Process Effort and Improvement

Trust the process, coaches say.

Never get too high after a win. Never get too low after a loss. Never be afraid to try a new move, take on a new challenge, or step outside of one's comfort zone to achieve your goals.

Focusing on process, effort, and improvement is crucial to a wrestler’s long-term development, and top club coaches across the country recognize this, says Ian Assael, a coach with the Darkhorse Wrestling Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. For starters, it’s in the best interest of the athlete.

“When a club emphasizes process and development they are giving the wrestler the tools to be successful,” Assael says. “Of course we all want our athletes to win, but the most important thing that we can do for our athletes is help them develop the skills and work ethic that will serve them later on the mat and in life.”

Wrestling clubs give today’s wrestler a great opportunity to receive supplemental training outside of their school or community-based program. Clubs provide wrestlers a chance to workout with different training partners, learn from different coaches, and train in a new environment. Many club wrestlers are motivated to compete and succeed at a higher level, and this environment can inspire a wrestler. 

The most successful clubs focus on long-term athlete development (process, effort, and improvement) versus leaving the local, regional, or national tournament with the most hardware.

“Your finding more serious wrestlers participating in wrestling clubs because of the opportunity for additional training and good workout partners," says Keith Donnelly, Assistant Wrestling Coach at Independence High School (Independence, IA) and Cadet Director for Iowa USA Wrestling. “And clubs have many ways they can emphasize process, effort, and improvement. Some club coaches lay out exactly what they feel their athletes should do for workouts, nutrition, and competitions, while other club coaches focus on the technique and improvement and let each athlete pick and choose what competitions they would like to do.”

Sometimes coaches, parents and wrestlers get too focused on short-term results, says Donovan Panone, head coach and Owner of the Level Up Wrestling Center in Marietta, Georgia. At Level Up Panone works with wrestlers age 5–18 interested in improving their skills, building confidence, and having fun. When all of that takes place, that can greatly increase the chances of a wrestler reaching their ultimate goal: Winning more.

“Wrestling can take a while to find success and there are several ups and downs along the way,” Panone says. “By focusing on the process of getting better and measuring your success by small improvements, you start gaining confidence sooner and more consistently.”

At Level Up, Panone and his coaching staff work with each wrestler to set skills-based goals. And each practice has a purpose and focus on improving one percent each day.

“When they look back over the course of six months they will be blown away at how much they've achieved,” Panone says.

The process itself can be difficult, especially for younger wrestlers and/or those new to the sport. But the process involves putting in hard work, effort and going above and beyond to improve. It also includes the tough off-the-mat decisions—eating right and focusing on nutrition, making good choices, being a good student, and taking care of things off the mat so there are no distractions on the mat.

“The process is a term that many don’t understand or want to do because of the work involved,” Donnelly says. “The more things you are willing to do the right way, the quicker you will see positive results and improvement. The process is what you are doing to see your results.”

One of the most important things wrestlers can do is learn to focus on what they can control, including their effort and the steps within the process, Assael says. 

“When we start to focus on the wins and losses, we lose sight of the big picture,” Assael says. “A wrestler could wrestle well, compete with intensity and lose to a superior opponent, while another time wrestle poorly and beat a lesser opponent. At the end of the day the loss is likely going to help the wrestler more in his overall development, which should be the ultimate goal. By consistently emphasizing the process and overall development, the wrestler focuses on what they can control and are also able to reach their full potential.”

Learning how to control what one can control will benefit a wrestler on and off the mat, says Mike Clayton, Manager of USA Wrestling’s National Coaches Education Program.

“If we can focus on the process of developing the qualities needed to improve our chances of achieving these goals, we can teach young athletes that they do have control over certain things,” Clayton says. “Things like showing up to practice on time, listening to coaches, having a positive attitude, working on a new skill or improving an existing one, and so on.”

All of this doesn’t mean winning a match isn’t beneficial “It is, and it’s a lot more fun than losing,” Panone says. “But kids get too stressed out about the short-term wins and can tighten up and not wrestle their best. They get worried about making mistakes and aren’t able to flow through positions or are afraid to take a shot. Coaches should have a competitive environment and mindset, but should also celebrate the small achievements in the room and in matches.”

Assael agrees.

“When a wrestler is focused on the process and overall development, they are not afraid to challenge themselves and seek out challenging competition,” he says. “Losses provide an opportunity for growth and to assess where improvements need to be made. When a wrestler is not overly concerned with the match outcome, they are more likely to open up and compete their best."

Donnelly said youth, high school and club coaches all play an important role in the long-term success of their athletes.

“Regardless of the ability of the athlete, what is most important is preaching the importance of enjoying the sport, giving maximum effort, constant improvement, and trusting the process," Donnelly says. “When this happens, everyone is winning.”