A Wrestler's Most Important Ability

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

I've heard it said that sports are 90% mental and 10% physical. That is wrong and stupid. If that were the case, Stephen Hawking would have teched Jordan Burroughs at the 2012 Olympics instead of spending the afternoon in his London flat working out fiendishly difficult equations.

The famous soccer player Mia Hamm said that the most important attribute a player must have is "mental toughness." Of course, soccer players with mental toughness also writhe around on the ground after another player touches them. They're running a 10k with a ball!

Soccer players should not speak unless spoken to, in my opinion. 

But what about physical capabilities? It has been said that in sports, there are four physical traits an athlete must use: Strength, speed, conditioning, and positioning. Yet, the race doesn't always go to the swiftest, and the fight doesn't always go to the strongest. 

No. There must be something else. 

I've spent twelve years researching the relationship between athletic celebrations and success in sports. It is nearly a 100% correlation. I'm ready to call it causation. Whenever there is an athlete or athletes celebrating, a victory has been won. Examples:

 

 

I think coaches have got it all backwards.

First, teach your athlete a capital celebration, like Kamal Bey's Back Flip Superman or Zane Richards' Lezginka dance, and then they cannot fail. Statistics show this to be true. After that, maybe work with them on their pummeling or high crotch a little. With a superior celebration in their back pocket, your athlete will train harder. 

Because you only get to celebrate if you win. 

 

___________________

This post first appeared at The ILLINI Wrestling Blog and Forum and Beyond. 

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

Another area in which wrestling coaches need to improve on is the post-match interview. Again, there is almost a 100% correlation between post-match interviews and a big win on the mat. 

Now, this isn't true of all sports. 

In basketball, for example, they interview the losers as well as the winners because they think people want to hear what losers have to say, even if it is a loser talking about losing and whatever else the losing loser wants to talk about. "The ball kept not going in the hole." 

My friends, I guarantee you that Sammy Brooks wrestled 10% harder in his Big Ten Championship match against TJ Dudley because he knew that if he didn't win, the post-match interview he stuck in his back pocket would never see the light of day. 

 

 

 

[ionel]

So let me get this straight:  you are saying all Dayton Fix has to do to win NCAAs and make the Olympic team next year is drop down to 57kg, move the pre-match somersault jump to post match and do the hokoie pokie on his way off the mat for his off the chart post match interview? 

[11986]

3 hours ago, ILLINIWrestlingBlog said:

I've heard it said that sports are 90% mental and 10% physical. 

I thought wrestling was 90% mental, and the other half was physical?

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

56 minutes ago, ionel said:

So let me get this straight:  you are saying all Dayton Fix has to do to win NCAAs and make the Olympic team next year is drop down to 57kg, move the pre-match somersault jump to post match and do the hokoie pokie on his way off the mat for his off the chart post match interview? 

I'm afraid it is too late.

Coaches need to start at the Cadet level with instruction on post-match celebrations and interviews. It took Sammy Brooks (another ILLINOIS kid) months and months just to grow the mullet. Then, he had to learn what product would make it exactly as fluffy as needed. 

[wrestle87]

I have also seen a nearly 100% correlation between seeing wrestlers eating food and successfully having made weight, especially bagels with cream cheese and gatorade.

We should encourage wrestlers to eat bagels and gatorade more often, it will be easier for them to make weight accordingly.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

4 hours ago, ILLINIWrestlingBlog said:

I've heard it said that sports are 90% mental and 10% physical. That is wrong and stupid. If that were the case, Stephen Hawking would have teched Jordan Burroughs at the 2012 Olympics instead of spending the afternoon in his London flat working out fiendishly difficult equations.

The famous soccer player Mia Hamm said that the most important attribute a player must have is "mental toughness." Of course, soccer players with mental toughness also writhe around on the ground after another player touches them. They're running a 10k with a ball!

Soccer players should not speak unless spoken to, in my opinion. 

But what about physical capabilities? It has been said that in sports, there are four physical traits an athlete must use: Strength, speed, conditioning, and positioning. Yet, the race doesn't always go to the swiftest, and the fight doesn't always go to the strongest. 

No. There must be something else. 

I've spent twelve years researching the relationship between athletic celebrations and success in sports. It is nearly a 100% correlation. I'm ready to call it causation. Whenever there is an athlete or athletes celebrating, a victory has been won. Examples:

 

I like soccer, but Mia Hamm was so mentally tough that she begged out of taking a PK in the World Cup final, after customarily being one of the five players who took a PK after extra time.

[gimpeltf]

2 hours ago, 11986 said:

I thought wrestling was 90% mental, and the other half was physical?

But just Berra-ly so!

[flyingcement]

1 hour ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

I like soccer, but Mia Hamm was so mentally tough that she begged out of taking a PK in the World Cup final, after customarily being one of the five players who took a PK after extra time.

