Life Lessons Learned Through Wrestling

It’s no secret that wrestling is hard. Saying only the strong survive may be a cliché, but it’s true. The great thing about wrestling is that it teaches more than just how to compete as an athlete and in sport. It also teaches life lessons, on and off the mat.

What are some of those life lessons? We reached out to some of the top wrestlers and coaches in the United States to learn what they have learned over their career.

Emily Shilson, 2018 Cadet World Champion, 2018 Youth Olympic Games Gold Medalist

The main life lesson I have learned from wrestling is discipline. In order to reach my goals I have to be extremely disciplined in everything I do. On the mat, I need to do everything with a purpose and make sure my technique is perfect. Off the mat, I need to have great nutrition and recovery and make sure I get all my extra lifts and workouts in. I need to be disciplined while managing my schoolwork so that when I go into practice, the only thing I’m thinking about is getting better.

Matt Lindland, Greco-Roman National Team Coach for USA Wrestling

Wrestling can teach you courage in so many ways that you will never have to be a victim. Courage is key to success on and off the mat. The lessons you have the opportunity to learn on the mat can be easily transferred to other areas of life. Aristotle said that courage is the first virtue that makes all other virtues possible. Martial arts training teaches men to fight and wrestling is a great form of martial arts. Many times parents and the education system in the U.S. don’t understand how to channel masculinity, adventure and drive, but teaching a young man how to fight can. For parents that want to raise a virtuous young man, wrestling is a great tool for building courage.

J’den Cox, 2018 World Champion, 2017 World Bronze Medalist, 2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist, three-time NCAA champion (University of Missouri)

I think a life lesson that this sport has taught me on and off is how to give, or be giving. The sport of wrestling has taught me how to give all I have toward the things, activities, and people I love. It’s taught me to give a little more even when it feels like I can’t. Wrestling has taught me that sometimes you have to give everything you have to gain everything you want.

Giving is something that needs to be the first thing that a person should learn to do. We live in a me-first world, and the lesson of giving switches up that order. Giving doesn’t have to be an object either. In life and in wrestling you can give time, hope, encouragement, love, support, strength, and commitment. The ability to give helps to make yourself, others, and the world great, on and off the mat.

Greg Jones, three-time NCAA champion at West Virginia University, former assistant coach at West Virginia, current MMA coach

The lessons obtained through the sport of wrestling are vast and invaluable to anyone who is fortunate enough to participate in the sport. If I could narrow it down to a couple of lessons, the first would be resilience. Wrestling, like life, is hard. It’s supposed to be hard, which is why we do it and why we love it. The daily challenges, the daily grind, the grit it requires, the ability to conquer yourself, and the ability to bounce back and overcome defeat or setbacks in a positive, productive manner while continuing to charge forward captures the true sense of who we are as human beings who strive to reach their fullest potential.

Eric Aiken, Head Coach, St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Overland Park, KS), four-time NCAA finalist/All-American (Iowa State University), two-time USA World Team alternate

One life lesson I have learned from wrestling is goal management. Reaching a goal is the feeling of greatness, but I have to follow a systematic plan to get there. First, I have to understand that my goal has a recipe. It’s all those things that go into it and support my opportunity for success. The big things and the little things. I also have to understand that my goal has an imaginary bank account. This is where I “pay the price” and make deposits only. I can’t allow myself to do things that take value out of this account.

In addition, I understand that my goal has a price tag. The only thing is I really don’t know how much it cost. Therefore, I have to deposit more than I think it could possibly cost. Finally, I have to understand that the ability to reach my goal is within me. Greatness is not random. It is not in DNA. It’s not a miracle. It’s not a secret. It lies within my determination to follow the recipe of my goal.

Kyven Gadson, USA National Team member, 2017 U.S. Open champion, 2015 NCAA champion and three-time All-American (Iowa State University)

Through wrestling I’ve learned that the small things matter. If you change a letter you can change a word. Gadson turns into Gadsen or Walk turns into Talk. The best thing you can do as a wrestler and in life is take care of the little details so that your dreams and vision can come to life and be seen by people all over the world. Without taking care of the details you cannot develop and grow efficiently. So instead of wanting to be flashy, focus on the fundamentals of wrestling and life as they will make you a better wrestler and person.

Alli Ragan, USA National Team Member, 2017 and 2016 World Silver Medalist

A life lesson I’ve learned is that when you’ve been knocked down or defeated you can either let that define you or you can get back on that horse and find your passion to become the best person and wrestler you can be.