Hi 👋

Welcome to Week #55 of the Wrestling Snacks Newsletter.

This week’s Snacks is a bit longer and filled with so many goodies, so we’ll get right to it.

As I mentioned last week, here is a link containing every NCAA D1 team’s wrestling schedule:

Let’s GO 💪

News Bites

• 2024 U23 World Championship Schedule

• U23 World Championship Results

• Mortimer, Makoyed earn U23 World titles, Jones scores bronze in women’s freestyle

• World Bronze Medalist Zahid Valencia Joining Cowboy RTC

• Olympic Gold Medalist Rei Higuchi visits Cornell to train with World Champ Vito Arujau

• North Carolina is offering season tickets for the first time ever, and Rob Koll guaranteed the AD they’ll sell at least 1,000

• Super 32 Champion Vega Flips Commitment to Oklahoma State

• List of November's Top NCAA DI Duals

• 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic Match Lineup

• How To Find The Latest College Wrestling Rankings

• 2024 U.S. World Team to honor Alan Vera by wearing AV on their singlets at Senior Worlds in Albania

• NCAA D2 Bridgeport adds women's wrestling, names Del Gallo head coach

• NYSPHSAA Executive Committee approves freestyle for girls high school wrestling in New York in 2024-25

• Why Penn State Wrestling Coach Cael Sanderson Spoke With the Nittany Lions Football Team

• (UFC Fight Pass) Match Day: College Wrestling Schedule Released (CFFC Match Day's expanded 2024-25 lineup features 12 intriguing matchups, beginning with "Dual at the Daddy" in Cheyenne, Wyoming)

Snacks

This week's Snacks come from Doug Schwab: 3X BIG 10 Champion, 3X NCAA All-American and NCAA National Champion at The University of Iowa. 2006 Pan American Champion, 2007 Pan American Games Bronze Medalist, 2007 World Team Member (5th at the World Championships), and 2008 Olympian. He’s currently the Head Coach for the University of Northern Iowa.

Below are some excerpts from our conversation, along with key takeaways and tips that can be applied to improve yourself as a Coach, Athlete, or wrestling Parent.

Origin Story Tip: Use wrestling as a tool to strengthen family bonds and relationships. When you focus on the qualities learned from the sport you'll see how it can develop your child and bring you closer through the unique hardships and challenges wrestling offers. When you prioritize growth and perseverance, and focus on competing hard, doing things the right way, and preparing well, wrestling becomes a lifelong tool that not only shapes your child’s character but also strengthens your family’s bond, preparing you to face challenges together both on and off the mat.

"I have two older brothers who were both Division I All-Americans and state champions. They're ten and twelve years older than me, so I had them around the house for a while, but then I was following them, watching them train and compete at the highest level from a young age. I think I gravitated toward the sport because of that.

We didn’t wrestle nearly as much as kids do now. There were opportunities, but I remember my first tournament, which was actually in the West Gym. I think I wrestled maybe one tournament that year. The next year, I wrestled a few more and just went to local events.

I enjoyed the sport from a young age because I was small. I don’t know if I fell in love with it right away, but I think I did. I had a ton of energy, and I liked grabbing another kid and being able to beat him up. I was around it all the time and wanted to emulate my brothers as much as possible...

My brothers and parents never really pushed me. They wanted me to compete hard and do things right—train and prepare well—but they never forced me to compete.

They believed I would gravitate toward wrestling on my own, and I did. I’m thankful they didn’t push me. It was something put in front of me with the mindset of, “If you want to do it, let’s do it. If not, that’s okay.” It was on my time.

Watching my brothers from a young age, wrestling just got into me. I remember being in their corner, drying them off between rounds at college opens and running around the West Gym. I can’t think of a time in my life when wrestling wasn’t part of it...

Wrestling brought our family together. Now, with my sons wrestling, I want it to improve our relationship. It should be something we enjoy doing together, something that builds us up, not tears us apart. It should make us stronger, and that’s what I’m aiming for.

I think if you let it come from them, and put good people around them, the focus should be solely on improvement and effort—things they can control. That leads to a better and healthier relationship for everyone."

Parent Tip: (1) A good rule of thumb for youth wrestlers is to set a certain number of practices they need to attend before competing. Don’t rush into competition—focus on enjoying the sport first. (2) Stay consistent as a parent, sports shouldn’t be the most important part of your relationship with your child. Take an interest in all areas of their development, not just sports. (3) Give plenty of unsolicited praise, but hold back on unsolicited criticism.

"My kids have been in a high-level wrestling room since they were crawling, so I sometimes forget how it is for others. One way people can get around that is by going to a club and getting involved. I know competition is important. You want to get them out there, but I believe it has to be used in the right way.

This is what I did with my sons. They started asking about wrestling and I decided to wait about a year to see if they kept asking. They wrestled in their first tournament, and I thought, “They’re probably not going to wrestle another tournament for almost a year." They went to one local one, and then they went to that same tournament again.

