The new wrestling season marks a fresh start. Everyone begins with a perfect record. But what really sets the tone for a successful season are your personal goals.
As the season approaches, your anticipation builds with thoughts of what’s to come: long grueling practices, inevitable pain, occasional blood on the mat, and your hand being raised in victory by the referee. Follow these two tips to set effective goals for your coming wrestling season.

Performance-based, not outcome-based, goals

All wrestlers want to be successful. But defining success through points scored, matches won or national titles gained will not sharpen your focus. They all depend on achieving some outcome, and they don’t take into account all the small steps that actually put you in a position to win. Plus, they are mostly out of your control, since outcomes depend in part on your opponent. Performance goals are much better. Focus on actions you can control on the mat; for example, a great performance goal would be to take three shots in every round.
Learn how to set SMARTer goals.

Training goals

Does your coach dictate your training goals with instructions like “do 100 Push-Ups” or “run five miles a week”? These are good good objectives to have, and you always have to listen to your coach; but to be the best wrestler you can be, you need to set personal goals, beyond those prescribed by your coach. For instance, make sure to maintain a healthy weight throughout the season. Trying to drop pounds the night before weigh-ins can be dangerous. Also, adopt goals around getting proper nutrition. Your performance will suffer if you don’t eat and drink right. Fueling incorrectly could even lead to injury and burnout, which will negatively impact your wrestling.
Round out your wrestling training with workouts and tips from the experts in STACK’s Wrestling Guide.
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