a worried newcomer

Question
QUESTION: My question is simple. This is going to be my first year wrestling im really nervous because im currently a junior in highschool going onto my senior year. Its currently freestyle wrestling season and im starting practice tomorrow. My best friend is an amazing wrestler and when i went to a tourney with him this weekend i wrestled for fun and fell in love. Ive had some grappling experience however im worried im going to terribly BLOW. I really want to get out there and prove that im no push over. I love this sport and i want to make it into college wrestling and possibly the Olympics but i think my lack of experience is going to hurt me severely. Im counting on my determination drive and heart to win. Any advice on what i can do to even my odds?

ANSWER: Listen Gabe, everyone has their scare when they come into this sport. No one is amazing when they first come in and the key thing is just to relax. Listen to the coach and make sure you do exactly as he says. Once you master the basics then he'll probably teach you harder moves and soon enough you'll be using those advance moves like it was nothing. The one thing I high suggest is to lift. Start lifting those weights! Being strong is a huge advantage in this sport. Don't worry about the experience part yet. Experience comes with time. No wrestler has ever just jumped into the ring and won all their matches. If you are really desperate for some additional training then you can find a wrestling club or go to a wrestling summer camp. If you are around Penn then i would recommend Leigh High for a summer camp. I am not familiar with clubs as much but i'm sure you can find one if you just google it. They basically train you and take you to tournaments, give you pointers and what not.

I hope this calms your nerves down. I am also sorry that I could not get back to you any sooner. I am in college and finals week just hit and I forgot about this email. Sorry. I hope the advice was worth waiting for. Good luck.

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QUESTION: Thanks for the advice i would also like to ask you if you think its possible for me to make it onto a college wrestling team even though ill only have this freestyle season and the upcoming senior highschool wrestling season under my belt.

ANSWER: That all depends on how much work you are willing to put into it and which school you are going to. I would just work really hard at it and join the wrestling club and so the summer program. See how things go. I know this is not a real answer but like I said, it all depends on which school and how much work. If the school does Varsity and so forth, then you'll get on the team but just not start for 2 or 3 years. Just keep working at it and you'll get in eventually.



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QUESTION: Thats the thing i dont have 2-3 years to make it to varsity or anything of that sort its currently summer and next year im a senior. I understand what you mean by your answer and thanks for replying. Sorry i ask alot of questions but i want to have as much information as possible. Im currently lifting everyday but id appreciate it if you could provide me with tips on any excercises possible id really appreciate it. Im willing to work all day and night everyday to be as good as i can but id appreciate it if you can point me in the right direction as far as workouts go.

Answer
Well some good workouts are simple actually. You want to work on everything. I would job daily and do suicide sprints to work on cardio and legs. Lifting weights is a big help when it comes to arm strength such as benching, curling and what not. Push ups, sit ups, and strength your neck muscles. For neck muscles you can bridge daily. Bridging is something you'll learn in wrestling. In essence that's it. If there's anything else you can think of to lift then do it. Most importantly, eat right and you'll be fine. Otherwise if you eat a lot of fat and sugars you'll run out of energy faster and not to mention you'll be wheezing a lot faster. I hope that helps.