Coaching for Energy Management on Competition Day
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As a coach, you play a crucial role in helping your wrestlers navigate the mental and physical demands of a long competition day. Managing energy effectively is key to ensuring they perform at their peak, not only in the first match but throughout the day. The goal is to create a consistent rhythm your athletes can follow before, during, and after each match. By teaching them to focus on their breath, use key mental resets, and remain relaxed in between matches, you help them develop habits that set them up for long-term success—both in wrestling and in life.
1. Establishing the Competition Day Rhythm
The foundation of energy management lies in building a routine that wrestlers can follow from the moment they wake up to the end of their competition. This routine, or "competition day rhythm," helps eliminate uncertainty, which is a major cause of stress for athletes.
Here’s a simple breakdown of how to guide your athletes throughout the day:
Before the first match: A dynamic warm-up to get their heart rate up and muscles activated. Keep it consistent with their practice routine, so their bodies know what to expect.
Between matches: Encourage light movement, hydration, and small nutrient-dense snacks to refuel their energy stores. Use the competition snack cheat sheet for snack ideas. If there’s downtime, help them relax by chatting with teammates or stretching.
After each match: Immediately guide them through a cool-down process to reset their heart rate and recover mentally for the next match. Skips, arm circles, light jogging, and dynamic stretching are great options for your athletes.
The goal is to make this rhythm automatic. Consistency allows wrestlers to focus on their performance rather than overthinking what they need to do next.
2. The Importance of Less is More
One of the most common mistakes coaches make is overloading their athletes with too much information or hyping them up too much before a match. While it’s tempting to want to give all the technical advice you’ve taught them, this can overwhelm an athlete, leading to confusion or anxiety.
Focus on key words and direct instructions:
Use one or two simple, actionable reminders related to their opponent or match strategy. For example: “Keep your stance low,” “Control the center,” or “Look for the single leg.”
Emphasize breathing. Remind your athlete to take deep breaths to stay calm and centered. Stress and adrenaline can make breathing shallow, leading to fatigue and mental cloudiness.
Remain calm, before, during, and after every match. Excitement is one thing, being out of control with your emotions is entirely different. You are guiding the tone and emotion for your athletes to follow. Embrace your role.
It’s also crucial to avoid psyching your athlete out by overemphasizing their opponent’s skills or reputation. Every match is an opportunity to focus on their own strengths, and they should enter the mat with a clear head.
3. Focusing on Rest, Refueling, and Light Movement Between Matches
Competition days are long and taxing, but many athletes, especially younger ones, don’t always know how to manage their energy in between matches. Your role as a coach is to help them maximize their recovery time while staying sharp for their next match.
Here’s a simple guide to follow for what they should focus on between matches:
Rest: If there’s a significant gap before their next match, encourage them to rest by sitting or lying down in a quiet area. This helps conserve energy and reduces mental fatigue.
Refuel: Make sure your wrestlers are sipping water or electrolyte drinks and eating small easily digestible snacks, like fruits or energy bars, to maintain their energy levels.
Light movement: If they’ve been resting for a while, have them get up and do light dynamic stretches or walk around to keep their muscles warm.
Relaxing with teammates: Some athletes perform better when they’ve had some downtime to joke and relax with their team. Learn what works best for each athlete and encourage them to follow their individual needs.
If they seem unsure of what to do, simply guide them to one of these options based on how much time they have before their next match.
4. Learning Your Athletes and Encouraging Independence
Every athlete is different. Some need more verbal encouragement, while others prefer to keep to themselves. As a coach, your job is to learn each of your athletes—what motivates them, how they handle stress, and what routines help them thrive.
This requires observation and communication. Encourage your athletes to develop self-awareness and start making decisions about how they want to warm up, cool down, or handle match-day nerves. Building this independence not only helps them grow as competitors but also teaches them valuable life skills in self-regulation and confidence.
Encourage your wrestlers to focus on growth over wins and losses. This mindset shift is critical for their long-term success. Wins and losses are fleeting, but what they learn from each competition can help them develop into stronger athletes and individuals.
5. Neutrality in Success and Failure: The Role of the Coach
As a coach, you are the guide—the captain of the ship. It’s your responsibility to remain calm and neutral, regardless of whether your athlete wins or loses. If you panic or show disappointment after a loss, it ripples through the entire team and lowers morale. Conversely, getting overly excited about a win can place unnecessary pressure on the athlete. This could look like highlighting the win over the strategy or talking about future wins or matches, shifting the focus to outcomes instead of process.
Maintain a steady, even tone, no matter the outcome. A loss is not the end of the world, nor is a win the ultimate goal. Both results are part of the process of growth. Celebrate effort, highlight areas for improvement, and stay focused on the bigger picture. This teaches your athletes that results don’t define them, and helps them remain composed and focused on the long-term process of becoming better competitors.
6. The Coach as a Guide, Not a Spectator
Your role as a coach is more than just giving technical advice during a match. You are shaping the energy, mood, and focus of your entire team. Keep your instructions clear, concise, and supportive. Instead of overloading your athletes with complex tactics, remind them to stay grounded in their strengths and trust their preparation.
Encourage them to breathe, move with purpose, and stay neutral in their emotions. Your calm, focused presence will be reflected in their performance, helping them navigate competition days with confidence.
By teaching your athletes the "competition day rhythm," encouraging independence, and staying neutral in wins and losses, you empower them to manage their energy effectively and grow both on and off the mat. Remember, your role is to guide—not control—your athletes’ experience. Let them learn, let them adapt, and ultimately, let them own their competition day.
