You’re not building a champion. You’re building burnout.
Look, I know the grind. I know you want to get your kid as much mat time as possible during “season.” But wrestling 100+ matches over 12 weekends doesn’t build long-term success.
It builds exhaustion, injuries, and mental fatigue.
Let’s break this down:
THE TRUTH: Quantity ≠ Quality
If your wrestler is only active for 3 months, going to 2 tournaments every weekend and barely practicing in between, and then TAKES 9 MONTHS OFF, you’re setting them up for disappointment.
That’s not how champions are built.
Instead, Try This Championship-Building Formula:
- 60–80 matches per YEAR (not season)
- Fewer but HIGH-QUALITY tournaments
- Live wrestling in practice is better than endless weekend matches
- Use PERIODIZATION: peak at the right times, recover at the right times
- Deliberate practice: fix mistakes, learn high-level habits
- Emotional and psychological rest is just as important as physical recovery
COMMON SCENARIO:
“He wrestled 110 matches this season!”
Sounds impressive, until you realize:
- 40 of them were against kids who couldn’t challenge him
- 20 were when he was sleep-deprived and overtrained
- 30 were rushed into without fixing last week’s mistakes
- 9 months of the year = no mat time, no improvement, no plan
That’s not development. That’s burning out a 10-year-old for a plastic medal.
CHAMPIONS DON’T PEAK AT 10 YEARS OLD
They build the habits, the systems, the MINDSET, year-round.
And they do it by training smart, resting deliberately, and competing when it matters.
Your wrestler doesn’t need more tournaments.
They need more direction.
They need a parent who understands the journey is a marathon, not a 3-month sprint.
YOU’RE THE DRIVER
Stop letting weekend schedules and Facebook highlight reels dictate your child’s career. Get intentional. Create a long-term plan. Learn how to peak at the right time, and REST at the right time.
If you’re serious about your child’s success, and their well-being, it’s time to make a shift.
Want to know EXACTLY how the best parents are building elite wrestlers while protecting their relationship with their kid?
Join the Wrestling Parent Masterclass now: https://www.wrestlingparent.com/opt-in
The clock’s ticking on doing this the RIGHT way. Don’t wait until your kid is broken down at 14 years old.
Be The Best… always! (on and off the mat)
Georgi I. Ivanov
Olympian | Mentor