I told them, “For every 20 practices, you get to go to a tournament.” I wanted them to be willing to prepare and see if they enjoyed the sport. You can’t just throw them into competition and expect them to thrive. If a kid gets pinned or humiliated, we’ve all been there. The kid cries, and it’s tempting to say, “Get tough.” I’m not against telling kids to get tough, but I think you can build it up in a better way.

It shouldn’t revolve around wins and losses; it’s about progress. You’ve got to have a bigger perspective. I’d suggest getting them into a club, getting them involved in practices, and helping them learn to control their body first. I always think, "If a kid can’t do a cartwheel, how is he going to control another human being?...

Sometimes it's hard for a parent to get out of the way, but you have to have people around you that you really trust and believe in. I'm not telling others how to raise their kids, but sometimes parents are more involved in the sport than they are in how their kids are growing as people or in their schooling. Sometimes I'll ask parents, "When's the last time you asked your kid about school?" We can't lose sight of those things.

I understand wrestling is a big commitment. Parents put a lot of time, effort, and energy into it. They drive their kids hours in one direction and spend a lot of money on it. But what are we trying to instill in our kids through the sport? That can't get lost either. Last weekend, my sons competed at Super 32's, and neither of them won, but they both competed hard and learned lessons.

For me, it's about asking, "Are you going to use this to learn from it?" My wife and I try to stay consistent. Since they started wrestling, we’ve focused on emotional control, effort, body language, how they respond to their coaches, what kind of teammate they are, and how supportive they are. The willingness to take feedback and go back to work are key.

Those are the things I continue to grade them on because they have control over those things. It's not about judgment or win/loss. If I feel their effort isn’t up to par, that's part of our family values, and they know to expect feedback from me on that. I’ve been thinking a lot about this, and I try to give my boys a lot of unsolicited praise, but not unsolicited criticism.

In wrestling, especially after a match, you want to hammer them with feedback. I still give them some, but unless they ask, I try to hold back on wrestling-specific critiques. I focus on other things that I saw were an issue. If they didn’t prepare well, I’ll point that out. If their body language wasn’t good or they weren’t receptive to their coach, I’ll remind them.

If they lost and took too long to come back and support their teammates, I’ll address that too. These are the things I stay on them about, but if they ask for feedback on their wrestling, I’ll give it. I know what they’re trying to achieve, so I want to support that.

I know it can be tough as a parent after a match, especially as a coach too. You get caught up in the moment and feel like you need to throw a lot of advice at them, but often, they’re not in a place to receive it."

Coaching Tip: Keep your eye on the bigger picture. As a coach, focus on progress and growth, and on the impact wrestling can have on an individual’s life rather than getting consumed by outcomes or idolizing winning. The standard is still high, and of course, we want to win, but it’s about maintaining perspective. Your team is made up of individuals at different stages, and their gauges for success can’t all be the same.

"I can't speak for everyone, but I think most of us are involved in wrestling because we felt the impact it had on our lives. It improved us in some way or prepared us for the next phase of life. I think it's important to instill that while everyone wants to win a gold medal and stand on top of the podium, your whole worth can't be based on wins and losses.

If you base everything on that, you blow with the wind. You feel on top of the world when you win, and the opposite when you lose. It’s a contradiction. You're told to put everything into this, but then you hear it shouldn't matter. I'm not saying it doesn't matter, but there's a big difference between your self-worth and how you feel as a person.

You're not going to win everything you want. I've been around guys who have won multiple world and Olympic titles, and even they haven't won everything they wanted. So, thinking you'll be the one to do that is unrealistic. If your only gauge is winning and you don’t get what you want, you’ll end up bitter at the sport.

I don't want relationships to suffer because of that mindset. If you focus only on winning, that happens a lot. Focus on progress and growth, and there will be plenty of wins within that. When you coach a high school team, you have kids all over the spectrum. One kid might be wrestling for the first time ever, and another could be a state champion. Their gauges for success can't be the same.

That doesn't mean the standard doesn’t stay the same. Effort and the things they can control should remain the focus. If their record is the only indication of progress, we’re missing the mark. What can they take with them after? We should try to win and put everything into it, but if you get scared to make mistakes, you're missing out.

I'm still working on this myself, but turning away from focusing on the outcome is not easy. When you're part of something bigger, like a team, it helps. We try to instill that with our team. You're part of something bigger than yourself.

For me, I believe in God, so that’s what I look to, but each person has to decide for themselves. If your idol is winning, it becomes really hard. That doesn't mean you don't put everything into it, but it’s tough when you stop trying because you didn't win. My losses are what I’ve grown the most from. If you can view adversity as an opportunity, then you're turning it on its head and finding growth in it."

Athlete Tip: Growth happens when you consistently push yourself outside your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to take risks, especially in practice. Winning in the room isn't the ultimate goal—learning is. Whether it's trying new positions or challenging yourself mentally and physically, embracing discomfort both inside and outside the room is key to becoming a better athlete. Stay committed to continuous improvement, and don’t get discouraged by setbacks.

"You’ve got to consistently get uncomfortable, and that might mean inside and outside of the room. If you stay within your comfort zone, there’s not a lot of growth. You have to constantly pursue improvement. The battle within yourself is always something you can control. I tell kids to be coachable, to be willing to take feedback and direction, and to take risks, especially in the practice room.

