Choking...

• iluvz

  Ok dads and coaches... What do you do with a kid who, come pressure time, chokes. After he chokes, he comes back with a vengeance... But it's a rougher road wrestling back, and he never ends up where he wants because of it. Easily should have been conference champ, ended up third. Sectionals, chokes his first match... (Never should have lost) and has to fight his way back. Always comes back, but how do you get a kid away from choking. It's literally like watching two different kids wrestling. I know wrestling is half a mental game... But any suggestions on how to get him out of his own head and from beating himself?
• USMCdevil2005

  

  Man that's a tough one. You can always coach and wrestle back at districts but you'll nevercwin a state title if you choke the first match.
• Gman

  Change his routine, make him do his warm up different, keep him off the stage until has to go, get him outside of his comfort zone, change up the music he is listening to on his headphones. Its jitters he cant help it so gotta find a way to loosen him up. I have one that is that way every 1st match of the day have another never know which kid is gonna show up each match.
• hang_loose

  Have him go three one minute periods with your closest weight wrestler a hour before his first match. Sometimes you have to prime the pump.
• Bitterrunner-up

  ccrunner609;1390294 wrote:Just like runners.....its not bball or skill related sports where you choke executing skills. Running and wrestling are sports of aggression and energy use...

  I totally disagree. Wrestling absolutely is a skill related sport. And when a wrestler "chokes" it's usually in the executing of skills.
• It is what it is

  hang_loose;1390537 wrote:Have him go three one minute periods with your closest weight wrestler a hour before his first match. Sometimes you have to prime the pump.

  100% agree... a lot of wrestlers, especially young wrestlers don't warm-up properly and it takes that 1st match before they truly get warmed-up. They shouldn't go 100% in warm-up, but should be about 75%!!
• iluvz

  I feel like its his head that's not warmed up.... Not sure if that relates to physical warm up? Take sectionals for instance.... Choked first match yesterday... But first match today... Totally different wrestler. So I'm not sure it's a physical thing?
• Dad4Sports

  iluvz;1390651 wrote:I feel like its his head that's not warmed up.... Not sure if that relates to physical warm up? Take sectionals for instance.... Choked first match yesterday... But first match today... Totally different wrestler. So I'm not sure it's a physical thing?

  did he advance?
• Coach_Simpson

  

  Lots of amateur 'experts' in here, but why not go to a real expert? Dr. Chris Stankovich, the Sports Doc, is the best in the business for helping athletes with the mental preparation part.
  
  Look him up, you'll never regret it.
  
  
  -Randy
• iluvz

  Yes. Wrestled back for 3rd. Beat the kid he lost to his first match in finals match. He was totally on point today. It just always seems to be the first match of any one event.
• said_aouita

  

  Overall Bob Bowman has to be considered one of the greatest coaches in the world after he coached Michael Phelps to 8 Gold Medals in Beijing. Here he talks about how it is important to focused on fine technical points before competition as opposed to be thinking about the big picture. He says the reason why is that focusing on the big picture or the end result will raise your arousal level too much where it will inhibit your ability to perform fine motor skills.
  
  Watch this video. Two or three times. Very good info here.
  
  http://www.flowrestling.org/speaker/381-Martin-Floreani/video/140063-Phelps-Coach-Bob-Bowman
• queencitybuckeye

  Does this issue apply only in his wrestling or do the same symptoms show up in "real" life?
• hang_loose

  said_aouita, Really like Coach Bowmans coaching style.... Basically,(like he said) all of the coaching should be done before the competition starts.
• Blast82.5

  hang_loose;1390537 wrote:Have him go three one minute periods with your closest weight wrestler a hour before his first match. Sometimes you have to prime the pump.

  Agreed!
  
  Get the "first match" out of the way earlier. Tons of guys don't get the kinks out until they are on the mat for their first match, even if they thought they had warmed-up enough. The body needs to be shocked into high-performance mode, and some very hard drilling / almost live wrestling an hour before will do that. Then you are in "tournament mode," having had your "first match" already.
  
  JMO.
• Tony Mead

  hang_loose;1390537 wrote:Have him go three one minute periods with your closest weight wrestler a hour before his first match. Sometimes you have to prime the pump.

  
  This has worked for us! A full go match after you stretch and do your warm up drills. This gets the first match out of the way so when your wrestling your actual first match your actually wrestling your 2nd match.
• iluvz

  Thanks for all the advice. Will look into those ppl. Not really sure it's an actual physical warm up issue though, as its always just the first match of a one day tournament, or the first match of the first day of a multi-day tournament. Idk what is considered a 'young' wrestler, but he's 16. Been wrestling since was 5. Always same problem. And yes, it's just when it comes to wrestling. Football he's fine. And he floats thru school.
• GregHines

  Coach_Simpson;1390675 wrote:Lots of amateur 'experts' in here, but why not go to a real expert? Dr. Chris Stankovich, the Sports Doc, is the best in the business for helping athletes with the mental preparation part.
  
  Look him up, you'll never regret it.
  
  
  -Randy

  Coach Simpson is right, Dr. Stankovich is good - or try the Athletic Mind Institute. You will not find an overnight cure, but there is a life skill to be learned which will pay off many times over. There is a good book: Sports Psychology for Dummies which might help as well.
• hang_loose

  I won't argue with Randy... Great father and a great coach! But I'm sure Randy will agree you need a good warm-up (no matter how you get it).
• cruiser_96

  

  hang_loose;1392782 wrote:I won't argue with Randy... Great father and a great coach! But I'm sure Randy will agree you need a good warm-up (no matter how you get it).

  And by this I'll assume you do NOT mean standing along the wall with your arms folded, staring out into space or even glancing at feet as they walk by???
  
  Note to self: Change our pre-match routine!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Tony Mead

  cruiser_96;1392799 wrote:And by this I'll assume you do NOT mean standing along the wall with your arms folded, staring out into space or even glancing at feet as they walk by???
  
  Note to self: Change our pre-match routine!!!!!!!!!!!!

  is that what was wrong with you? too bad you cant turn the clock back, you'd be a bonafide stud now!
• hang_loose

  cruiser_96;1392799 wrote:And by this I'll assume you do NOT mean standing along the wall with your arms folded, staring out into space or even glancing at feet as they walk by???
  
  Note to self: Change our pre-match routine!!!!!!!!!!!!

  If it works for you, use it...... But it doesn't work to often (yawn, yawn ,yawn)!
  
  Good luck to you and your team the next couple of weeks cruiser. Hope your wrestlers (and you) stay injury free.