How Wrestling Coaches Can Make Repetitive Drilling Less Boring
By far, the most widely used practice method in youth and high school wrestling is repetitive drilling. The problem with this is that drilling wrestling moves repetitively is boring. Consequently, boring practices don’t help most wrestlers get better at wrestling.
Yes, repetition is the key to mastery. Yes, repetition is a proven method for developing state and national champions. There is no arguing against this. However, I will argue there is a better way to execute the process of repetitive drilling so it isn’t boring.
In every wrestling coach’s mind, as their athletes are drilling, there is a goal for accuracy, speed, and efficiency they want to see each of their wrestlers hit. In other words, the point of the repetitive drilling is to create muscle memory. The wrestler must drill their moves so much they can execute each skill with accuracy, speed, and efficiency instinctively.
Yet, as wrestlers are drilling, the coach’s accuracy speed, and efficiency goals are vague. The wrestler is doing their best to repeat the drills to some mythical standard that keeps the coach from yelling at them. That’s pretty much all the wrestler has to go on. As practice drags on and on, all but the most elite wrestlers lose interest in the drills.
Using Muscle Memory Goals to “Gamify” Repetitive Drilling
What if the wrestlers explicitly new the muscle memory goal the coach was attempting to reach when doing these repetitive drills? What if there was a measurable, specific standard?
Coaches could then use this measurable, specific standard to “gamify” the process of improvement through repetitive drilling. This gamification of repetitive drilling would be implemented by recognizing and “leveling up” wrestlers each time they hit a muscle memory goal. This then makes the repetitive drilling not so boring as process goals like this drive a tremendous amount of motivation for the vast majority of athletes.
While it may not be simple or common for coaches to articulate measurable and specific muscle memory goals to their wrestlers, the engagement and motivation it could provide will make this effort well worth it.