How I Approach Off-Season Wrestling When My Boys Ask for a Break
A few days ago I shared that my boys are taking a break from wrestling this spring and summer. Normally, this is not a problem when they are running track. However, this year they also told me they didn’t want to run track.
Herein lies the problem. They want a break from wrestling and they aren’t doing another sport. Should I just let them lay low, play video games and get fat? If you know me, then you know this is not an option!
As a parent and a dad coach, my biggest worry is that they will lose momentum if I don’t have a plan. So the first thing I did was talk to them about their goals for next season. Both of my sons made it clear that their goals have not changed. They still have aspirations to pursue several difficult goals. Furthermore, I know from experience that pursuing difficult goals without a planned routine stifles momentum.
Momentum is the motion of moving. Unquestionably, it takes far more energy to create momentum than it does to sustain momentum. When an object is in motion, small nudges can keep it in motion. However, that same small nudge is not enough to start it in motion. That’s the power of momentum and that’s why I don’t want to lose it.
As a result, my approach to this off-season is all about small actions that are easy to execute and keep them from losing so much momentum that progress grinds to a halt.
My goal is to give them a break from wrestling both mentally and physically while keeping them active and sharp.
I know that scaling down from time to time will not impact their overall pursuit of their goals. On the other hand, I know that completely grinding to a halt wil have a huge impact and will require a 10x effort to catch up. With this in mind, my approach is all about using the power of momentum to their advantage.
This means practicing at least once a week, a basic routine of calisthenics to maintain conditioning, and a few wrestling camps spread throughout the summer. I’m not going to overdue any of this and I’m not going to mandate compliance. Rather than taking that approach, it’s all about getting buy-in based on developing their self-motivation to achieve the goals they have defined.