Wow don't remember that.  Did she ever provide an explanation?

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

2 hours ago, wrestle87 said:

I have also seen a nearly 100% correlation between seeing wrestlers eating food and successfully having made weight, especially bagels with cream cheese and gatorade.

We should encourage wrestlers to eat bagels and gatorade more often, it will be easier for them to make weight accordingly.

Another scientific breakthrough! 

[Idaho]

My daughter ran track for the first time this year. I gave her the best coaching advice.... run faster. The most important ability for a wrestler is to wrestle really, really good. 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

37 minutes ago, flyingcement said:

Wow don't remember that.  Did she ever provide an explanation?

 

2 hours ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

I like soccer, but Mia Hamm was so mentally tough that she begged out of taking a PK in the World Cup final, after customarily being one of the five players who took a PK after extra time.

I actually was wrong.  She was "reluctant to take the PK" because of a scoring drought.  I think it is possible that she moved up from the 5th spot to the 4th, to alleviate pressure on herself.

My apologies to Mrs. Garciaparra-Hamm and her fans, as well as to the members of this board.

[gimpeltf]

8 minutes ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

My apologies to Mrs. Garciaparra-Hamm and her fans, as well as to the members of this board.

I wonder if she worked her gloves like Nomar?

[bnwtwg]

Look everyone knows

This is ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name

Dummies

[ionel]

4 hours ago, ILLINIWrestlingBlog said:

I'm afraid it is too late.

Coaches need to start at the Cadet level with instruction on post-match celebrations and interviews. It took Sammy Brooks (another ILLINOIS kid) months and months just to grow the mullet. Then, he had to learn what product would make it exactly as fluffy as needed. 

But what if he jumped clear over the ref and wrestler post match with a perfect landing to shake hands?

[Scouts Honor]

most important ability?

mental toughness.

perseverance. 

[GreatWhiteNorth]

Adaptability.

If you don't adapt, toughness and perseverance won't get you nearly as far.

And, FWIW, the 90% mental is not "stupid" - it's about right. It is, of course, based on the assumption that your opponent is roughly as physically prepared as you are.

These are things I learned as HS wrestler. If you didn't, either you didn't wrestle or maybe your coach didn't.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

7 hours ago, GreatWhiteNorth said:

Adaptability.

If you don't adapt, toughness and perseverance won't get you nearly as far.

And, FWIW, the 90% mental is not "stupid" - it's about right. It is, of course, based on the assumption that your opponent is roughly as physically prepared as you are.

These are things I learned as HS wrestler. If you didn't, either you didn't wrestle or maybe your coach didn't.

Also the mental doesn't mean the ability to do calculus! It means mental toughness, decision making, etc.

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

After working with wrestlers on a top-notch celebration in one of the three main categories (Religious, Dance, Tumbling), I let him or her know that IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY TO START YOUR CELEBRATION. Why wait? If you’re up by 2 with a minute to go, do a backflip at the re-start. If time is ticking off and you have a one-point lead on bottom or on top, shake your fist in triumph.

 

This serves two purposes: (1) You have cemented in your mind that you will win, and (2) You have destroyed your opponent’s confidence. You'll find all of these tips and more in my book: Wrestling Celebrations and Thirty Other Ways to Piss Off Old People. Buy it on Amazon today!

 

 

 

 

 

[AgaveMaria]

On 6/15/2023 at 7:59 AM, 11986 said:

I thought wrestling was 90% mental, and the other half was physical?

General studies major?  Every body knows it is 90% mental, half physical and half coaching..., with success 100% guaranteed if you wear the right brand of shoes.

[ionel]

1 hour ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

Also the mental doesn't mean the ability to do calculus! It means mental toughness, decision making, etc.

Calculus ... maybe no.  But you need some physics, geometry, math stats/probability for angles, leverage, mass speed, re-shot success etc. oh and ya gotta have calculus for that. 

[Scouts Honor]

are you the new DF? 

[Ragu]

The most important ability is availability 

[scourge165]

On 6/15/2023 at 9:17 AM, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

I like soccer, but Mia Hamm was so mentally tough that she begged out of taking a PK in the World Cup final, after customarily being one of the five players who took a PK after extra time.

I thought that was when she was hurt, no? I thought she played with some ligament issue she played with or...something.

 

I just remember watching(not...willingness, believe me) that story about the Women's Soccer Team and that was part of the story. Maybe it became part of the story after the fact.
I really couldn't be less invested though, so don't feel compelled to get back to me on this. I got annoyed with the USWNT when they lied about being paid less than Men.

[scourge165]

On 6/15/2023 at 11:44 AM, bnwtwg said:

Look everyone knows

This is ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name

Dummies

Definitely a banger...I just can't ever Remember the Name when I'm looking for it on the playlist.