New Wrestling Mom

Question
My boy is only 6 years old, and this is his first sport ever! He was raised by three women (me, my mom and sis) so he's somewhat of a crybaby. He is a big boy for his age. He ways 80 lbs. Anyway,  I put him in last week...and although he's a fast learner, he's afraid. I can tell he doesn't use all of his strength. Sometimes he even cries. I ask him if he wants to quit and he says no. But i think its cause he doesn't want to disappoint me. I reassure him that he wont, but he still wants to go to practice everyday. I was just wondering about how long does it usually take for children his age to get used to it? Or do you think he'll ever get used to it?

Answer
Esther,
Congrats! I'm still in college but as soon as I get a kid I will put him right to work at 4 years old. Wrestling is a poison, once its in you and you like it; it will be in your blood until your death. Sadly the best way to make your kid like it is by brainwashing him in a sense. Don't take brainwashing as a negative thing, I will explain. By brainwashing you have to make him believe that this IS his sport and that he likes it and he's good at it. Show him the rewards of wrestling such as gold medals if he wins or how much stronger he is than any other kid. Make him believe that the world centers around him.

Its actually funny because there is this kid from my state in high school who just sucks so bad, he wasn't talented at all in wrestling. His dad was a wrestling coach and brainwashed him that he was the best wrestler in the state. He believed he was the best and actually won matches he shouldn't have and got to become a 3x State Finalist. If you see this kid wrestle you wouldn't think he was going to win. His moves were so sloppy. He won matches through work ethic and never gave up a point.

Wrestlers need confidence and feedback. Make him confident, make him want to want wrestling. If he does something bad, punish him by not driving him to wrestling practice and making him walk or go with someone he doesn't like. Make him earn the right to wrestle. Part of the reason I love wrestling so much as because my mom wouldn't let me wrestle. My school was 4 miles away from my house. It took me 2 hours to walk to school. At some points it was pouring rain. I ran 5 miles total, lifted weights and practiced for 2 hours only to have to walk home for another 2 hours. I was sore and barely could walk. I had the motivation to walk home and wake up the next day to go to school and repeat the process of wrestling again.

If I got low grades in high school school, my mom would take wrestling away from me. I had to make sure I had honor roll 3.5 gpa before my mom helps me out in wrestling such as buying me snacks in tournaments and getting supplements as Protein Whey. So guess what I did? I worked so hard in school to get that 3.5 just so I can wrestle. I was brainwashed, I loved it and I do not regret it. You have to actually sit down for a couple of hours and write down and plan how your going to brainwash your son without him knowing.

Again this sounds really really bad but its the only way. In the end, your (kind of) trying to push your son away from wrestling which will make him want it more. Just like when a kid wants to play video games, he can't do it unless he's done with homework. If you need specific methods on how to do this I could set you up a plan on how your going to do this. Again DO NOT EVER mention to your son about quitting. Nothing relating to quitting. Just that if he's doing bad you will support him less. If it comes to the point where he wants to quit, make sure to say "fine quit... but yaddaa yadda yada you will be just a normal kid and a loser. Can u live your life being a quitter? Might as well quit school etc...".

Again make sure your kid wrestles for himself not for you. Not to make you proud. Not be a sexist, but your figure of a mom should make easy to do this because I grew up without having a dad-figure and was able to accomplish this. Don't mention to your grandma or sister about this brainwashing term. It will come out in the future when your son is stressed out and your relatives will make him realize that he's been brainwashed and stuff. This is where the fire ends for most wrestlers. They realize from their relatives or friends that they are working so hard for something so little that they think its not worth it. Make these types of situations to be avoided at all costs. If hes feeling down or depressed or stressed reinforce him by saying the  things he could achieve. Scholarships, friends, popularity make things up (which they all come true by the way).

Rent "Reversal" made in 2001, its a wrestling movie that will give you a preview of how a champion wrestler lives and trains. You will better understand what your son will go through in his life as wrestler. This movie is only meant to be watched by you, not your son.  Again do not let your son watch this movie because something bad happens in the end and is not meant to be watched by younger wrestlers. Not to spoil the movie or anything but watch the movie, and again do not let your son watch it.

Go to flowrestling.org and just find matches that looks interesting and show your son what he could become. A month is a sure answer of putting the "poison" in your son's blood. After that he will love it forever.