FLOW every time you Wrestle

Some athletes call it “the Zone” others call it “Flow,” scholars call it “the Ideal Peak Performance State (IPPS).” The feeling that you cannot miss, where time and accuracy seem to be moving and acting at your command. All good athletes and performers know this feeling. When you compete, the idea is to be in…

What to Focus on When you Compete

In competition, focus is best spent on the present moment- on actions. Thinking about past successes or failures will distract you from your mission. Your mission is whatever you have to do right now, not a few moments ago, not a few seconds from now, much less the end of the competition- but right NOW.…

Without Limits – Expand your Threshold

Imagine yourself as a dot in the center of a circle. The circle represents your comfort zone. The walls of the circle represents your personal threshold- your personal limit. In the middle, you are well within your comfort zone. This is where most people choose to remain- never pushing the envelop or risking failure or…

5 Signs its a Mindset Problem

Coaches and parents must recognize if the wrestler is struggling mentally, then consult a mindset expert to fix the problem. Here’s the eyeball test: The 5 Signs its a Mindset Problem 1. Looks like a different wrestler in practice and a match 2. Not attempting many moves in a match 3. Difficulty sleeping the night before a…

4 Mandatory Mindsets for Wrestlers

Pre-Competition 1. I don’t care who I go against, I want everyone. I go after the tougher opponent. I live for the challenge. The best defense is a good offense right? Same thing with your mindset. If you seek the challenge and look for tougher opponents, you’re not worried about competing against someone good. You…

Driving with the Emergency Brake?

Imagine driving a high performance car, say a Lamborghini, on a race track. You start the car and you begin to drive. You give it more gas,You shift the gears, Your speed climbs. You feel your car moving faster and faster until all of a sudden…you hit a plateau. Your speed remains constant well below…

Overcome Laziness

Why are people lazy? Again, we must go back to motivation. The root word in motivation is motive. To understand any behavior or attitude, you must first consider the two basic human motives. When you boil it all down the two human motives are (1) Avoid Pain (2) Gain Pleasure. Your mind links pleasure and/or…

Pull the Trigger

To sum up Sport/Performance Psychology in a 3 word sentence- Pull the trigger! This is analogous to the Nike slogan of “Just Do It.” However, I like “pull the trigger” because it commands the most attention and includes a sense of urgency. When it comes right down to it, you are faced with one major…

Exercises to Improve Confidence

*List your 10 greatest accomplishments in wrestling (competition or practice). If there aren’t 10 in wrestling, then include life to show yourself you are good at things you put your mind to. You have succeeded before and it will come again. *Make a highlight reel if you can, and play it twice a week. *Make…

Building Unstoppable Confidence

Confidence is so important to our success I have decided to do at least a 3 part series. What can we do to build Unstoppable Confidence? A different approach to building confidence is taken from behavioral theorists (a major branch of psychology). It may be common sense that the body listens to the mind. If…