win one of those bigger tournaments. The whole point of going to those is to prepare the wrestler mentally and physically to shine in March.

Just my thoughts.

 

[sammyo]

I have been talking about this topic over the years and wanted to give my perspective and get insight from you. I often talk about experince and exposure in a wrestlers game.

I had a conversation with a wrestler last night after a tuff 1st and 2nd round loss. I asked him if this was the biggest tournment he has ever been in? He said yes and I got to thinking.......had he have wrestled like I have seen him wrestle and not reserve he would have beat both of his opponents. Knowing that this was the biggest tournament he had ever been in put him in a position that he was not ready for. Thats where exposure comes in.

Some other kids that I see seem to be completley calm on the big stage. It's not that they are nervous about losing....it's more that they have "been there done that" mentality and that this is nothing new for them. That is a huge mental advantage that could be the difference in a match right from the start. I tell parents this same thing.....at some point you want to get your young wrestler to a larger venue to get used to that environment so you don't freeze when your not supposed to.

The other part of the equation is experience. I think that kids should get the experience that is needed to develope. If the wrestler is competing at a higher level then the other wrestlers in his weight class on a repetitive basis......don't bump him up 2 weight classes! That's a nasty recipe for an injury! Find a tournament (which typically means travel) that can push him. Wrestlers will gain experience through mat time and drill time.

Any thoughts on this? Maybe a different perspective from other parents and coaches.

Totally agree 1000%. The high schools who enter the big tourney's during the year and continually put their kids thru the grinder on the big stage are getting their wrestlers ready for Districts and State. The schools who stay local and wrestle lots of duals and smaller tourneys make it hard for the kid to really be ready for States. It's interesting watching Graham kids before big matches in big tourneys... calm and focused. been there done that.

 

[PreacherDG]

I totally agree!!!

I've had to fight continuously for a better schedule since I have been at my school. We have some great talent that have not done well at Sectionals and Districts because the schedule we wrestle does not prepare them for that type of competition. It has been a major point of frustration for me as a coach and a father.

@ Don't belong....your comments are oh so true!

@ Sammyo....That's why teams that have tough schedules usually produce more State Placers. Their kids are better prepared to handle the stress and pressures that District and the State Tournament place on them. Plus, you can't rule out the confidence factor that the wrestler gains from going against the best.

I wished my sons would have a tougher schedule. They may not win every tournament, but they would be better prepared for a State championship run.

Oh by the way, a soft schedule gives the wrestler a "false sense" of security and believe me, nothing kills a wrestlers confidence faster than knowing that the the quality of the wrestlers they have faced are no where the level they get to see at Sectionals, Districts or States.

 

[Coachpat]

Totally agree, both from personal experience as a wrestler, and as a coach.

Guess it depends on your own personal scheduling philosophy, but I think that to many coaches place to much emphasis on regular season dual match and tourney records. IMO the only thing that people really remember is how you did at state or nationals. Kids I coach always ask me if I was a state champ, not what my record was. I'm not saying that the ONLY thing that matters is how one does at state, but if I was scheduling, I would do it in a way that would best prepare us for post season. If that means putting the kids against better competition in duals and tourneys during the regular season, and thus giving up some victories that we might otherwise have if we went against lesser competition, so be it.

This might be especially true during the OFF-SEASON. I highly recommend to all kids to seek out the BEST practice and tourney opponents they can find, and go there. I know doing that really helped me to become a much better wrestler.