Foul Territory
A sports blog with no specific focus, though I like wrestling and baseball
10.24.2004
Sunday Conversation
A few sporting related thoughts for a Sunday evening:
First, the Red Sox big win over the New York Yankers last week reminded me of some wrestling experiences I’ve had. Of course, the analogy isn’t perfect, but the anticlimactic last game is similar to some tournament finals matches I’ve had in my career that have had the same anticlimactic finish. At the beginning of the day you look at the bracket sheet and see the top two seeds on the opposite sides of the tournament on a collision course for the finals. The day progresses and it becomes obvious that no one else is going to challenge the two best guys until they meet in the finals. Then, when they finally meet, one of the guys scores a few points early, and the final result is never in doubt after the first period. Granted, there’s still the possibility of a comeback, but said comeback never materializes. Maybe it’s not as exciting as it could have been, but the winner’s fans can relax, and I doubt the victor feels like he’s lost out on anything.
Second, I was thinking today about a mental approach to wrestling matches. Everybody is different in this respect. Some guys need to be really relaxed and focused. Others have to get themselves worked up into a good lather. Still others are best when they aren’t really thinking about wrestling until they strip off their warm-ups and head out on the mat. I think one of the more important jobs a coach is to determine the best way to get each of his wrestlers ready for his match. Maybe he gives some last minute instructions about what to watch for or what to remember, or maybe he doesn’t say a word, knowing that’s the best thing for his wrestler. It’s important because the mental approach to a match is so crucial. The match is so short that you can’t afford to come out flat, and you don’t have any teammates out there to pick you up. I’ve seen the mental aspect of the sport derail wrestlers with a lot of talent and athletic ability. These are guys that look like national champions in practice, but they just can’t get it together when it they’re keeping score. It happens for a lot of reasons, but they’re all mental ones, since the physical ability is obviously there. An effective coach would focus on determining what causes the anxiety or whatever causes the problem, and then he would try to do what he could to fix the problem. I just feel like this is an important, yet often overlooked, part of coaching, and if I ever interview for a coaching job, I’m definitely bringing it up.
First, the Red Sox big win over the New York Yankers last week reminded me of some wrestling experiences I’ve had. Of course, the analogy isn’t perfect, but the anticlimactic last game is similar to some tournament finals matches I’ve had in my career that have had the same anticlimactic finish. At the beginning of the day you look at the bracket sheet and see the top two seeds on the opposite sides of the tournament on a collision course for the finals. The day progresses and it becomes obvious that no one else is going to challenge the two best guys until they meet in the finals. Then, when they finally meet, one of the guys scores a few points early, and the final result is never in doubt after the first period. Granted, there’s still the possibility of a comeback, but said comeback never materializes. Maybe it’s not as exciting as it could have been, but the winner’s fans can relax, and I doubt the victor feels like he’s lost out on anything.
Second, I was thinking today about a mental approach to wrestling matches. Everybody is different in this respect. Some guys need to be really relaxed and focused. Others have to get themselves worked up into a good lather. Still others are best when they aren’t really thinking about wrestling until they strip off their warm-ups and head out on the mat. I think one of the more important jobs a coach is to determine the best way to get each of his wrestlers ready for his match. Maybe he gives some last minute instructions about what to watch for or what to remember, or maybe he doesn’t say a word, knowing that’s the best thing for his wrestler. It’s important because the mental approach to a match is so crucial. The match is so short that you can’t afford to come out flat, and you don’t have any teammates out there to pick you up. I’ve seen the mental aspect of the sport derail wrestlers with a lot of talent and athletic ability. These are guys that look like national champions in practice, but they just can’t get it together when it they’re keeping score. It happens for a lot of reasons, but they’re all mental ones, since the physical ability is obviously there. An effective coach would focus on determining what causes the anxiety or whatever causes the problem, and then he would try to do what he could to fix the problem. I just feel like this is an important, yet often overlooked, part of coaching, and if I ever interview for a coaching job, I’m definitely bringing it up.
Andy, 7:05 PM
