COACHES CORNER Mental toughness


wins in wrestling Being tough in practice and competition is what led numerous past Olympic and World medalists to greatness


By Steve Fraser, U.S. National Greco-Roman Coach What is “toughness” in the sport of wrestling? What does it


mean to be mentally tough? How can mental toughness help us to overcome obstacles? These questions - when answered and mastered - can cata-


pult us and our team to the top of the wrestling world. The reason Rulon Gardner beat Russian superstar Alexander


Karelin in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games was because of Rulon’s toughness. Karelin had not been beaten in 13 years. The reason Matt Lindland won the 2000 Olympic and 2001


World silver medals is because of toughness. The reason our U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling team won the World Championships in 2007 in Baku, Azerbaijan, was because of our team’s toughness. I contend that the main reason wrestlers make it to the top in


this game is because they learn to master their mental, physical and emotional toughness. In my mind there is no doubt. Toughness in wrestling is the


key to becoming one of the best! We can be brilliant techni- cians. We can be as quick as cats. We can be extremely talent- ed. We can be strong as a freight train. But without exceptional toughness our road to the highest podium step will probably be very bumpy. Bill Zadick won the World Championships in 2006 and is cur-


rently the National Freestyle Developmental Coach for USA Wrestling. He summed it up this way when I asked him to give me his example of what toughness looks like in the practice room. “I would find the toughest training partner on a day that I was beginning practice already tired. I used to grab Ramico Blackmon (Olympic Training Center resident teammate) on an occasion like this. I went with Ramico because I knew I would have to ‘step it up’ or Ramico would crush me.” What this did for Bill was it would get him in a groove and


force him to rise up and meet Ramico’s strength and intensity. Most often, Bill would end up having one of his best workouts that day. Coach Zadick says: “To be totally tough and the best in this


sport it requires one thing… full bore commitment! 100 percent IN!!! There is no other way to become the best!” Bill says that the single and biggest factor in being “tough” can be summed up with one word: Consistency! Whether you


26 USA Wrestler


are consistent at challenging your training partners or challenging your own areas of weakness; the key for toughness is becoming consistent on a daily basis. When I ask Terry Steiner, who is USA Wrestling’s National


Steve Fraser


Women’s Freestyle Coach, what he thinks toughness is in the practice room he states the following: “I learned that trying to break my practice partner in every practice was the key to my success. At the University of Iowa, this is what we did! This is what we did almost every day!” I think sometimes too many people are just trying to “outpoint”


their practice opponent instead of beating them down. We must have the attitude in the practice room that we want to destroy our practice partner. We must try and crush them. Every day, we must try to make someone quit. Break them mentally and physically. This is how one develops his or her fierce tenacity and ferocious attitude. We must remember, becoming the best means we have to be outrageous and courageous. “Learning how to break someone in practice where you make


your practice partner want to take a break or stop to get a drink means you are on your way to greatness,” says Coach Steiner. And please, do not expect to feel good every day. We have to


be training hard enough where we hurt and are totally exhaust- ed. And then we must train even more! Coach Steiner doesn't care how you feel early in the season.


Dang, this is when we SHOULD be tired, sore and hurting. This is where we are building our resistance. It’s at this time we still need to fight hard and wrestle hard even when we are exhaust- ed.


We have to train our bodies to wrestle when we are beat up. This grueling time period (early – mid season) allows for a stronger and higher peak performance when it counts most (State, National and World Championships). During the peaking time period is when we need to be focused more on feeling fresh, hungry and powerful. To bottom line it: We have got to be crazy! To be best in the


World (or State/Nation) we have got to be crazy! Crazy training! Crazy attitude! Crazy strong! Maybe just plain crazy! Still to this day, my most favorite feeling I have is when I am


done with practice, totally drenched in sweat, sore, tired and beat up a bit. There is no better feeling for me. Am I crazy? Yes! And proud of it! If you have a dream or desire to be the best wrestler you can


be - then each and every day (in practice and competition) don't just try and outscore your opponents, try and break them. Try and break their will to fight. Try and make them quit. Have the goal of getting them so


tired that they give up everything to you. Do this and we will see you at the top, for sure! As always, expect to win!


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