As wrestling season embarks on a long four month journey, many football players will be looking to head to the weight room. Many players feel the weight room is the place that helps them move to another level of excellence. They are dead wrong! The wrestling room is the place that will help them achieve football glory. No other sport will combine the athleticism needed to become a standout player. Wrestling combines speed and agility, strength and power, and the functionality of hand fighting. Wrestling places each competitor in a one on one situation that forces them to delve deeper into their mental toughness. Stepping on the mat is not for the faint at heart! Most football coaches will site the weight cutting as an example of why football players should not wrestle. Personally, I played football at 217 lbs. and wrestled 177 lbs. I cant remember the weight loss negatively affecting my ability to play football. The reality is this, slimming down then building additional muscle is healthy. In truth, kids do not cut weight like the days of my youth. You would be lucky to find one kid drop ten pounds over their natural weight. Personally, I like the aspect of minimal weight loss as the athletes are focusing on acquiring and refining their techniques. The focus should always be on sport skills not starving yourself. Most football players are heavyweights (or light heavyweights) so they never have to deal with weight cutting. But, they will improve their athleticism. Adrian Ulloa. Played for me as a 90 pound corner back. This young man was an outstanding wrestler and a tough football player. Although clearly undersized, he was the surest tackler on the team. Ive seen freight train looking players try to run him over and every time he put them down. After a while, they would not run the ball to his side. Here was a kid that was the smallest player on the field yet could compete with anyone. There is an old saying in athletics and life, you cant measure the size of a players heart until they are placed in a pressure, tough situation. Nobody could defeat Adrian on the football field. he made it a point to be a player in this game when others would have quit or never entered the fray. I attribute his outstanding wrestling skills to his success on the football field. With all of the benefits that wrestling provides skill and athletic-wise, the ability to battle in the circle by yourself is something to behold. Those that stay develop a mental toughness not garnered in other sports. It takes a tough kid to step in the circle, sometimes clearly over-matched, and battle it out. Unless you have been in this situation it may be hard for others to understand. As parents, we have no recourse when our children are stuck in tough situations. The kids must learn to battle their way out or become victims in tense situations. With every battle comes lessons that need to be processed and dealt with in an efficient manner. That, my friends, transcends any sport or endeavor. That is life. Tomorrows workout: EMOM in twenty minutes each minute perform- 5 push-ups, 10 sit-ups and 15 squats technique: max reps for three minutes of granby rolls switches knee slide stand-ups hip heist head spin pop-ups
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 15:14:32 +0000