8 Youth Mindset Tips

1- Stop cutting weight! They may win a few extra matches but burn out and stunt their growth in the process. Don’t do it! 2- Develop skills before learning tons of moves. Gymnastics is a great foundation for wrestling. Build strength, athleticism and body awareness before focusing on technique. Develop basic mental skills as well;…

Lessons from Cael Sanderson

Written by Coach Pat Higgins, Penn State Class of 2019 (Four Time Team Champions)   A while back I wrote a very long detailed post about my experiences as a Penn State Wrestler. You can read that here: My Penn State Wrestling Experience but one of the purposes of this post is different than that…

Freezing in Matches

One of the first mindset red flags noticeable to parents and coaches is when a wrestler is freezing in matches or “big” matches. It is easily recognizable because the wrestler clearly has the talent or skills but does not use them on match day. The wrestler may wrestle at a higher level in practice than…

Why Summer Mindset Training is a MUST

Imagine a serious wrestler who said they will take the summer off of strength training. You would assume they weren’t such a serious wrestler since strength is a key component of a wrestler’s success.   How much more important is a wrestler’s mindset? Most agree that the sport is 90% mental and even more on…

3 Solutions to the Social Media Problem

Let’s start with the fact that social media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) can be immensely beneficial. Not only can you stay in touch with old friends easily, but you can acquire a wealth of knowledge from some of the top experts in the world. Although as with many things, it can quickly become a…