How to stay confident right after a loss? (wrestling)

SIG Nature

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I'm a first-year wrestler and I'm wrestling varsity tomorrow, expecting to have 4 matches. I've done terrible in almost all of my varsity matches so far. The problem is, during meets/tournaments where I wrestle multiple times in a day, after my first loss, I lose all confidence and don't want to wrestle for the day anymore. I usually come out confident in my first match, but then after a loss I hang my head low and want to go home.

I really want to win at least 1 varsity match tomorrow, but I'm afraid if the first one doesn't go well, I won't have enough confidence and aggression to win the rest.

So, any advice on how to stay motivated/confident for matches right after a loss?
 
I'm a first-year wrestler and I'm wrestling varsity tomorrow, expecting to have 4 matches. I've done terrible in almost all of my varsity matches so far. The problem is, during meets/tournaments where I wrestle multiple times in a day, after my first loss, I lose all confidence and don't want to wrestle for the day anymore. I usually come out confident in my first match, but then after a loss I hang my head low and want to go home.

I really want to win at least 1 varsity match tomorrow, but I'm afraid if the first one doesn't go well, I won't have enough confidence and aggression to win the rest.

So, any advice on how to stay motivated/confident for matches right after a loss?

You are a freshman on varsity, chill out. Recognize that you are better than most people your age, unless you are varsity because there was no one else in your weight class. Just don't cry like a bitch after every loss, the only tears you can shed are after winning states or something.
 
0-22 my freshman year, 22-18 my sophomore, 30-10 my junior year, and I've been injured for most of my senior year. Mat time is all that matters for your first couple years
 
0-22 my freshman year, 22-18 my sophomore, 30-10 my junior year, and I've been injured for most of my senior year. Mat time is all that matters for your first couple years

This definitely. Just use the first year to get used to everything(practice, the process of going to matches and tournaments). Then if you decide to continue for a second year, you'll be used to everything and can just focus on getting better skillwise.
 
quit being a bitch and suck it the fuck up.

find a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and recite that 100 times.

remember every moment of it the next time you feel like quitting.
 
0-22 my freshman year, 22-18 my sophomore, 30-10 my junior year, and I've been injured for most of my senior year. Mat time is all that matters for your first couple years

Wow, 0-22? You must be really mentally tough. How did you stay with it?
 
Accept your failure, and learn from it. This is how you get better. Now get to work!
 
It all starts in the room. Practice and drill your ass off.
 
Wow, 0-22? You must be really mentally tough. How did you stay with it?

Because I loved it. I loved every second of it,still do. The technique alone kept me up at night. I sucked, I'm barely average now, but I was wrestling 160 while I weighed 145ish because it was the only available Varsity spot.
 
Because I loved it. I loved every second of it,still do. The technique alone kept me up at night. I sucked, I'm barely average now, but I was wrestling 160 while I weighed 145ish because it was the only available Varsity spot.

ross pointon ftmfw
 
Ok, take it from a wrestler.. Your a freshman, these guys that are beating you have more than likely been wrestling since they were freshmen or earlier, stay positive and remember that by the time your a junior or a senior you will be dominating.. Hang your head high and remember that you are doing one of the toughest and most brutal sports in High School. The only guys that dominate and win states their freshmen year are kids that have been wrestling since they were toddlers.. Don't let any of the negativity get to you, I know how bad it feels to lose, I know how bad it feels to lose your first match in a tournament and your consolation match and have to watch your teammates wrestle while you watch from the sidelines..
 
You are a freshman on varsity, chill out. Recognize that you are better than most people your age, unless you are varsity because there was no one else in your weight class. Just don't cry like a bitch after every loss, the only tears you can shed are after winning states or something.

1st year sophomore.
 
I have lots of first year wrestlers and some that are quite bad. I tell them the same thing I will tell you: Do not judge success by wins/losses at your experience level. You need to set specific goals that are small that you can control, then increase the difficulty of those goals as you progress. Examples:

I have a kid who got pinned in the first round every match for 3 years before I started coaching. His goal the first tournament was to try to last for 30 seconds without getting taken down, and if/when he went to his back, do not get pinned for 10 seconds. Next tournament it was 40 seconds for a takedown, get off your back the first time. Now we have moved to things for this particular kid to at least get a hold of a leg within the match. It sounds stupid but this kid was 0-27, all first round pins. He got his first win this year.

We have a kid who is fairly good, very athletic, hasnt made it to state. High risk, high reward type thrower. His goals are to stay in good position the whole match. He must score with 1 leg attack before he tries to throw. This particular kid is also not allowed to make weak appearing facial expressions or make any postures/actions that show mental weakness.

The trick to all of these is to make them attainable, very hard, and very dependent on specific drilling/tactics/strategies within our practices.
 
I have lots of first year wrestlers and some that are quite bad. I tell them the same thing I will tell you: Do not judge success by wins/losses at your experience level. You need to set specific goals that are small that you can control, then increase the difficulty of those goals as you progress. Examples:

I have a kid who got pinned in the first round every match for 3 years before I started coaching. His goal the first tournament was to try to last for 30 seconds without getting taken down, and if/when he went to his back, do not get pinned for 10 seconds. Next tournament it was 40 seconds for a takedown, get off your back the first time. Now we have moved to things for this particular kid to at least get a hold of a leg within the match. It sounds stupid but this kid was 0-27, all first round pins. He got his first win this year.

We have a kid who is fairly good, very athletic, hasnt made it to state. High risk, high reward type thrower. His goals are to stay in good position the whole match. He must score with 1 leg attack before he tries to throw. This particular kid is also not allowed to make weak appearing facial expressions or make any postures/actions that show mental weakness.

The trick to all of these is to make them attainable, very hard, and very dependent on specific drilling/tactics/strategies within our practices.

Whoa you sound like a very good coach. If you're serious about you're location(Olympic Training Center) besides schools are you a coach for olympic trials or something?
 
"if this was easy, everyone would do it"
i recite that to myself when i have a bad session
 
Whoa you sound like a very good coach. If you're serious about you're location(Olympic Training Center) besides schools are you a coach for olympic trials or something?

I was an OTC resident athlete for 4 years, having a small level of success at the national/international level. I tore my ACL for the third time and now I compete in bjj while coaching a highschool with no middle school feeders, and a gym with some very high level MMA fighters. I would never be able to coach at the Olympic level simply because I never even made it to the Olympics, nor was #1 on the world team for USA.
I wouldnt want to anyway.
 
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