Train to Succeed

To be successful on the mat, wrestlers must live a lifestyle that allows them to succeed off the mat. For those in the sport, it's known as "the wrestler lifestyle" and it is a combination of hard work and dedication backed by a focus on nutrition, rest, recovery, and doing things right off the mat.

Aaron Pico, a 17-year-old wrestling phenom from Whittier, California, said he made the decision to live the ultimate wrestler lifestyle the moment he realized he wanted to be successful in the sport. Pico was a 2013 Cadet World Champion, a 2014 FILA Junior Nationals champion, and a 2014 Junior World Silver Medalist at 66 kg/145.5 pounds.

For him, it's a simple process: He has dedicated his life to the sport of wrestling. On the mat, he is doing what it takes to train to become a senior-level World and Olympic champion. Off the mat, he focuses on the diet and nutrition plan outlined by his coaches, gets plenty of rest and uses any down time to take care of his school work while still going to the occasional movie with friends. He respects his coaches, listens to his parents, and tries to be an honest person. That work ethic and those traits and values help him take care of life off the mat, so he can take care of business on the mat.

"When I compete, I have nothing on my conscious," says Pico. "I know I've done everything I can to put myself in a position to succeed. I've eaten right. I've trained hard. I've taken the steps necessary to be in a position to win. But I also know, I've lived my life the right way and that prevent any outside influences from distracting me from my goals.”

It's not easy to become that focused at a young age, says Teague Moore, head coach of the American University wrestling team and an NCAA champion at Oklahoma State under legendary coach John Smith.

"The wrestling lifestyle, as many of us know, is not a normal way of life," says Moore, also a two-time USA World team member, who enjoyed a successful international wrestling career before turning to coaching. "To succeed in this sport, a person needs to be willing to sacrifice a little more, put more effort into daily decisions, and most importantly, be willing to make tough decisions."

That's why Moore says it takes a team effort to live the wrestler lifestyle: The athlete is like an employee who must complete a project on a given day andtime. The coach is the boss who will oversee the completed project and either accept or reject the project.  The parents, in this instance, become the teammates, who can help the athlete progress towards the goal. 

Randy Rager is the head coach of the Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) wrestling team in Rochester, Minnesota. He led the Yellowjackets to the 2014 NJCAA non-scholarship national championship and was named the 2014 NJCAA non-scholarship coach of the year. Many of the young men he recruits have done a lot ofthings right on and off the mat, but are still working hard to put it all together. That's where he comes in—helping those kids reach their academic andathletic goals.

"I often speak to employers as a job reference for past athletes, and explain to them what it means to be a wrestler," says Rager. He tells them that a wrestler is an “individual who is willing to sacrifice for the greater good, and who doesn’t mind the hard work associated with a daily grind." 

"Put the same effort into life that you do wrestling and you will be successful," says Rager. "Wrestling becomes a lot easier when other aspects of your life are in order." 

Moore says this means developing a daily routine that includes a focus on weight management, training, diet and rest. When a wrestler hasn't prepared off the mat, Moore notes, it "usually amounts to a poor performance on the wrestling mat."

As for rest and recovery, it’s often the most overlooked component for wrestlers training to succeed. "An athlete who trains at maximum pace every day, and never takes time to recover, will break down overtime," says Moore. "They can lose focus both physically and mentally and their efforts become dull and lackluster."

Both Rager and Moore also stress the importance of academics as part of the complete package.

“As a wrestler, you can’t expect to win if you haven’t trained, put in the extra work, and taken care of your body,” says Rager. “The classroom is the same.”

The wrestling lifestyle and mentality can translate into more success on the mat. Continually working on assignments is like continually working in the wrestling room, says Moore. “Study sessions make a student strong and knowledgeable just as practice makes a wrestler strong and confident,” says Moore.

It’s important to avoid the traps that can hold one back, says Rager: Hanging out with the wrong crowd. Succumbing to peer pressure. Making poor decisions.

"If you are allowing negative outside influences to pull you in the wrong direction, you need to cut those influences off before they begin to control you,” says Rager.

In the end, every wrestler is looking for an advantage. To find yours, it also requires focusing on all the other aspects of your life outside the mat.

Pico found that out at a young age and that dedication drives him every day.

"As you grow up, you have to decide what is important to you," says Pico. "I always focused on giving 110 percent on the mat, but as soon as I learned how to live the right lifestyle off the mat, things fell into place. Think about how you want to be remembered and that will help you make the right choices."