Erica Merz

Despite popular belief, wrestling can be one of the most mentally and physically draining sports. Mentally, wrestlers have to prepare themselves and get into the right mind before a competition, which also means motivating themselves. Physically, wrestlers have to burden themselves with extensive conditioning and dieting to make sure they are ready for their future duels, which is harder than it sounds. Wrestling can be a very fun sport but it can also take a toll on young athletes who are still developing.

There are many ways for wrestlers to prepare for post-season wrestling, such as setting goals for themselves, training, and rehabbing their injuries. During wrestlers’ final matches, they should focus on their mental and physical health, and make sure not to lose focus during the off-season. We asked Aj (Aubryonna Blanchard), Class of 2025, how she prepares for wrestling, and she said, “Over the summer I usually eat whatever I want, but still try to stay in shape and still lift even during post-season.” Many wrestlers will also focus on what they can control, such as their diet, and how much exercise they are getting daily.

According to legendwrestling.org, the most important actions to mentally prepare for the postseason is to eliminate negatives, reinforce confidence, and to visualize the win. What do these things mean? Overall, these are more than actions, but they are a state of mind. It’s entering a mindset that empowers you and relieves the stress and fear of loss because you’ve accepted it.

A large part of staying fit and preparing for the postseason is conditioning. Conditioning is the practice of keeping the body strong between large gaps without sports. There are a plethora of different ways to condition for the postseason, for example, playing another physically intense sport in the meantime such as football or rugby. It’s also recommended to consistently train with weights to strengthen the body. It’s crucial for wrestlers to be able to match and outperform their opponents in strength.

The Coronado girls’ wrestling team has only been together for 3 years now and is already performing outstandingly: “Our girl’s team is doing really good this season, we have 17 girls, and we’re all doing really good,” said Aj Last year Jessica Farmer placed second place in freestyle wrestling. According to the Coronado website Coronado wrestlers ended last year’s wrestling season with three state medalists with 110 Jessica Farmer in 6th place, 132 Alan Cruz placing 4th, and 144 Luke Diehl placing 5th.