This weekend is perhaps the most notable high school wrestling tournament of the year: Fargo. Here are a few tips that could help you to be mentally prepared to wrestle this weekend.
1.) Don’t Make it A Monster:
Fargo is a famous tournament, and the notoriety of the tournament can lead you to feel like you are in over your head. Refuse to feel that way. You are a wrestler, and you are there to wrestle. There is no need for it to be any more than that. Approach it the same way you would any other tournament.
2.) Don’t Spend Too Much Time Looking At The Brackets:
This mindset key was addressed previously, and it is especially true for Fargo. The brackets at Fargo can be intimidating purely on the size of the bracket alone. Don’t be too bogged down by looking at other wrestlers in the tournament. All you need to know is when and where you are wrestling.
3.) Don’t Procrastinate (Get Your Warm-Up In):
The practice room at Fargo can be difficult to get into due to the large amount of wresters at the tournament, but getting a good warm up in is important. So, go early if you have to, but make sure you are able to get a good warm up in before your match. It is important to be as prepared as you possibly can be for the match. This can obviously help physically, but can also help mentally by calming your nerves.
4.) Don’t Get Caught Up In The Fanfare:
Many wrestlers spend time in between rounds at Fargo trading shoes, singlets, etc., and this can be a huge distraction. You are there to wrestle! Save all of the trading and the fanfare for after the tournament.
5.) Don’t Get Bogged Down By External Factors:
There are a lot of aspects of wrestling at Fargo that can be distracting for wrestlers. For many of you, it could be travelling on your own maybe even for the first time. This means that you have to take care of your own laundry, travel, food, etc. There is a lot of factors and responsibilities that can be difficult to deal with and distracting. Some aspects of these factors you just have to deal with, but that becomes easier if you are on top of the things that you can affect. For example, getting to bed on time, eating right, and not procrastinating on things like laundry. Always remember to focus on the things that you can change, and not the things you cannot!
6.) The Tournament Is Not Over After Your First Loss:
It should be everyone’s goal to win, but if you do lose, you still have more matches to wrestle. Don’t become so bogged down by your first loss that you put yourself out of the matches to come. Learn from your mistakes and move on!