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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
John Drumm added to this discussion on October 27, 2009
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Rex:
Very interesting and informative posts. The psychology of our sport oftentimes gets overlooked on a daily basis and discussion has been long overdue on the wrestling websites. Thanks for bringing it up! I particularly like your driver-passenger analogy concerning emotions and decisions. What I've gleaned from your analogy is to control your emotions, don't let them control you, but allow them to hone your focus to make the right decision based upon your good moral compass. Actions have consequences, internally and externally.
I can also relate, probably as others, that when we were young, we just did what we were told, trusting our fathers, mothers or other role models, coaches, but oftentimes without a real understanding of the reasoning behind why we were doing certain things. We just did it. Crewmen don't ask the Captain why they are doing things, they just do it. I know this from my line of work.
Different teaching philosophies: Just do it, and learn the reason WHY on your own OR have the WHY explained to you prior to doing it. The former requires more thought, the latter the answer is given to you in advance.
Great discussion!
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Brady Hiatt added to this discussion on October 27, 2009
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Rex,
Thanks. The classroom idea is very intersting. I'm going to give it a shot this year. The main thing that I've preached to my team since taking over the head coaching responsibilities 5 years ago is personal integrity and responsibility -- especially in the face of adversity.
One quick example is the way that many wrestlers act following a loss (and a win). I am disgusted by the way so many prominent wrestlers act like absolute fools following a loss. Many people excuse that as "wanting to win badly" I think that's total crap. So I talk extensively to my wrestlers about how to act when facing adversity and prosperity -- in both sports and life. So far, I've only had one athlete act poorly following a loss -- and he came and apologized to myself, his opponent, and the opponents coach.
As much as everybody on this board loves this sport, it is just a sport. We can, and must do better in preparing our athletes for life following wrestling.
Besides what you talked about above, any other specific areas you find critical to talk to your wrestlers (if/when coaching) about?
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Rex Holman added to this discussion on October 27, 2009
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John-
Thanks for the positive feedback.
Brady-
Lots of areas. i.e. Edge wrestling, overtime wrestling, top wrestling, bottom wrestling, sequential wrestling, goal setting, weight management, any position in wrestling that is difficult for a wrestler to understand with a clear explanation as how to improve position. Each component can be deconstructed and expressly stated as to the expectation.
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Brady Hiatt added to this discussion on October 27, 2009
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Quote from Rex Holman's post:
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"John-
Thanks for the positive feedback.
Brady-
Lots of areas. I.e. Edge wrestling, overtime wrestling, top wrestling, bottom wrestling, sequential wrestling, goal setting, weight management, any position in wrestling that is difficult for a wrestler to understand with a clear explanation as how to improve position. Each component can be deconstructed and expressly stated as to the expectation."
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I was thinking more about the mental aspect of wrestling and translating it life. I want my athletes to be great wrestlers, but I want them to be great men even more.
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Rex Holman added to this discussion on October 28, 2009
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Absolutlely. That was a cursory list that I thought of right away. I will put some thought into it, but I have some ideas percolating. I will start a new thread of teaching champions on and of the mat when I get a chance. Gotta leave for work soon.
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on October 28, 2009
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Rex said douchebag!!! That is great. Even the most philisophical of minds make it easy for me to understand!
I love the classroom concept, Rex. I just might have to incorporate that one.
About three years ago, before a dual meet, I was checking out a newly acquired DVD on cradles by none other than Joe Heskett. As the kids are sitting around, changing or eating their prematch meal, some began to navigate over to the monitor.
About two hours later not one...not two... but three kids attempted a move they had seen a mere two hours prior. We had never gone over it, never talked about...heck I didn't even knew one of the kids would ever get in the situation! But he did and attempted it.
Just crazy how you writing what you did made the above moment stick out in my mind and made the scenario real.
Thanks a million.
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Mike Taylor added to this discussion on October 28, 2009
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The mental side of the sport is the part I am the worst at coaching. This is due to the fact that this is the aspect I struggled most with as a competitor. Teaching kids how to win and lose the right way isn't the hard part. It's keeping a kid from psyching himself out that I am hit or miss with. I can tell them they are every bit as good as anyone they face until I'm blue in the face, but until they internalize that message my words are just noise. The fundamental question exists of how to get your athletes to INTERNALIZE your message. How do you get them to buy in to what you preach (not necessarily w/ the techniques but the mental aspect)? The real kicker is there is not a one size fits all approach to this issue. Each athlete/kid is different. If anyone has had success in this area, I'm all ears to hear about your approach.
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Rex Holman added to this discussion on October 29, 2009
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Mike-
I believe you might be focusing your energies on the wrong thing. Internalizing a message is oversimpified by the self help gurus who say that it takes between 14-21 days to learn and internalize new behavior. That is taking skill acquisition out of context and does not account for the mindset and behaviour that is already in place.
