Circular Logic: Wrestling Bracket Seeding Doesn’t Matter Unless it Matters
Bear with me as I start with a slight rant in circular logic. One of the most exciting parts of being a wrestling fan is looking at wrestling brackets. One of the least fun parts of hosting a wrestling tournament is seeding brackets. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop here…
One of the most frustrating parts of wrestling for parents and coaches are brackets with incorrect seeds. One of the least important aspects of wrestling for the actual wrestlers are wrestling brackets.
Herein lies the problem…
Unquestionably, the fact that so many other people in the wrestling community care about brackets is the main driver for wrestlers to care about brackets. However, brackets are the one thing wrestlers have the least amount of control over. Therefore, it’s detrimental for a wrestler to put even one iota of energy into them.
If a wrestler has even a slight leaning towards thinking their success is dependent on something they don’t control, they become vulnerable to losing the mental battle. As a result, no matter how much parents and coaches care about brackets they must avoid talking about brackets with their wrestlers at all cost.
It’s critical for wrestlers to sharpen their mind to focus on what’s under their control before a tournament. Given that, bracket talk can do nothing but undermine this focus. Brackets can and do often dictate the outcome of a tournament. Nevertheless, this should only matter to those who are not wrestling.