1. I am going to FOCUS on getting big and lifting now.
Wrong! Unless you are a bodybuilder or powerlifter, your focus is never lifting. Now this doesn’t mean that you don’t lift your butt off now, but as long as you are a wrestler the focus is ALWAYS wrestling. You should be lifting to get stronger/more powerful for wrestling and of course to prevent injuries as well. There is no reason you can’t get much stronger on the mat lifting 3 or 4 days max. Any more than that is likely cutting into your mat time. Hit it hard in the weight room and get out! Focus on getting better as a wrestler, since that it what is going to help you most.
2. I am not going to wrestle Freestyle/Greco, because I want to focus on Folkstyle this offseason.
Wrong again! In the last 10 years, more than 82% of NCAA All American’s competed at Fargo in Freestyle or Greco. That ought to be an eye opening statistic. When I look at my Team New Jersey picture (wrestler’s who competed at Fargo) I see 5 NCAA championships, a couple finalists and several All-Americans in one picture. Freestyle and Greco is an unbelievable opportunity to develop new skills, learn from the best coaches, and wrestle the best competition in the nation. It’s a no brainer is you want to be an elite wrestler.
3. I am going to work so hard and get so good that it won’t even matter how I perform in the postseason, I will be good enough to win.
Sounds honorable, but ultimately wrong as well. The higher the level of wrestling, the more important performance becomes. You may be able to get away with winning a Youth State Championship, while choking a little or coming out like a deer in the headlights, but the higher the level the more you will need to be a Gamer and true performer. Working hard has got to be a given. Preparation needs to be taken care of at a high level. Performance needs to be trained as well. You need to be Confident, Mentally Tough, Poised and able to Pull the Trigger during Big Matches if you want to be the best. What good is all the hard work, if when it times to perform you are driving with the Emergency Brake or only in second gear. It’s time to release the emergency brake and perform at your best when it means the most.
Stop waiting! The offseason is the absolute best time to begin your Mindset training program with a 1-1 coach.