I see so many guys worried about winning in the practice room that they never put themselves in a position to learn. I always go back to how you practice. Getting uncomfortable and doing something new is crucial because we’re wired to seek comfort. But leaning into discomfort is where growth happens. You have to continually challenge yourself, and hopefully, you have people around you doing the same.

Discomfort isn't just in the practice room; it’s outside, too. It's about not being the average student who goes out and parties every weekend. If you’re really chasing your goals, some things will have to be sacrificed. It’s a choice, and some guys try to balance both, but in most cases, those two worlds don’t mix. You need to get uncomfortable inside and outside the room and keep working on your mind, including how you talk to yourself.

When I’m challenging myself daily and getting uncomfortable in some way, I know I’m growing. It’s not just in the practice room—taking risks there helps you learn positions. For a freshman coming into a college room for the first time, just learning to keep position and stay in the fight might be the first step. Don’t get discouraged because it’s a process, and buying into the process means embracing all parts of it."

Negative Impact Tip: (1) The win-or-nothing mentality can harm young athletes. Second place doesn’t make you a failure. Just because you didn’t get what you wanted, it doesn’t mean the effort was wasted. (2) Day-before weigh-ins at youth tournaments need to go, as they encourage extreme weight cutting by giving kids more time to recover before competing the next day. Stay focused on keeping the sport healthy.

"I think I've touched on some of it already. The win-or-nothing mentality—second place, throwing away your medal, and leaving—I've been there. I've done it. But we need to shift our perspective quickly. It wasn’t a waste of time just because you didn’t get what you wanted.

Being grateful for opportunities and understanding that is something we’re trying to live by and get our guys to understand. 

I probably have a unique perspective from wrestling through college, wrestling internationally, coaching in college, and now seeing my sons come up through it.

I would tell you that youth tournaments with day-before weigh-ins need to go. All they promote is cutting as much weight as possible. My boys didn’t cut weight—they pretty much wrestled what they weighed. Now, if they do need to cut weight, that’s their choice, and if we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right. But we’ve both seen kids who are miserable. They’re not getting better in the sport or enjoying it. They’re just cutting weight.

I think we should get rid of all youth tournament day-before weigh-ins. I get why they do it—it makes things easier for the tournament. But for most, it just means another night in a hotel, and then some pay for even earlier weigh-ins. 

Are we trying to make as much money as possible from these events, or are we trying to keep our sport healthy? You have to ask that question. I see it, and I think that's something that needs to go."

Wrestling Growth Tip: (1) Continue to promote women’s wrestling. It may be tough to overcome old mindsets, but for the same reasons we believe wrestling is beneficial for our sons, it can be equally beneficial for our daughters—especially with girls being able to wrestle other girls. (2) As a youth coach, you're responsible for the experience parents and athletes have when they're first introduced to the sport. Make sure they have a positive experience. You are the first point of contact, and you play a crucial role in determining whether they stick with the sport or quit after a few years.

"Well, obviously, the numbers are growing, at least from what I understand. Not just on the female side—the female side is exploding. We’ve opened up a whole new group to the sport. I’ve thought about it a lot. I have two daughters who are seven, and they go to practice. I started thinking about how wrestling helps my sons, so why wouldn’t I want that for my daughters?

Just because it’s new or not something we’ve done before doesn’t mean it’s not beneficial. Especially with girls being able to wrestle other girls, I think that’s a huge step in expanding the sport. I think the rule set is good. Freestyle has done a great job having the best rules they’ve had in a while, and they haven’t changed them, which is nice because we’re not all trying to figure out what’s going on.

I know high school moved to some of the college rules. If I go back to some of the things I was talking about regarding youth, I think it’s important to keep kids involved in the sport for life. You don’t want them in it for a couple of years and then they’re gone. We need kids who get into it to stay engaged, stay involved, and have a great experience."

Growth Bite

This week's Growth Bite is about navigating “The Messy Middle”

I feel like this is where I’m currently at with the newsletter and other personal goals I’ve set for myself. So today’s Growth Bite is a personal reminder to myself, haha.

In personal growth, "The Messy Middle" is the challenging phase between setting a goal and achieving it. It's where your resolve is truly tested, and you'll encounter:

• Setbacks and Learning: Facing obstacles, learning from mistakes, and adapting plans.

• Emotional Ups and Downs: Experiencing doubt and breakthroughs, testing one's commitment.

• Identity Evolution: Shifting from who you were to who you need to become to achieve your goals.

• Persistence: Continuing despite slow progress, which builds resilience and character.

• Emergence: Gradually seeing improvement and integrating lessons learned into your life.

The path to growth isn't a straight line. It's in this messy middle where the real magic happens; it's chaotic, demanding, but ultimately transformative. Embrace it, because this is where you grow the most.

Community Treat

This week's Community Treat comes from a Twitter post by University of Pennsylvania Head Wrestling Coach, Matt Valenti. It’s reached nearly 400,000 views and has become a hot topic of discussion as he explains the challenges Olympic sports like wrestling face in the changing landscape of NCAA sports: