5 Things Learned from Cary Kolat

1. He is Fanatical about Wrestling and Training. Before he stepped onto the mat for a clinic (A CLINIC NOT A MATCH), he warmed up hard for at least 30 minutes. He had sweats on and hit a full body warm up- pushups, lunges, squats, situps, supermans (lower back), and much more. He was pouring with sweat through his sweats.

2. If you haven’t figured it out already the guy is INTENSE. His drilling was done at a very high pace. He talked about the importance of a good partner during what he calls COMBATIVE DRILLING. This is when the partner really makes you work for a takedown or particular position.

3. Not only is Cary Kolat a great technician, but a very detail oriented Coach/Wrestler. He went through a ton of finishes from single legs and High C’s. There were so many little details that most people overlook that will make or break your Takedowns against a good opponent. He also talked about what we call Clarity in our Program- knowing your go to finishes in each position.

4. Coach Kolat is extremely organized. When he competed he said he always had workout partners lined up the day before, his workout times planned out, and his focus for each workout written out or in his head. Like John Smith says, “Wrestling Can’t be routine.” To Jump Levels you have to come in with a plan or a specific area of focus. This will help you improve each day.

5. We talked about Cary being Fanatical, and our 3rd Pillar for our Z-Fanatical Fitness Program is Constant Improvement. Cary and his team at North Carolina call this the 365 approach, which is essentially the same thing. This means not letting a day go by when you don’t improve in some way- Mentally, Physically, Emotionally, Spiritually, Nutritionally, etc. When you compete it isn’t Person vs Person, rather Lifestyle vs Lifestyle. Tom Brands preaches a similar concept to his Iowa team. Coach Kolat said strive to make little improvements daily. If you pick up one intricacy from a Single Finish today, you Improved Today! At North Carolina they focus on Constant Improvement rather than Winning and Losing. Of course the goal is always to Win, but now they praise their kids for little incremental improvement and not only Wins. So if a kid got teched last week to a wrestler, and now loses by 10 they will Focus on his Improvement rather than the Loss. From a Mindset perspective we could not agree more. Focus on what you can Control- Effort, Attitude, and Execution. Strive to Improve Everyday and the Wins will follow. It will reduce pressure, build self esteem, and ultimately lead to more Wins. Cary Kolat and North Carolina are doing its time for YOU to start making daily Improvements!