Turn Injuries into Success

Stop letting injuries hold you back!

I understand that injuries are often very physically restricting, but I also know that most injuries effect wrestlers more mentally than anything else.

If you wrestle a long career, injuries in wrestling are going to happen. Almost no high level wrestler is competing completely injury free.

That doesn’t mean that you STOP getting better just because you are injured.

That is a common misconception: I am hurt, and can’t get on the mat so there is no way I can get better.

That is true ONLY if you believe it and let it become true!

I have seen wrestlers emerge from injuries stronger than before the injury.

Most wrestlers, however, let it effect them negatively in their mind. They focus on how much practice they are missing, how their opponents must be getting better, how the injury will affect them in the future. They put all their energy and focus on the negatives and fail to realize that this could be the best thing that happened to them.

Our wrestlers aren’t allowed to dwell on the downside of their injuries.

2 things I have our Wrestlers do when they first suffer an injury:

1. Make a list of all the wrestlers you know (do research if you have to) who achieved your goal with an injury or less than ideal circumstance.

This is usually easy for most wrestlers to do. If these wrestlers can do it why can’t you?

2. Make a LONG list of the ways you CAN get better in wrestling even with your injury.

There are SO many ways wrestlers can get better even if they cannot physically wrestle:

Studying film, RECOVERING (sometimes that’s exactly what you need), Mindset Training, focusing on Nutrition, Finding your Passion for the sport, getting stronger or in better shape (just because one leg is hurt doesn’t mean you let the other leg suffer!), and on and on!

Again, MOST injuries are more in your mind than anything else. I’m not telling you to be stupid and wrestle through serious injuries. BUT you can and will get better even when you are injured if you DECIDE to!

Kyle Dake has a good article on this topic in WIN magazine this month. He quoted us when we told him at the NWCA convention that, “Whatever happens to you in this sport, you have to truly believe that it is the best thing for your training and career.”

It’s the truth! Focus on the negative and your minor injuries will turn into major injuries and major injuries into career enders. Focus on the positives and they will make you better than you were before the injury!

Mindset Training is crucial during or after an injury. Book Free Assessment Now