Part 4: Trying Your Hardest and Being Proud

As a past wrestler and current coach, I know that stepping onto the mat isn't just about winning or losing. It's about putting everything on the line, taking a personal risk, and giving it your all. Easier said than done I know, because we inherently want the medal. However, each match presents a unique challenge, and often the most valuable lessons come from losses. But no matter the outcome, the sense of personal accomplishment that comes from trying your hardest and being proud of your effort. If you walk off the mat and know you gave your all is important.

Parents, I understand that it can be tempting to want to coach your child from the sidelines, but it's important to remember that your role is to be a supportive presence. Leave the coaching to the coaches and focus on thanking your child for allowing you to watch them compete. Enjoy the time you get to watch them compete because they grow so fast!

The pressure wrestlers feel from their parents can be too much. Wrestling is a personal sport, and it's important to be proud of your child for their effort and hard work, win or lose. At the end of each match say some sort of affirmation. Hey crazy mom, believe me, your son/daughter knows how they preformed and berating them isn’t helpful. (Thats a whole different blog… the crazy mom that says “We” statements)

Now lets talk about coaches, a great coach knows that their job is to not only teach technique, but to make their wrestlers fans of the sport. Letting your wrestlers know your proud of them encourages this, believe me. Believe me, some wrestling parents don’t do their job mentioned above, and thats why a good coach, also needs to let the wrestlers feel proud of their performance.

If your wrestler feels supported and appreciated they’ll preform better. This is really important regardless of their ability. As a coach should strive to instill a love for wrestling in their athletes so that they may support the sport in the future, whether it's through coaching, volunteering, or simply as a fan. Letting them know you’re proud of their effort is just planting a seed to encourage this to happen.

Wrestling can be a challenging sport, but it's also an incredibly valuable experience that can teach athletes important life lessons. From hard work and dedication to resilience and interpersonal skills, wrestling can help athletes become the best versions of themselves, both on and off the mat. And with supportive coach and parent, wrestling can be a fun and memorable journey.