You already alluded to the underlying problem, which is psyching yourself out for competition, which I propose is a mutation of fear and attachment, which lend themselves to wrong thinking. The underlying root emotion is fear. Fear is both a great motivator and a great detractor of action. Again, it comes back to proper application(right place, right amount and at the right time) If left unchecked and unmanaged, think of it as a virus. It needs a host, may change form and cause damage. Unfortunately, it can be lifelong.
There are many variations of fear: anxiety, nervousness, concern, fright, terror, phobia, etc. Language captures the varying degrees and nuances of the different types. What we have with athletics and wrestling in particular is produced by the nature of mano y mano fighting. The whole situation of meeting an opponent by yourself on a mat in front of a crowd may lead to anxiety, self doubt, worry, etc. Once these emotions take root in the psyche, then their removal becomes a process.
How do you go about dismantling these emotions? Establishing the right attitude and healthy outlook towards competition is a must. Competition must be viewed as an opportunity to showcase ones' skills. It must be a a learning opportunity, one in which we can and will improve, we must value our opponent as a unique challenge which will test us mentally and physically.
What competition sometimes becomes is a burden. The athlete may feel that he has to win, he/she may feel that the opponent is too good, or may feel like he has to have an above average day to beat an opponent, he may fear criticism. These are wrong ways of thinking which manifest as less than desired performances.
The wrestler may have an attachment to scoring, not scoring, stalling,etc. If such is the case, then it is very possible that negative feedback in response to that attachment will lead to a loss of focus or even worse a meltdown. Strong emotional attachments to tasks which are out of or of limited control lead to fear. Think about it. When you want something very badly, the tendency is to worry that it may or may not come to fruition. This is bogus. Worry is wasted energy that leads to doubt. Doubt is fear of the unknown and opposite confidence.
The strongest statement I ever read read concerning this topic was by Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich". I memorized it because I liked it so much. "Kill the habit of worry in all its forms by reaching a general blanket decision that nothing which life has to offer is worth the price of worry." Very strong statement but it rings so true.
Application to your athletes. Classroom. Identify fears. Memorize the above statement. Qualify right thinking regarding competition.
Refine. Ongoing process towards becoming a master of oneself.
Hope that helps.
Brady-
I challenged myself and came up with 11 worthwhile topics but it needs a lot of refinement.
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Last edited by Rex Holman on October 29, 2009; edited 1 time in total
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Mike Taylor added to this discussion on October 29, 2009
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Rex,
That's the exact type of thing I was looking for. While my influence is limited by the fact I'm a volunteer assistant coach (one of about 8 in the room), it will still come in handy in my small circle of influence. Since I deal primarily with the JV (being the new guy in the room), I have the oportunity to help develop good habits in the young wrestlers, both technically and mentally, before the habits (good or bad) become engrained.
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Bill Splete added to this discussion on October 29, 2009
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Rex,
Write the book. It's time to get it right.
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Rex Holman added to this discussion on October 29, 2009
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Bill-
Thanks. All in time.
I have been giving attachment a lot of thought. It is mentioned throughout Buddhist, mindfulness and meditative literature. Once we become attached to something it influences our thoughts and actions and again it has the ability to comingle with emotion and may become destructive or productive. It is dependent the nature of the attachment and our response to it.
We may develop all sorts of attachments that we are unaware, of limited awareness or aware. Example: You are getting ready for a match and are not feeling levels of past excitement to which you attached great performances, so you begin to doubt your readiness to compete at that level. The attachment in this case lies in having to feel excited in order to compete at a high level. A better attachment to develop is having a calm mind and a warmed up body. You can always get to a calm mind and warm body but sometimes feeling excited is not an option.
We must manage our attachments. I think it is totally unrealistic to eliminate attachments altogether as suggested in some forms of religion or philosophy, but I think it is a good idea to limit or eliminate some altogether. The ideology to adopt with regard to competition and attachment that I propose is to decrease the attachment to winning and adopt an attachment to wrestling from solid position with intent to to always improve position and fight with great intensity and spirit. One is an outcome while the other is a process that will most likely result in a positive outcome.
Attachments are either encumbrances, not or some shade in between. We can always rework the attachment so that we are unencumbered and in line with our self image.
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him how to fish and eats for a lifetime.
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Andrew Waldron added to this discussion on November 1, 2009
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Hello Rex:
I finally got to see your state title match. I was somewhere in Colorado when your match occurred. I regret not seeing your match.
Nate Lewis certainly looked tough. He was the only one that you were unable to pin in entire district, regional, state tourney that year. Right? Is that why you were gunning for him at the end in hope for a pin?
Nice mullet, though. =0)
-Andrew
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Last edited by Andrew Waldron on November 2, 2009; edited 1 time in total
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Discussion Topic: Video: 1988 D1 final at 189, Rex Holman (Upper Arlington) v. Nate Lewis (Libbey)
Rex Holman added to this discussion on November 1, 2009
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Andrew-
It kind of comes across as creepy to me when you write to message boards about me in a goofy way (considering this is the second time time you have done it)
I feel like I am in the twilight zone as this is the second weird contact in less than a day. The other guy writes to Tressel and gives him game advice and believes that he acts on his advice.
C'mon, what planet are some of you people living on?
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