Ask Cael: Do you feel that it’s hard to stay focused on wrestling if you redshirt your freshman year? I know you were able to do it, but it seems to me alot of wrestlers just get lost in the college life and never wrestle up to their full potential and end up quitting ?

Story Published Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Question From Jeff: Do you feel that it’s hard to stay focused on wrestling if you redshirt your freshman year? I know you were able to do it, but it seems to me alot of  wrestlers  just get lost in the college life and never wrestle up to their full potential and end up quitting ?

I don’t think it is difficult to stay focused while redshirting.    I think the culture of the program has an enormous effect on redshirts.  It’s important to surround yourself with the right people and right leadership.  If the older kids on the team are partying then the incoming kids might follow their lead.  A few kids are natural leaderes and are going to do everything they are supposed to and more to be successful, regardless of what is going on around them.  There are also a few that are going to go the opposite direction,  regardless of the circumstances.  But the majority is going to follow the lead of someone else and that’s why it is important for a program to establish a strong, clean culture.

To stay focused, redshirts need to have training and competition goals.  Goals provide direction, and direction will help them stay focused on moving the correct direction.  There are many tournaments available to redshirts.  They should get 4-5 open tournaments of folkstyle and a few freestyle tournaments in as well.  If a wrestler looks at a redshirt year as a year off of wrestling then that could definitely be a problem.  We all know “the idle mind is the devil’s playground.”

Latest Questions in the Ask Cael Archive

- question: Do you think starting wrestling at a young age is helpful/important?
- I have been a head coach for only 2 years, so I cannot expect overnight success but This school has so much potential. Please help me with pointers on this problem.
- A kid that I wrestle in practice won’t let me tie up with him. I beat him but how do i get a hold on him when he always circles out when I try to tie up with him.
- Everyone around here almost automatically defers when they win the choice to start the second period. I believe that is counter-productive and want my boys to take bottom every time.
- I have two boys who love to wrestle, what do you think is the best way to bring them up the ranks, without “burning them out?” And what would be some good motivational ideas?
- I have watched videos of you in college where you put your head to the mat. Are you gaining an advantage by using your head on the mat?
- Can you explain why college wrestlers defense is so different?
- What is your philosophy regarding Team v. Individual in the sport of wrestling and how do you communicate this philosophy?
- What causes passivity? How can we overcome it?
- I graduated 2 years ago and recently got a coaching job coaching my old middle school team. What is some advice you could give me to help me get moves across to my team without skipping important details?

View Complete Ask Cael Archive by Date